Mossberg Plinkster....yes or no?

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pullmytriggerfinger

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I'm thinking of asking Santa for a new .22 rifle for Christmas this year. I usually have around $200 to spare so I'm looking for something around $100 and use the rest for accessories. I've been looking at the Mossberg 702 Plinkster Autoloader. I know it's cheap and you get what you pay for but I can't see Mossberg putting their name on just anything. I've read a few threads and got mostly good reviews but I'd just like to hear from you pro's out there or anybody that has one or knows somebody that has one. Is this rifle any good or not?
 
I haven't even handeled one in the store, so far the reviews I have seen are mixed.

That being said, I am a "Mossberg Guy"; I don't see them putting their name on anything bad. I'm waiting, too, for someone else to be the "Beta Tester"
 
I purchase a Mossberg Plinkster about 1 year ago from my local Walmart with the same intention of having a little .22 to "plink" with. What I got was a POS that cannot cycle a complete 10 round mag. I tried every kind of .22 brand ammo out there and the thing will stovepipe, not fire, fail to eject, etc.. to the point I GAVE it away just to get rid of it. If there is one thing I've learned from this, spend a little extra and get the decent one like the Ruger 10/22.
 
The Plinksters are good for the price. Mine has been reliable thru several thousand rounds. I did have a mag problem where it would not feed right, but I kept using it anyways and it seems to have worked itself out and feeds properly now.
By the way....never pull the trigger out. Its a PITA to get back in.
 
My first rifle was a Plinkster but it was an early model I think it was a 577. What a great rifle, I actually shot the center out of a dart board that my dad had set up.

I've always wanted another one as I sold it to buy a Ruger 10/22, the Plinkster just had a better feel then the 10/22.
 
I heard you had to clean them good before you shoot them. Something about being imported and full of grease and crap. Justin, did you clean yours first? As for the 10/22, I just can't afford it. Not alot out there for $100.
 
I got my son one about 4 weeks ago. What I have learned.
1. it is very easy to over lube. It was recommended that I use moly dry rather than oil. I had a ass load of jams, nothing on the first 8 mags shot fine but the last 6 were terrible. SO when I got it home I can see that over lubing it was the most likly cause, a whole lot of crude in there. Also I used Wally world Federal Bulk, which is very very dirty rounds. SO after a good cleaning again and taking easy with the lube I took it out again last Sunday, the very first mag had 5 FTF's I worked the spring in the mag and she shoot point on the rest of the day. Even with my son rapid fire outing no jams, FTF or anything. It only has about 400 rounds thru it, but from what I've been told is that about 1000 more to break it in.

OBTW, very very accurate

FWIW, I did'nt want to invest alot of cash in this .22. Just in case my 8 yr old son loses interest. I still have a 400.00 R/C airplane collecting dust, from a lost interest.
 
i still like my marlin model 60, get them for under $100 used usually and spend the rest of the moeny on upgrades like a trigger job, scope, bi-pod and maybe a new stock. i love my dragunov stock.
 
As for the glass, I'll probably just grab something off the shelf at wally world. $25 worth of Bushnell should do the trick.
 
Quick Draw, you like your hi-points? I had a carbine once w/ supressor and laser dot and put a scope on it. Lots of fun till my dad got ahold of it. traded it in on a shotgun. (could ring his neck for that one...)
 
My wife has a Plinkster. I bought 4 extra mags so we could load a box of ammo at a time. She loves it. It's accurate & lightweight. She also really likes the BSA Sweet .22 (this one is in 2-7X32, $50.00 at Midway) scope I put on it.
 
I bought a brand new 60 with the laminated stock for $120 a couple months ago, at a retail store.
 
I had cleaned my Plinkster prior to firing, I must have got a bad one or something. I've read where somepeople love them and they work great and others that have had a tough time like I did with mine...when it did shoot, it was pretty acurate.
 
If I was going with Marlin I think the 795 would be better.
Click to expand...

Why would you think it would be better?

It's the same rifle, with a blah plastic stock and a box magazine instead of a laminate wood stock and a tube magazine. It weighs about a pound less than the standard model 60. A little more weight helps offhand accuracy. The 60 is well-balanced.

Loading a tube magazine is more pleasant (no thumb strain), and .22 tube magazines are preferred by many who have BTDT because of their reliability. If you road-hunt cottontails, a detachable magazine has its merits, of course.

Marlin doesn't make a gun that doesn't work. However, when I compared the 60 to the 795 side by side, I bought the 60.
 
It's more like what I'm looking for....synthetic stock, clip fed (I've got a Henry that's tube fed and thats the only thing I don't like about it). Otherwise, I guess it wouldn't matter.

I prefer clip fed over tube mainly because I can put my gun down and load a clip easier than I can hold my gun and load a tube. That's just me talking. Everybody's different.

Oh, and the plastic stock is kinda what I'd rather have for this gun. I've got plenty of nice, pretty guns with great looking wood stocks, but nothing synthetic that I can throw in the Jeep and ride with. We are talking about a $100 gun here.....
 
The 795 is generally cheaper than the 60 anyway.

If that's what you want, it'll work well. I'd probably spring for stainless if I went synthetic; then I'd have a no-worries gun for hot weather, wet weather, and rough ground.

One of these days, I might get the 70PSS. That's about the only plastic one that really interests me. Neat little package.
img_selfloading_model70PSS_70pss_Case.gif


Do try to shoulder both the 795 and the 60 before deciding, though.

After stuffing little .22LR rounds into detachable magazines, I'm really liking my tube feed .22 rifles (2 Marlin levers and the 60) both because they load effortlessly and because they're dead reliable.
 
I like that 70pss. It reminds me of the Norinco (browning replica) I used to have. Only it wasn't SS or synthetic stock. Cool gun though....


But back to the Plinkster....
 
I think the 795 was $100 when I got the 60 for $120. I would get the US-made, Model 60-based 795, instead, if I found it for that price.

Mossberg's US-made stuff has been good, though my old Mossberg .22 rifle never fed too well. With the imports, I wouldn't trust that Mossberg's name means "good and reliable" if Mossberg didn't make the gun. Their imported shotguns have had problems. Just MHO.
 
Good point. Side by side the Plinkster and the Marlin 795 are very similar. I would prefer US made over imported. It really all boils down to the price. If Santa Claus gives me a walmart gift card I'm stuck with their price and whoever's cheaper wins. Unless it's close, then I'll go with the 795.
THANKS TO ALL......
 
Go to Dick's Sporting Goods on 11/23/07....."BLACK FRIDAY"

The Mossberg 702 with "Dura-wood" finish will be on sale for $79.99....

I bought two for my boys last year....No problems at all...
 
I don't own one, but I have shot 2 of them. Not fantastic guns, but not bad either. The two I have experience with shot reliably and were fairly accurate. I personally prefer a Marlin Model 60 over them, but for a plinking gun, either one will work just fine.

FWIW- I've gotten a couple of model 60's from a local gunshop. One was 75 bucks or so, the other was 89 bucks. You may want to take a look around before plunking down the cash.
 
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