remington nylon 66 in military

[Douglasearl]

Does any one know if the U.S. military ever used the nylon 66? A friend of mine bought a nice nylon 66 at the Tulsa Ok. gun show and the top cover is parkerized. He was told it was for military use. He got it at a good price and wanted one to take into the field. Thanks. Douglasearl

 

[sigma 40ve]

that is the way the last ones came AFAIK. mine is from the early 90's, it's that way. same cheap finish they put on their "express" guns. sounds like your friend got lied to. however, mine is an apache 77, not a 66.

 

[ThomasT]

I don't know about the military use but i sort of doubt it. I bought one about 20 years ago and tha was one of the most natural pointing guns i have ever shot. I have a Remington 7615 that feels the same way. You just raise it up and you are on target.

To give an example, a friend and i were at the National Grass Lands in Decatur TX one day. He had a Remington 1100 12ga and i had the Nylon 66. He shot at a running rabbit and missed, i nailed it with the first shot. He asked if i could hit a crow that was sitting out in the field at least a 100 yards away. One shot one dead crow. The best shot of the day was when a finch flew by and he missed it with the shotgun. Believe me i was surprised when i raised my rifle and shot that tiny bird out of the air. It wasn't me. That gun just flat shoots

 

[The Deer Hunter]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure the military has ever used .22lr as a standard cartridge.

 

[Commander Guineapig]

I read the first posters question...and it triggered something in my mind...
take this for what it's worth, but the following is from a book I own.

Some of the other silenced weapons systems tested at the Small Arms Laboratory during the late 1960s and early 1970s included the following:
- A carbine version of the Remington .22 autoloader, blackened against reflection in daytime and for night ops.
- A camouflaged Ruger 10/22 autoloader in .22 caliber and fitted with a Sionics silencer. Designed for for jungle warefare, sniping, and commando work, this unit was reported in Indochina by a UPI newsman with whom I spoke, He saw one of these in a Laotian training camp staffed by Special Forces and CIA people.
The Remington Nylon 66 was used in Vietnam as a silenced commando weapon prior to 1970, when the Ruger 10/22 carbine, also in .22 caliber, was adopted.
The Remington gun was not satisfactory because it was a difficult gun to disassemble and clean. Both guns have the camouflage finish, while the Remington came in an all-black finish as well.

that's just from a book I gots. outside of this article, I have no knowledge on this subject.
GP

 

[rcmodel]

I imagine it would be hard to name a weapon that hasn't been tried, tested, or used by some branch of the military, at one time or another.

As for the .22 LR RF cartridge itself?
It has been a standard issue item since probably WWI or before.
Normally any off-the-shelf commercial lead bullet load in standard or Match grade.

The "cartridge, caliber .22, Ball, Long Rifle, M24" uses a FMJ bullet, in accordance with the Hague Convention rules of warfare. It is intended for survival use in combat areas, as well as any other clandestine purpose for which there is a need in war.

As far as the Nylon 66 bought at the Tulsa show? I doubt it.
If it was used as a sporting weapon at a military club range or something, it would have unit markings.

If was used as a suppressed combat weapon by some spook unit, it would likely be "sterile" and not even have Remington markings, would still be suppressed, and would never have seen the light of day in the first place.


rcmodel

 

[mp510]

As for the .22 LR RF cartridge itself?
It has been a standard issue item since probably WWI or before.
Normally any off-the-shelf commercial lead bullet load in standard or Match grade.

The "cartridge, caliber .22, Ball, Long Rifle, M24" uses a FMJ bullet, in accordance with the Hague Convention rules of warfare. It is intended for survival use in combat areas, as well as any other clandestine purpose for which there is a need in war.

About a decade ago, I read an article titled "The Guns of SOG", which was about the Studies and Observations Group, a formerly classified clandestine "commando" type force used by the US in Viet Nam, for doing work in the North, as well as early (classified) operations in Laos and Cambodia. One of the pistols they had for eliminating sentrys on snatch 'n grabs were Hi Standard .22's (I forget if they were suppressed or not).

 

[Ed Ames]

Hi Standard started making suppressed .22LR pistols (Hi Standard model HDM) for military/"special" uses around WWII. OSS/CIA sort of "special". As I understand it they were used into the 1970s.

Many nations use .22LR versions of military weapons for training today.

 

[Onmilo]

I don't know if this counts or not but the Fort Bragg, N.C. Rod and Gun Club had a few Nylon 66 rifles available for range use.
They weren't unit or Military marked in any way and were standard blue with brown stocks.

I know for a fact that the Special Warfare Arms room had several AMT Lightning rifles, (stainless steel copies of the Ruger 10/22 with nylon/plastic stocks).
These were fitted with suppressors and were used, as I am told, for knocking out lighting, telephone, and power boxes during clandestine operations.

 

[Timthinker]

Most myths have a kernel of truth imbeded in them. Yes, the .22lr cartridge has been used in clandestine operations by various groups. The Israeli Mossad "snuffed" their enemies with .22 pistols in the 1970s. The United States also used .22 pistols as one of our contributors noted. But, I doubt seriously if the Nylon 66 ever saw use as a "black ops" weapon. Could I be mistaken? Certainly, but I would need solid documented evidence to believe otherwise.


Timthinker

 

[rcmodel]

Both the High-Standard and the Colt Woodsmen were suppressed for use by the OSS during WWII. But the High-Standard used was not the HD Military model. They didn't start making the HDM until after WWII was over, and they were made for civilian sales, not the military. Those found with U.S. & ordinance bomb markings were used as .22 training pistols in the 1950's.

