going back in this thread I see ya did mention the Weatherby
they feel so good and are full size and you are right they do look good!
Most Iconic 22LR Rifles?
- Thread starter WisBorn
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going back in this thread I see ya did mention the Weatherby
they feel so good and are full size and you are right they do look good!
Tentwing
Member
Marlin 39a,s……… to me they are the iconic 22lr…… but the Levermatics are fun too
Australian410hunter
Member
I'm in Australia. So our locally produced Lithgow/Slazenger Model 1, 1A, 1B (single shots), 12, 55 (bolt action repeaters) are probably the most "iconic" .22lr rifles, locally made.
We also saw a lot of the British rifles of that time, such as the BSA Sportsman 5, Sportsman 10, Sportsman 15, and some American, such as Winchester.
These were the rifles of the period after the Second World War, when we had a rabbit plague across much of Australia, and things were tight, so many an income was made as a rabbit hunter, selling the meat and skins. The above Lithgow rifles were made with left over .303 rifle blanks (50Ton steel), and hardwood selected for full wood SMLE rifles. I, and my children, have a few, including one that has been in the family since new. Given the pressure generated by a .22lr, I would expect that these rifles will last many more generations (they have a jointed timber stock, I have had to dowel and glue two, where the wood had dried out, and they had let go).
Since that time we have seen a plethora of imported rifles (noting our restrictions which generally don't permit pump action or semi-auto shotguns, nor semi-auto rifles, unless a rural land holder, or professional shooter - military and police excluded, of course).
Australia has now returned to producing rifles, including an "iconic" .22lr, at Lithgow Arms, the LA101; I suspect that this rifle, given the quality, will join its earlier companions, in the 'passed down through the family' class of well built firearms.
We also saw a lot of the British rifles of that time, such as the BSA Sportsman 5, Sportsman 10, Sportsman 15, and some American, such as Winchester.
These were the rifles of the period after the Second World War, when we had a rabbit plague across much of Australia, and things were tight, so many an income was made as a rabbit hunter, selling the meat and skins. The above Lithgow rifles were made with left over .303 rifle blanks (50Ton steel), and hardwood selected for full wood SMLE rifles. I, and my children, have a few, including one that has been in the family since new. Given the pressure generated by a .22lr, I would expect that these rifles will last many more generations (they have a jointed timber stock, I have had to dowel and glue two, where the wood had dried out, and they had let go).
Since that time we have seen a plethora of imported rifles (noting our restrictions which generally don't permit pump action or semi-auto shotguns, nor semi-auto rifles, unless a rural land holder, or professional shooter - military and police excluded, of course).
Australia has now returned to producing rifles, including an "iconic" .22lr, at Lithgow Arms, the LA101; I suspect that this rifle, given the quality, will join its earlier companions, in the 'passed down through the family' class of well built firearms.
Id love to see pictures of those early lithgows if you happen to have some....
Im seriously considering adding an LA101 to my rimfire battery at some point as well, everything I've read about them has been impressive.
Jwbfx4
Member
Im a big fan of my Marlin 39 or win. 9422. Those are two that I enjoy taking out and shooting.
Australian410hunter
Member
This is one of our Model 12 Lithgow (also known as Slazenger, as they marketed them) .22lrs. The barrel is made from "50 Ton" .303 rifle barrel blanks, left over from WWII, and simply bored as a .22lr; the stock is made from left over .303 wood, not used in the war. Rifle is, as I understand it, an almost identical action to one of the Winchesters. Extremely accurate, and not as ammo sensitive as some.
Magazine is push in, pull out. There is a standard 5 shot in it, and an after market 10 shot beside it.
The Model 12 was not factory grooved for a scope, my father assisted with that.
The original front sight has some luminous paint on it, used on models, to assist in seeing it, and it still has the standard rear sight.
I managed to get the scope mounted down so there is only a few thou between it and the barrel, which assists with accuracy.
The trigger on these is "adjustable" to some degree; I bought this as a safe queen, from a deceased estate, virtually brand new. I found out why it was a safe queen>> because you could sit on the trigger; someone had 'tightened' a 'loose' screw, without realising it was over the top of a captive spring. When correctly adjusted it had a beautiful trigger.
The stock has been redone in boiled Linseed oil, and bees wax (an original finish used on the .303). This has darkened slightly with age, as it
is supposed to.You may be able to see the repair where the two sections of stock came apart (dry, age) when the rifle first arrived, which I had to dowel, reglue, and refinish.
It is definately a shooter now, not a safe queen!
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The Marlin/Glenfield Model 60 is the most widely produced/popular commercial rifle in history. I think it's only second to the AK47 over all. Been produced since 1959.
The Ruger 10/22, produced since 1964 is probably the second most popular 22 ever produced. Second only to the 60 but has been outselling it the last few years.
Remington Nylon 66 is an iconic 22 first made in '59. Made until 1987. Just a cool, revolutionary design.
Except for the perhaps the Marlin 39, most other 22s are just variations of common bolt guns, lever guns or semi autos. And obscure doesn't make it iconic. The above guns revolutionized the rimfire market.
The Ruger 10/22, produced since 1964 is probably the second most popular 22 ever produced. Second only to the 60 but has been outselling it the last few years.
Remington Nylon 66 is an iconic 22 first made in '59. Made until 1987. Just a cool, revolutionary design.
Except for the perhaps the Marlin 39, most other 22s are just variations of common bolt guns, lever guns or semi autos. And obscure doesn't make it iconic. The above guns revolutionized the rimfire market.
