Thanks to all of you who responded to my previous post. It seems, from responses on this and other forums, that the Marlin 39A and the Ruger 77/22 have gotten the most favorable reviews from those responding. Since the prices of the two are comparable, I believe that I will purchase one of these. My next question is this: When I go to my local dealer and he has six 39A's and six 77/22's (all new) sitting on the rack, how do I choose the one to buy? Does anyone have any advice on what to look for when comparing one rifle against another of the same make? If not, is it just a crap shoot and merely by luck I might choose one that is more accurate than another, or visa versa? Given that I won't be able to test fire any of the rifles, is there anything more that I can do to satisfy myself that I have chosen the best among the six available? Thanks, DGR