Those two guns, and also some suppressed Ruger Standards were used in Vietnam, as well as the 9mm S&W "Hush-Puppy".


rcmodel

 

[Roswell 1847]

The Army tested a double barreled .22 Magnum cal suppressed Submachinegun during the late 60's.
The CIA used a modified .22 rimfire version of the Walther PPK rechambered for a special cartridge made using empty primed .22 magnum cases cut down in length and loaded with a variety of explosive or poison carrying .224 jacketed bullets. These were heavy bullet subsonic loads. The pistols were fitted for silencers of course.

Many types of .22 rimfire rifles and pistols have been issuesd for training or survival use. The AR7 was designed as a US Airforce survival rifle, though the original AR Survival rifle was a bolt action in .22 hornet.

Only a search of company shipping files could tell you if the gun you have was ever used by the military.
Its more likely that after filling a military contract for the parkerized guns they had a few parkerized parts leftover and decided to see how they'd fly in the civilain market.
Parkerizing is a pretty good finish for a knockabout gun. A lot of people these days like the finish for rough weather hunting rifles.

 

[MCgunner]

Probably the same dull black finish that's on my recently acquired .22 mag M597 Remington.

 

[esq_stu]

Israeli soldier with scoped suppressed Ruger 10/22.

 

[Douglasearl]

nylon 66 info

Thanks for the info. it is helpful. Surprising how much a person can find about them.

 

[Douglasearl]

nylon 66

Just hit me. So im slow. What is afaik?

 

[Seven High]

As Far As I Know.

 

[bhk]

When I was a kid, I remember reading an article in Life magazine (I believe) concerning the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba. Those attempting to over throw the Cuban government were using some US supplied Nylon 66s, along (I am sure) with a variety of other supplied arms. I remember the description of an attacker leaning in the window of a Cuban military vehicle with his Nylon 66 and emptying the contents of the magazine into the driver.

 

[Timthinker]

Roswell, this is off topic, but do have any info on the double-barreled SMG? I ask this for a most unusual reason. Some years ago, I saw an old TV movie entitled The Challenge in which an American mercenary used a double-barreled SMG that resembled a modified M3 Grease Gun. I have not thought about that weapon until your post brought it back to my mind. Any info you can provide will be appreciated. You never know what will appear on these forums.


Timthinker

 

[kBob]

Thanks to Commander GP for a neat photo. I was most impressed with the addition of a bolt locking lever to the Suppressed Nylon 66. I do not doubt that one or more were "used in Vietnam" byt have not heard of such until this post and COmmander GPs pictures.

I am 99.99 percent sure that more than one or two Ruger 10/22s were used there. Besides one of the histories of Ruger firearms saying such and having photos of the same I have spoken to folks that claimed to have atleast carried one on one sort of Long range Patrol or another what ever initials went with it. One told me they were not the best choice for quieting down an angry water buffalo with. Another explained that they worked well for shooting someon in the calf with so they fell a split second before the claymores blew to provide a living prisoner that could be trused up in a hammock and carried out on a pre prepared pole.

I was told that some RUger Stand Model or Mark I .22 pistols were also available late in the conflict as High Standards were gettin hard to find in working condition. The suppressors were the diameter of the reciecer but about ten inches long according to the folks I spoke with.

In the last decade or so I used a cople of suppressed 10/22s and a supressed MarkII pistol with more modern suppressors than were available in 1970. The one problem with the 10/22s I fired was that they did not have a means of locking the bolt closed to prevent action noise which was significantly louder than the actual report of target (subsonic) ammunition from the suppressors. This was also true with the Mark II but there was a non-mecanical way to prevent the bolt from cycling that while not conducive to the best accurracy made the gun very quiet.

Oddly the neatest suppressed .22 semi auto I have yet to shoot was a Norinco knock off of the Browning break down. I mearly gave the apperence of having a bull barrel and its action noise was no where near the Ruger's pistol or rifle.

Quietest .22 of all so far was a suppressed Marlin Bolt action, you realy could hear the firing pin strike over the shot. Person that "made" that one has tried to talk me into a suppressed "Cricket" kid sized .22 bolt action single shot to allow the kids to shoot more in the back yard. (He is about through setting up his shop after a move across country and getting his paperwork updated to show the move and when his website is up again I will post a link for folks wanting to shoot softly. I just can't see the hassle and the $200 bucks. Also my longer barreled adult sized Anshutz 1441/42/43 with CCI CB Longs is pretty quiet already for dealing with tree rats and other vermin, perhaps not as quiet as any of the above but neighbors when spedicically asked have reported not hearing the CBLongs and the wife says you can not hear them in the house....so a suppressed .22 rifle seems a bit hard to justify for me.

-Bob Hollingsworth

 

[JNewell]

Does any one know if the U.S. military ever used the nylon 66? A friend of mine bought a nice nylon 66 at the Tulsa Ok. gun show and the top cover is parkerized. He was told it was for military use. He got it at a good price and wanted one to take into the field. Thanks. Douglasearl

That was the standard late finish. It's blued, not parkerized - it's the same finish they're using on the Express line shotguns now.

As far as military use goes, here is one factual tidbit. Several years ago the CMP auctioned off two Nylon 66s. All CMP guns have been released to CMP by the US armed forces. I won one of the auctions. It's a very normal, off-the-rack Mohawk Brown Nylon 66. The only thing that would tip you off is the CMP certificate of authenticity that came with it. What they were doing with (an apparently very limited number) of Nylons, I don't know.

 

[jjduller1946]

I used my own Nylon 66 to practice instinct shooting before I shipped to Viet Nam on 1969. I put lots of rounds thought it walking anound my Uncles ranch. To make a long story short - it saved my rear. Great little rifle!