Nylon 66 Worth It?

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Panzerschwein

Panzerschwein

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Is a Remington Nylon 66 worth buying today as a shooter?

I was at my LGS the other day and noticed a funny looking brown rifle in the corner. I asked to see it, and immediately notice a white diamond on the forend and when I picked it up it was so lightweight it almost shot out of my hands across the room!

It was a Remington Nylon 66. :what:

My God. I couldn't believe it. I had heard of these guns before, how they were one of the first synthetic stocked commercial guns and how light and handy they were. But... that's all I knew about them. The gun appeared to be in top condition, no scratches or rust anywhere on it. I pulled the bolt back and the action appeared to be only a little dirty.

But, I passed on it.

I just didn't know enough about the guns. So, I went home and did a little research. It appears most find these to be accurate enough for plinking and hunting (I would mostly use it for fun, but also maybe squirrel hunting) and most report good reliability. But I am just wondering if such a gun would make a good shooter? I am wondering do they break often? Are parts hard to find for them? Are they prone to any damage or issues?

Basically, I am wondering that if I bought one, would it last as a shooter? I think they are super unique and are much more interesting than say a Ruger 10/22. Just looking for some input guys. That little Nylon rifle might still be up there...

Thanks! :)
 
$399.

Just looking to see if they hold up or if they bust often. If I get it, I will be shooting it for sure. I might well use it for squirrel hunting as well.
 
Is a Remington Nylon 66 worth buying today as a shooter?

I was at my LGS the other day and noticed a funny looking brown rifle in the corner. I asked to see it, and immediately notice a white diamond on the forend and when I picked it up it was so lightweight it almost shot out of my hands across the room!

It was a Remington Nylon 66.
Click to expand...

That was the model known as the Mohawk Brown. It was also featured in Apache Black (the original), Black Diamond (for those that did not care for the white diamond inlay), and Seneca Green, among other variations such as the 77 lever gun.

My God. I couldn't believe it. I had heard of these guns before, how they were one of the first synthetic stocked commercial guns and how light and handy they were. But... that's all I knew about them. The gun appeared to be in top condition, no scratches or rust anywhere on it. I pulled the bolt back and the action appeared to be only a little dirty.
Click to expand...

But, I passed on it.
Click to expand...

Shame on you! :D

I just didn't know enough about the guns. So, I went home and did a little research. It appears most find these to be accurate enough for plinking and hunting (I would mostly use it for fun, but also maybe squirrel hunting) and most report good reliability. But I am just wondering if such a gun would make a good shooter? I am wondering do they break often? Are parts hard to find for them? Are they prone to any damage or issues?
Click to expand...

To be honest, the great little shooter that I owned was a copy of the Nylon 66 made by the Brazillian firm CBC, and was licensed copy of the Remington. I never had to replace a part on it in the 25 years I owned it. Finally sold it (for the same $75 when I bought it) a few years ago to my BIL's SIL who put a scope on it to let his young kids shoot. I loved how light it was and it ran and ran with very little cleaning. In fact, the Remington factory manual advises to use very little oil in the action, just a coating on the exterior action cover to prevent rust. It was a fairly accurate gun with the factory open sights, and if anyone wanted a good all-around .22 rifle to toss in the back of a truck, it is at the top of my list. Back in the day when they were available, I even tried to run Shorts and Longs through it to increase magazine capacity, to no avail. It would feed, fire, and eject any Long Rifle cartridges no matter the velocity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9plFKHm3tK8

As an aside, the thin stamped steel receiver cover has the serial number, which makes that part THE gun. You cannot purchase it without going through an FFL. Funny thing is that you can remove it from the rifle and judiciously use duct tape to hold all of the exposed parts together and it functions the same.

Been there, done that. :evil:

[/QUOTE]Basically, I am wondering that if I bought one, would it last as a shooter? I think they are super unique and are much more interesting than say a Ruger 10/22. Just looking for some input guys. That little Nylon rifle might still be up there...

Thanks![/QUOTE]

I would run back to your LGS and grab it if not at an exorbitant price! If has not been extremely abused, as per your description, IMO it will last for years and years and many rounds of ammo. If something should break, you still may be able to find parts for it. The rifle is fairly easy to take down and work on, if you choose.

For a Nylon 66 factory manual, look for Remington 66 on the link below.

http://www.stevespages.com/page7b.htm

Best of luck to you and I hope you get it and enjoy! I sometimes kick myself for selling it but my 64 year old eyes don't work that well anymore with iron sights (or glass, for that matter!).