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C.R.
Member
a couple that I'm into are the Stevens Visible Repeater an early pump action .22 and the Stevens Favorite , and the other variants of the single shot .22 . Gotta love the semi auto weather its the Marlin , or the 10/22 , and you can dress up a 10/22 to look any way you like , there are a million aftermarket parts for them. Now the lever guns are just flat out fun to shoot , and there are a whole raft of little .22 bolt guns that are tack drivers .
jmorris
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- Sep 30, 2005
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They feed from the stock but eject brass out the bottom.
Great for anyone to your right as they are not hit by your brass but you don’t want to hold them like this.
With a loose cuff long sleeve shirt or hot brass is captured to burn tender skin.
Over here, the Cooey Model 60 was found in many houses. I own the one my grandfather bought long ago. He owned it first, then his son, my mother's older brother, who left it to me just before he would pass away. It is accurate and very fun to shoot.
Australian410hunter
Member
I have a Cooey single shot, in excellent condition, that I picked up here in Australia; it has a lovely, light coloured, stock, which I assume has been refinished. It is not a good fit for a left handed shooter, getting down to the iron sights, but fits well for a right handed one. Given they are more common there, do you know if this 'non-ambidextrous' stock 'normal'?
I am aware of the Model 60, but they are not that common, here. We saw far more Australian, and UK, rimfires from that time.
Our slazengers etc were manufactured with ambidextrous stocks, standard.
Mine is rather straight, so I would guess it fits south paws as well. My father never seemed to have difficulty shooting it, and he is that kind of person. I would think they were all quite straight from the factory, but don't know for sure. My guess is that they were not high end pieces, my grandfather was not one who threw money out of the window, so most might have been straight as a factory standard. Also, the number of left handed people was low here in Canada at the time around which the rifle would have been bought, so there wasn't much of an incentive to produce goods with left handed people specifically in mind.
Bluftonian
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- Joined
- Mar 17, 2021
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- 2
I bought a Winchester 9422 XTR way back in 1979 or '80 before they were offered with checkered stocks. It quickly became my petite wife's favourite rifle. She still shoots it to this day.
LOLBELL
Member
Browning BL22. I don’t know how long they’ve been around but mine is 47 years young. Next would be a BAR22.
One of my favorites is a Sako Mannlicher L461 from the early '60's. It's light, beautifully stocked, with a trigger that'll make you cry for more. I got it a decade ago for the simple reason that I'd always wanted one like our team coach had back in Colorado. It was sheer death on ground squirrels out to 200 yds with his loads.
This one is in .222 Magnum which has become a recurring problem over the years. Brass is hard to find and expensive when it turns up. But I got lucky when the .204 Ruger came out, as it's easy to expand the neck to .224 and fire form the case. I have a 1000 case supply now...probably a life-time supply in all honesty.
For the most part, I shoot it with 50-55 gr SP's or HP's. But have found that it's a superb cast bullet gun as well. Lyman's excellent 225438 gc and 225415 gc will consistently give me 1-1.5" groups at 100 yds. These are ~45 gr pills so a pound of wheel weights produces 155 bullets! How's that for economy?
Here's the gun. Best regards, Rod
This one is in .222 Magnum which has become a recurring problem over the years. Brass is hard to find and expensive when it turns up. But I got lucky when the .204 Ruger came out, as it's easy to expand the neck to .224 and fire form the case. I have a 1000 case supply now...probably a life-time supply in all honesty.
For the most part, I shoot it with 50-55 gr SP's or HP's. But have found that it's a superb cast bullet gun as well. Lyman's excellent 225438 gc and 225415 gc will consistently give me 1-1.5" groups at 100 yds. These are ~45 gr pills so a pound of wheel weights produces 155 bullets! How's that for economy?
Here's the gun. Best regards, Rod
I got me 3 rimfire .22LR's right now (always could use more LOL!) ... three different distinct guns 3 distinct different purposes.
Remington 597 .22LR semi-auto scoped 'sporter'
Savage Mark II .22LR bolt-action scoped 'sporter'
S&W M&P 15-22 .22LR autoloading tactical AR style.
Remington 597 .22LR semi-auto scoped 'sporter'
Savage Mark II .22LR bolt-action scoped 'sporter'
S&W M&P 15-22 .22LR autoloading tactical AR style.
chicharrones
needs more ammo
MachIVshooter
Member
There are a few I would put above the rest.
Much as I love the falling and rolling blocks, they don't make the list for me, as they're just adapted and sometimes scaled down centerfires.
Near the top would be the Marlin 1897/39.
The Browning-designed Remington 24 makes the cut, so also the 241 & SA-22
Winchester 1890 for sure
Remington model 12
Remington 513T
Winchester 52
CZ 452
Anschutz match rifles, more than one model stands out, but especially the 54
Marlin 60
Ruger 10/22
Remington 552; not many autos that do short, long and long rifle
I'm sure I'll think of others, but I feel these definitely hold that status
Much as I love the falling and rolling blocks, they don't make the list for me, as they're just adapted and sometimes scaled down centerfires.
Near the top would be the Marlin 1897/39.
The Browning-designed Remington 24 makes the cut, so also the 241 & SA-22
Winchester 1890 for sure
Remington model 12
Remington 513T
Winchester 52
CZ 452
Anschutz match rifles, more than one model stands out, but especially the 54
Marlin 60
Ruger 10/22
Remington 552; not many autos that do short, long and long rifle
I'm sure I'll think of others, but I feel these definitely hold that status
chicharrones
needs more ammo
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