I find myself without a .22 and, living in the country, I feel I gotta have one. I'm looking for opinions/advice/experience.

I am ONLY interested in either a pump or a lever action, and I don't want a Henry. I would prefer that it be able to accept some sort of receiver mounted aperture sight (and NOT a tang mounted type).

Given those constraints, what should I be looking at?

Thanks,

eljay

At least three rifles answer your specific need. The Winchester M-9422, Marlin Model 39 and the Remington 572 pump.

The Winchester is no longer made but is readily available. The Marlin Model 39 (we have the 39M - straight stock, shorter barrel) and the Remington are readily available new.

My Dad has a Winchester 9422 equipped with a Williams Guide reciever sight. This is an effective and unobtrusive sight whit does require a new front sight.

Our Marlin M-39M has a Williams Reciever sight and we installed a target knob for elevation to make it a little quicker to adjust for different distances.

To be truthful if you mark the slide on a Williams Guide reciever sight it is just about as quick to adjust.

We left the open sights on the Remington pump.

The Winchester has just a little slicker action than the Marlin - but not by much. Both rifles take down easily for cleaning but the Winchester is just a little easier to put back together.
The Remington comes apart quite easily for cleaning also but is not a "take down" type action.

The prbloem with a .22lr whether used for hunting or plinking is it very hard to "hold over" with anything but open sights. The sights that come on the rifles are not the best.
A .22lr sighted properly will allow you to take a six oclock hold up close and cover your target with the bead for further out shots. This works well but you should not be changing your ammunition too often.

By the way. The "new" Federal Champion ammunition is VERY accurate in a variety of rifles and handguns. The knurled bearing surface of the bullet mikes between .223" and .224". Below the knurled belt there is a small drive band just ahead of the case which mikes between .2245" and .225". This ammunition is capable of remarkable accuracy in "sporting chambers" and is worth looking at no matter which rifle you buy.

The Remington pump by the way, can easily be used as a single shot for young shooters. The action stroke is short and fast. The rifle is a LOT OF FUN to plink with.

__________________
slim

Well, since Winchester is no more, you will be looking for a Marlin 39A.

I just sold my mounty and i know i will miss it. the marlin is a great lever action. accuracy was very good.

Even if you could get a Winchester, it has the same type of reciever that the Henry has. Its just dovetailed for tip off rings. The Marlin is your best bet.

Thanks for a very informative reply. And, I hope you see this, because I do have a question for you. I'll get to that in a minute.

I am familiar with the Winchester, as we have a 9422M in the family, at my son's home, and he is in the process of installing the Williams sight you mention, if it's the WGRS, as I think it is. That's the sight I want to put on whatever I buy if I can, because of its compact size. And I'm a big Winchester fan, having recently acquired a 94 in .44 Mag, on which I'm installing the XS Ghost Ring Hunting Sight set. I want to gain a lot of experience with the ghost ring aperture sight setup, in order to be better qualified to do well with my .44 Mag when the coyotes come around, which is the reason I own it (plus, I just like owning a rifle so deeply imbedded in our country's history). If our 9422 had been a .22 LR instead of .22 Magnum, it'd still be at my house and I wouldn't be looking for a .22. ;-)

I've heard nothing but good things about the Marlin, but never handled or shot one. If I got a Marlin, it would have to be the model you have, as I don't want the long barrel.

I handled a used version of the Remington 572 pump at a gun show yesterday, and this one fascinates me. And, here's my question to you. How would you rate this Remington? Also yesterday at the gun show I sold my son's Remington Speedmaster which he came by used and abused, and neither he nor I liked the gun very much. Then, somewhere, I saw it referred to as "the automatic version of the 572 Fieldmaster." I'd been very interested in the 572 until I saw this, and it kind of turned me off. But of course, as I said, the Speedmaster that we sold had really been used and abused, and we don't do our guns that way. Maybe, starting with a new, or like new, one and taking care of it, it would be all right. That's why I would like to know how yours has done for you.

I wanted to consider the Taurus Model 62, the Winchester copy, but I assume there's no way to mount a receiver mounted aperture sight on it.

I will try some of the Federal Champion ammo. Thanks for the detailed report on it.

Thanks again for your very thorough response, and if you see this, and can tell me how you would rate your Remington, that too would be greatly appreciated.

eljay

Yes, but I believe that the Williams WGRS sight comes in a version that attaches directly to the grooved receiver, which would do what I want. I also believe there's an outfit up north, Boston, I believe, that makes an aperture sight to do the same thing. Please tell me if I'm wrong about this.

eljay

I was thinking thats why you didn't want the Henry. Its made the same way. Henry also has a nice looking pump too.

http://www.henryrepeating.com/h003tm_pump_octagon.cfm

"I am familiar with the Winchester, as we have a 9422M in the family"

Dont let it get away! My Dad has both and the .22 Mag. Model 9422 is a good shooter. We found in Dads Winchester and our Marlin .22 Mag. that Winchester was the most accurate ammunition - again due to bullet diameter.
Somewhere of this board there may be some pictures of some .22 Magnum ammo we reloaded with Lyman cast bullets of larger diameter. The experiment worked very well and helped prove the point about other brands of .22 Magnum ammo having undersize bullets. But that is another story...

"I've heard nothing but good things about the Marlin"

True, but there are no flies on the Winchesters. The Marlin is a little heavier. When new they are a little harder to re-assemble after breking the action down. The Winchester action is just a little smoother right out of the box.
When it comes down to it I prefer the Marlin - I am talking bout the pre-rebound hammers here. You need to handle the new Marlin to ensure you like the feel.


