I'm curious if I'm the only guy here who has one of Browning's BP-22. I bought mine well over 30 yers ago. It is chmbered in 22 Long Rifle. It is one of the finest guns I've bought.

I have a Remington 572 Delux pump 22 lr. Great gun and it is a ball to hunt with, especially tree rats. Got it in 1970, still working great.

I thought about the Remington, but I fell in love with wood on the Browning.

I understand that. My 40+ year old rem has beautiful wood also, not like the stuff today. It has that epoxy bright finish, not my favorite, but it makes the wood look like it is under crystal and is indestructible.

I would seldom if every shoot at a running fox squirrel, but with the pump it is smooth and fun...also productive.
Hope you Enjoy yours.

One reason I was drawn to pump action rifle was that the first rifle I ever shot was my dad's Winchester model 61.

Sounds like a nice rifle, GLS. Are they just like (similar to) the Browning BAR 22? I have the BAR, and it is one of the nicest handling and adult-sized 22's I've ever held, but one of the most jamminist guns too, unfortunately. I've seen very few of the pumps, and they're likely scarce.

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Back in 1947 I got my firt 22 rifle for Christmas. I wanted a pump so bad but my Marine Core Uncle said a bolt would be better to learn on and safer. So I ended up with a Remington 22 bolt clip fed. My weekly allowance was $.50 and I could buy a box of 22s for $.45. So every week or so I would buy a box of shells and head out for a ditch close to home and shoot that rifle. My Uncle taught me position shooting and by the time I was 19 I was a pretty good shot. I use to go jack rabbit hunting with some adults that used pumps. They would blast away at the rabbits with their pumps and I would take 1 shot to 3 of theirs. I always managed to get the most rabbits. I remember one rabbit that ran away from three or four of us and up across a rolling hill. Everyone else had stopped shotting and I took a huge lead ahead and above the rabbit that was trying to crest the hill. I took the shot and nailed that rabbit. Maybe the greatest shot I have ever made. It must have been 100 yards. A lot of luck involved but it took some skill just to get close at that distance with a moving target.

I still wish I had gotten the pump or a model 39.

Frank

My first rifle was a 22 single shot bolt rifle with a 24 inch barrel and not grooved for a scope, so open sights it was. Lots of squirrels with that gun. It didn't even have a loading port with a ramp into the chamber, too care to load that one greasy lead pill. My 35 year old son has that one now...waiting until his 2 year old can use it.

yes, it's a pump twin to the BAR-22.

In the late 1950 the family was in the Oklahoma Panhandle. The jackrabbit population was so high that the state lifted the ban on night shooting, so called "Jack-lighting".

My father and his friends would go out of a night and fire off a case, or more, of 22s in a week of nights. Dad shot so much he wore out a stevens automatic 22. He replaced it with the Winchester Model 61.

In the morning they would pick up the hundreds of carcasses, which were sold to a firm that made mink farm food out of them. Dad said that they got enough money to buy more ammo.

GLS< That mink farm thing reminded me when one of the old horse, wind founded, had to go. the mink farm guy cam over took a win pump and shot it in the forehead with a22 short. It fell immediately, never kicked or moved. Instant death. IIRC he had an old win 22 pump with a hammer, the predecessor to the m 61, that was a galley gun took only 22 shorts. Horse was probably 500#!

I still shoot my fathers old Winchester gallery gun a few times a year just for the memories.
It is an amazingly accurate little pump and chambered in .22 short as well.
I know that most are collectors items these days but leaving his gun on a shelf is not what he would have wanted. In the 50's he found it in the trunk of a friends car. It was a rusty old thing but he brought it back from the dead after trading a couple tires for it. This was his pride and joy and still functions flawlessly. Hopefully one of the grandkids will show an interest one day so I can pass it along.

Sorry for the ramble from a newbie but this thread brings back some good memories.

No apologies needed. It is good hear that the older guns are still in use.

I've owned 2 BPR's, a mag I sold, dumb move and a .22LR I still own. They are great rifles, plenty accurate for hunting and nice to look at. Mine is set up with a Burris 6x compact and Leupold rings. I bought mine unfired in the box last year with a date of manufacture 1977.