Jim

Edit: Your last post says $399!?!? No freaking way! That is called a gun rape. I cannot believe that someone would want that kind of money for one. Jeez, they are aren't a rare firearm. For that price, pass on it and look for another. Either that, talk the guy down a bunch and ask why he feels it is worth that much.

Ughhh!

It is a good gun but for that money I would get a used Remington 552 or 572. Not at all the same class of firearm to upgrade.
 
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$399 probably has collector value built in. A shooter can be had for half the price.
 
I disagree.

This a link insofar as the rarity of the Mohawk Brown 66. Remington seems to have made beaucoup numbers of this variation.

IMO, it is far from a collector's item, even if half of them have been destroyed. It seems to me if you add up all of the other models together, the total does not even come close.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remington_Nylon_66
 
A friend bought one in the 70's. He ran that thing fiercely for 20 yrs. and sold it for more than it cost. Never through brick after brick did it ever fail, also it was far more accurate than my 10-22.
I'd love to get my hands on one, but not for 4c. Nylon/white diamond it was.
 
The Nylon 66 guns have developed an almost cult like following over the years. They are really a sweet little rifle but as to the $399 price tag? Any gun on any given day is worth what someone is willing to pay for it, no more and no less. Would I go $399 on any of the Remington 66 family, even a rare one? Nope, no way. Personally today I see them as a $250 nice little rifle but no more. Then again, a guy who collects them might go $399, just not me. :)

Ron
 
If you cannot get the dealer at $200 (or preferably less), walk away and leave your business card in case he reconsiders.

These rifles are not tackdrivers, but they are accurate as soda can plinkers at 50 yards and squirrel guns with factory open sights. I have owned many .22 rifles (Model 39 Marlin 1928 and a Remington 510A single shot, as a couple) that were more accurate, but I would put my money on a 66 as an all around .22 rifle. No maintenance to speak of and it is as light as anything you might want to carry in the field.

Sorry, it is not worth $400.

Jim
 
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I have a brown one I got a few years ago only because I coveted one so much as a kid. Mine shoots fine. My 10-22 is a better gun though.
 
Do you have it? I'll buy your jam-o-matic from you at a price that will make you a few bucks since you think it is not worth squat. Send a pic or two.

:)
 
The few I've seen around here, in gun stores, asking $600+. I thought I wanted one until I handled one, and I still might want one, but not for $600+.
 
I've shot one. They're unbelievably light and really fun plinkers. I'm don't think I'd part with $400 for one though. For half that, sold, and you might be able to push me in the mid 200s.

I have no idea what the market price for a shooter Nylon 66 is, $400 may be a fair price. But that's what it would be worth to me.
 
The one I shot was a jam o matic as well. If you want one just to have one of everything, I would get it but a lot better shooters out there for $400 or less.
 
I have had mine for more than 50 years with two misfires and have trained 6 kids and hope to start my grandson. Other than cleaning the bore and wiping down the receiver I have only taken it down once, about 30 years ago for a detailed cleaning. Remington ran an add back when they were first introduced that they shot 2000 hand thrown wood blocks without a miss, that sold me! Having shot hundreds of raccoons, muskrats, squirrels and cans, and never had an accuracy issue or used a scope. I agree that $400 is to high, but that is the asking price around KC. I think the rarity issue is really short supply, no body sells them. I also have a Marlin 60, Ruger 10/22 and an AR-7, but everyone wants to shoot the Nylon.
 
If I'd owned one for the last 40 years I wouldn't part with it. But the only way I'd buy one at this point would be to replace one I foolishly sold earlier in my life. They have some collectable value, but not enough to invest in one. Money in the bank is a better financial investment on these. Nostalgia is different.
 
You did the right thing. There are a lot of .22 rifles out there I would rather have for $400.
I passed on one in ok shape for $250 at the last show.
 
I bought one and my dad borrowed it because he liked how light it was. He used it to shoot the chipmunks stealing his birdseed. Heaven knows how many rounds and/or high velocity aluminum cleaning rods had been down the bore because it didn't have a lot of rifling left. I sold it for $250 a couple of years ago.

Nostalgia has driven the prices up beyond their worth. You can buy a new 10/22 for less than a fairly ratty Nylon 66. It's an emotion driven market.
 
Targets

emington ran an add back when they were first introduced that they shot 2000 hand thrown wood blocks without a miss, that sold me!
Click to expand...
In 1959, Tom Frye, who worked for Remington, shot at 100,010 hand thrown targets and hit 100,004 of them....took him 13 full days using 3 Nylon 66s.
 
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