"I handled a used version of the Remington 572 pump at a gun show yesterday,"
"That's why I would like to know how yours has done for you."
"can tell me how you would rate your Remington,"

The Remington is a real joy to handle and shoot. We bought it new (at a Furrs Grocery Store) and it has never failed to feed or fire.
The short stroke action make this rifle particularly exciting to plink with.
Almost all of our .22's have a sling (carry strap) on them and my wife places the strap over her shoulder with the rifle upside down, then uses both hands to load the magazine. Makes things easier while on "back forty Safari's".
I have long wanted to scope the Remington (2x) but my wife wants to keep it "as is."
Would we buy another? You bet! We can say the same about the Winchester and Marlin too.

This is getting off track but..
When my wife started to shoot she did not have any preconcieved ideas about action types or sights. We bought her one of everything - single shot, bolt action, lever action, pump and semi-auto. After she had played with them all she liked the Savage Crackshot best!

__________________
slim

"Dont let it get away! My Dad has both and the .22 Mag. Model 9422 is a good shooter. We found in Dads Winchester and our Marlin .22 Mag. that Winchester was the most accurate ammunition - again due to bullet diameter."

Don't worry, it'll never leave the family, as my 94 .44 Mag. won't. We found the same about .22 Mag ammo, both in the 9422M and in my night hunter, a 10/22 Mag. When the 9422M was new I mounted a scope long enough to evaluate ammo for it, and the Winchester Super X JHP would do one ragged hole groups at 50 yards.

"This is getting off track but..
When my wife started to shoot she did not have any preconcieved ideas about action types or sights. We bought her one of everything - single shot, bolt action, lever action, pump and semi-auto. After she had played with them all she liked the Savage Crackshot best!"

I'll have to confess...I don't have the faintest notion what a Savage Crackshot is. What is that?

Thanks for the strong input on the Remington. I gotta like it!

A while ago I went to the Marlin page, and they don't show a short barreled 39. Only the one, with 24 inch barrel. I wonder how far back I'd have to go to find a short one like you have.

And I have to wonder why nobody has mentioned the Browning BL 22 lever action.

And a word about the Henrys...I have two friends who are professional gunsmiths, and they have not spoken well of the Henrys. Maybe right, maybe wrong, but I have to go with that, and not consider Henrys.

I really appreciate all the input I've gotten to this thread. And I hope to get more. Where I come from, knowledge is power, and what makes decisions good ones.

eljay

guys, what about the "Other Marlin Lever Action" the model 57 ? this was the short throw model, came in 22. lr & magnum, also in tube magazine or detachable magazine.

"I'll have to confess...I don't have the faintest notion what a Savage Crackshot is. What is that?"

The Savage version of the crackshot. My wife's was made in the 1970's, it is a comemorative. You can see a picture of the current rifle on the Savage web site. The current rifles are not as nice as the 1970's versions (and they are not as nice as the originals).

"And I have to wonder why nobody has mentioned the Browning BL 22 lever action."

The Browning BLR 22 does not have a good reputation out here. I know two or three people who have had them and did not keep them very long for various reasons - most centering around a lack of accuracy. Maybe another forum member has experiance with them?

"And a word about the Henrys..."

I have two friends with Henrys, they both like them very much. I have never handled one but these two sure like them.

__________________
slim

The Savage is an old Falling block single shot .22. I have the same thing that my grandpa bought new. This one though is a Stevens little scout.... same gun.

I also love the Henry. I worked with a gunsmith for a long time. He does not like them, but only because they have an Alloy reciever. Mossberg has been making shotguns for years thay way, and they don't wear out. Yes the steel is better, but a Henry will out live you. The one thing I said to Carl (gunsmith I worked with) was that he never had one come in for repairs, and he had to admit that was true. Same with mossberg shotguns. Never broke other than the new alliminum saftey's.

Anyway.... have to weigh everything and get what you want.

I don't know about it. In a few days I intend to talk to the dealers I've come to trust (I now live so far from a big city it's difficult. Go east 50 miles, west 50 miles, or north 50 or 100 miles), and I'll see what they've got. Beyond that, it would be the big gun show in Dallas the 25th of March.

Can you tell me any more about it? When produced, etc.?

eljay

The Marlin 57 was made from 1959-69. It sorta looks like a 10/22 but with a lever. I don't like the looks of it myself.

I would LOVE to just go out and get a Henry .22 lever action, put the Williams WGRS aperture on the scope mount grooves, and go to shooting it. I did handle one in a gun shop, and it felt great. But...I have heard that they have plastic parts in the action. Do you know if this is true or not?

eljay

This is totally false. They do have a plastic barrel band. If you get the Golden boy model the barrel band is brass. I have the octogan barrelled model and the barrel band is alluminum. I plan to make one out of steel this spring. Either that or but the brass barrel band and black it with brass black. Works like blueing but on brass.

No internal parts are plastic. I have had mine apart many times and do my own trigger work.

Yes, and then there's the Ruger 96/22, which for sure looks like a 10/22. Only good thing I know about it is the flush rotary 10- round magazine. Like that feature a lot, but that's all.

eljay

Only thing I don't like about them is they have such a bulky stock for a lever gun. And... the Henry holds 15 rounds.

Yes, but...(and I say this because I use a 10/22 Mag for my night shooter, living in the country, and have shot a LOT of varmint/predators with it)...with the Ruger, if I shoot six or so rounds, and then there's a short break in the action, I can stick in a spare magazine in the dark, with no problem. And I cannot reload a tubular feed that fast, or in the dark.

And another thing, and this is kind of silly...I can handle a 10/22 style gun for a number of nights running, and NEVER TOUCH STEEL! And I'm very picky about that. Easy to put up if I didn't get a shot that night.

But I agree with you about the bulk and width of the stock. I don't mind it too much on my magnum, which mounts a scope, but I wouldn't like it on a lever gun, I think.

eljay