[FireInCairo]

I have a theory about plastic these days. If you've been around long enough, you know that over the last 20 years companies have brought plastic technology to such a fine art in regards to non-durables that the stuff is pretty much guaranteed to snap, crackle, and break after a certain amount of time.

The phrase, "They don't make them like they used to" takes on a whole new meaning when crap simply implodes after a certain amount of time.

Knowing this, I am very, very leery of buying a rifle or shotgun that may have parts made of plastic in them. I don't mean the stock or butt, I am mostly worried about mechanical parts that could possibly fail leaving the gun inoperable.

Can anyone recommend a .22lr , bolt-action rifle that is currently in production that is a good value, but is made of all steel parts? I don't have a problem with polymer butt and stock, mind you.

Your suggestions are appreciated.
thanks

[Horsemany]

CZ 452/453/455. Incredibly accurate and well made.

[TurtlePhish]

Any Savage.

[dprice3844444]

ar15a1 stocks/handguards still going strong from the 60's.stuff now will outlast you

[FireInCairo]

The 452 sounds to be well made. How is that beechwood for stocks and butts?

http://www.cz-usa.com/products/view/cz-452-special-military-training-rifle/

[FireInCairo]

Savage? Some dude at a sporting good store today said the savage MK II .22 lr has plastic parts. He recommended buying something used form the 80s. :uhoh:

[CraigC]

Ruger, Savage, CZ, etc. Most of your "good" rifles will not have any major plastic parts, except synthetic stocks. Ruger and CZ have polymer magazines. Savages have aluminum trigger guards.


Some dude at a sporting good store...
Usually not best to listen to dudes at sporting goods stores. It's sad but gun shows and gun shops are some of the poorest sources of correct information on guns and the industry itself. Lots and lots of BS getting passed around as fact.

[GCBurner]

The only real problem I have with plastic and firearms is that when I see a gun I want, the plastic jumps out of my wallet and lands on the counter to buy it.

[CountryUgly]

Savage? Some dude at a sporting good store today said the savage MK II .22 lr has plastic parts. He recommended buying something used form the 80s. :uhoh:
My Savage is fairly new and all the important stuff is all metal.

[TurtlePhish]

The only plastic on my rimfire Savage is the TG, and that's really not a critical part.

[boricua9mm]

CZ 452/453/455. Incredibly accurate and well made.

My 452FS came with a plastic/polymer magazine well and a plastic stock endcap. I replaced the magwell with a steel one for a BRNO and the endcap with an aluminum one for a 527FS.

I didn't expect it to come with any plastic parts, but it did.

[Horsemany]

My 452 American is all steel. Mag, trigger gaurd etc.

[jef2015]

The 452 has beech on the trainer and ultralux models. I have the trainer and it looks pretty good. Both of the above models are made for iron sight use. They have excellent tangent sights adjustable from 25 - 200 meters. The lux has walnut and iron sights. The american and varmint have walnut and don't have sights.

CZ is phasing the 452's out and moving to the 455's. They are getting hard to find. I saw Bud's has the Lux in 22 lr now.

I believe the CZ rimfire is one of the nicest you can get, although you may pay a little more, without moving up to the likes of Cooper or Anschutz. Grab a 452 if you can find one!

edit: It does have a plastic magwell. Some magazines are polymer, mine came with a metal one.

[TonyAngel]

Fire, I don't share your dislike of plastic. Heck, for some parts, I've swapped metal parts out in favor of their polymer equivalents. Plastic, as you call it, is not what it used to be either. Yes, plastic will break, but it often takes a lot to break those parts. I know that the plastic trigger guards that are on my ARs have taken some hits that would have left a dent in an aluminum part.

Heck, I've got some Ruger 10/22 magazines that are coming around 20 years old and have been dropped on concrete a countless number of times.

In any case, the CZs are probably some of the highest quality rimfires that you can get, without spending twice as much; but I wouldn't call them incredibly accurate. They shoot about on par with target models from Savage and Marlin.

[Murphy4570]

If you want no plastic at all, you're gonna have to get into buying old used firearms. That's what I do. I have no problem buying a firearm that is 100+ years old, they built them to last!

