Dave DeLaurant
Contributing Member
Yesterday afternoon I picked up my new-to-me Krico M300 in .22 WMR.
I'd had a very similar Anschutz 1616 on my watchlist at Simpson's Ltd. for about a year, but the lure of this rifle never seemed to equal its $895 pricetag.
Then earlier this month the Krico popped up on their What's New list for only $450, with a better-looking stock and in somewhat nicer condition. I thought about it for a day and then took the plunge. A happy surprise was the extra 20% discount Simpsons included -- with shipping and CC fee they only charged me $418 for this beauty.
After handling the rifle and then removing the stock for some basic cleaning and oiling, I still can't find anything wrong with it. Looks like I found a sleeper.
Standard Catalog indicates the Krico M300 has been out of production for decades. The barrel is marked Made in W. Germany, so it's a minimum of 35 years old. The same M300 designation was also made in .22 Hornet. Frank de Hass said some pretty harsh things about the locking system of the centerfire version in his Bolt Action Rifles books, but they don't appear to apply to the rimfire version. Around 2000 Krico introduced an updated M301 to take its place in the product line. The Krico rifle business appears to be in hibernation at present.
Of course, what really drew me to this rifle (as well as the Anschutz) is the Teutonic styling of its full stock. This is the fourth example in my stable, along with a Wards/Heym Mauser 98 in 30-06, a 6.5mm Mannlicher–Schönauer 1903, and a CZ 527 in .223 Remington.
I've only put about 40 rounds through the Krico so far --- I need to restock on .22 WMR ammo! I got the 1-4x Leupold scope zeroed and did a test group at 20 yards, which is the maximum distance at my indoor range. She has a really nice trigger and very positive ejection. Bolt works smoothly, feeding is OK, but not perfection.
The flyer was called, BTW. A better shot could probably make a really tiny hole with five shots from this rifle.
One interesting observation: Krico wasn't afraid to use a few Phillips screws. The buttplate, grip cap and sling swivels use Phillips, with slotted screws limited to the triggerguard and forend tip.
Funny how finding a Phillips head somewhere on a firearm is almost poison. The Chinese seem to like them, but this seemed unusual to me on a German make.
I'd had a very similar Anschutz 1616 on my watchlist at Simpson's Ltd. for about a year, but the lure of this rifle never seemed to equal its $895 pricetag.
Then earlier this month the Krico popped up on their What's New list for only $450, with a better-looking stock and in somewhat nicer condition. I thought about it for a day and then took the plunge. A happy surprise was the extra 20% discount Simpsons included -- with shipping and CC fee they only charged me $418 for this beauty.
After handling the rifle and then removing the stock for some basic cleaning and oiling, I still can't find anything wrong with it. Looks like I found a sleeper.
Standard Catalog indicates the Krico M300 has been out of production for decades. The barrel is marked Made in W. Germany, so it's a minimum of 35 years old. The same M300 designation was also made in .22 Hornet. Frank de Hass said some pretty harsh things about the locking system of the centerfire version in his Bolt Action Rifles books, but they don't appear to apply to the rimfire version. Around 2000 Krico introduced an updated M301 to take its place in the product line. The Krico rifle business appears to be in hibernation at present.
Of course, what really drew me to this rifle (as well as the Anschutz) is the Teutonic styling of its full stock. This is the fourth example in my stable, along with a Wards/Heym Mauser 98 in 30-06, a 6.5mm Mannlicher–Schönauer 1903, and a CZ 527 in .223 Remington.
I've only put about 40 rounds through the Krico so far --- I need to restock on .22 WMR ammo! I got the 1-4x Leupold scope zeroed and did a test group at 20 yards, which is the maximum distance at my indoor range. She has a really nice trigger and very positive ejection. Bolt works smoothly, feeding is OK, but not perfection.
The flyer was called, BTW. A better shot could probably make a really tiny hole with five shots from this rifle.
One interesting observation: Krico wasn't afraid to use a few Phillips screws. The buttplate, grip cap and sling swivels use Phillips, with slotted screws limited to the triggerguard and forend tip.
Funny how finding a Phillips head somewhere on a firearm is almost poison. The Chinese seem to like them, but this seemed unusual to me on a German make.
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