[mr.scott]

Good plastic will last a long, long time. I'll take magpul pmags over aluminum any day of the week. Don't confuse cheap made in China cr@p with quality engineered and produced products.

[armoredman]

For a 22 with no plastic whatsoever, you may really have to go back far.
The CZ 452 is an excellent rifle. My son's 452 Scout came with a plastic single shot block, and I got him both 5 and 10 round magazines, all polymer/plastic. Only other plastic I saw was the buttplate.

[Furncliff]

I had the good fortune to get turned on to the older rimfire rifles and love the two Brno's I have that where made in Czechoslovakia in the 40's and 50's. Having said that...my wife gave me a new CZ452 Varmint for Christmas. It's a .17HMR in a thumbhole stock. All the parts are metal including the magazine. I do have one poly magazine that fits the Brno's and works great and seems well made.

[Bushpilot]

With few exceptions (like magazines) I too hate plastic parts and would go with a CZ. I don't get quite the same quality impression from the newer 455 as I do from the older 452/453 but it's still a pretty darn good rifle for the money. Dollar for dollar I don't think there is a more accurate or higher quality sporter weight rimfire rifle out there.

Usually not best to listen to dudes at sporting goods stores. It's sad but gun shows and gun shops are some of the poorest sources of correct information on guns and the industry itself. Lots and lots of BS getting passed around as fact.

While I somewhat agree that "dudes" at most sporting goods stores and at gunshows may not necessarily be the best source of information, I disagree with the generalization regarding "gunshops." There are "gunshops" that sell guns and then there are "gunshops" that sell guns and and repair guns along with repair work for many of the other gunshops in a given area. Believe me, the shops that repair lots of guns know what works, what doesn't work and have probably used, disassembled and test fired after a repair nearly every type of gun in their store numerous times. The sales clerks at shops that just sell guns may be knowledgeable or they may just "talk the talk." Choose your "gunshop" wisely.

[Quiet]

H&K and Steyr "plastic" firearms made in the 1970s are still durable as when they were first made about 40 years ago.

[CraigC]

I disagree with the generalization regarding "gunshops."
There are 'some' gunshops with knowledgeable/no-BS folk working at them but they are few and far between. More often than not, they are not to be trusted for dependable information, thus the generalization. If you find yourself a good one, consider yourself lucky.

[valnar]

CZ 452 American.
They just discontinued it, so you might be able to find it new.

I have never seen the 455 which replaces it, but I'd bet it was made cheaper in some respect.

[tc54]

i too have heard cz stopped making the 452, then again i have heard that was just a rumor and demand has caused cz to continue production. i don't know the facts, but i do know there are plenty of cz 452's out there. check gunbroker and other like sites. i highly recommend the 452 american. mine has a plastic mag, but no other plastic in the "workings" of the rifle. good luck with whichever rifle you select.

[Furncliff]

It's true that the new model, called the CZ 455 is due to supersede the 452. But there are many many new CZ452 out there in just about every model. You will have no trouble finding one. The trouble will come in trying to decide which model:)

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=cz+452&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8#q=cz+452&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&prmd=imvnsfd&source=lnms&tbm=shop&ei=V32uT4OSNszAtgfKhd33CA&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=6&ved=0CCIQ_AUoBQ&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=c740f1391074e0c1&biw=1680&bih=952


By the way, the 455 is a switch barrel rifle. You can buy several barrels in different rimfire calibers to fit the one action.


My wife's Christmas gift to me. CZ452 Varmint .17hmr in a thumbhole stock.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6624457237_7c396b71f7.jpg

[idcurrie]

Nylon 66 is completely pastlic except the barrel, bolt, and receiver dust cover. I have one made in 1959. Still more reliable than any current production semi-auto 22 in my experience.

[Mrcymstr]

Nylon 66 is completely pastlic except the barrel, bolt, and receiver dust cover. I have one made in 1959. Still more reliable than any current production semi-auto 22 in my experience.

^this.... just for the love of God don't take it apart.... it will make you cry.... :p

[Murphy4570]

For a 22 with no plastic whatsoever, you may really have to go back far.

I agree. I have an old Winchester bolt action .22 rifle, tube magazine. No serial number. Made in the 1930's or thereabout. Plastics started being introduced in consumer products in increasing numbers after WWII. Firearms were affected like all other products.