What to look for on a used .22

[Nifty944]

Good Day, THR

I've been reading and lurking for a long time, and for the most part I've never had a question I couldn't answer myself with a somewhat diligent search. The collective knowledge here is amazing.

I'm planning to go pawn shop hoppin' this Saturday looking for a super deal on an old .22; super deal, like sub $100. In my mind I'm picturing something cosmetically ugly (I'd call it character) but mechanically sound. Preferably a wood and steel, bolt action, magazine fed rifle with iron sights though I may be open to other options if I find a great deal. For example, my dad once found a Remington 752 Fieldmaster pump .22 for $60 on a used rack, and it is now everyone's favorite .22. That is one sweet shooting rifle.

Other than bringing a light along and checking the bore and working the bolt, what do I need to look for and check out on a dinged up old rifle to be sure it's mechanically sound? Obviously I won't be able to fire the rifle at a pawn shop, none of the ones around me I'm aware of have ranges.

I am willing to be patient and make multiple weekend trips until I find a diamond in the rough. The rifle would primarily be used for plinking and our annual family squirrel hunts (I have a single shot .410 I use most of the time).

 

[candr44]

Buy some dummy rounds and take them with you. Use them to cycle the action and see how it feeds. Its not a 100% accurate test but its better than nothing. Also check the firing pin and see if its broken. The firing pin is a common failure part on some old .22 rifles.

Another thing you can do after you find a good deal on a rifle is check out what other people on the gun forums think of it. Also, check Numrich Gun Parts for parts availability. You may find after you go shooting with it you have to replace some of the common failure parts like extractors, firing pins, springs, or feed mechanisms.

Being patient and waiting for the right deal on the right gun will pay off if you keep looking regularly. I have come across some really good .22 rifles that looked like they were not used much but neglected for decades and some were under $50. After a little refinishing and a good cleaning they look and work like new.

I found this Marlin model 60 for $30 in like new condition but very dirty on the outside. It sat in a room collecting dust for years.

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This Marlin model 81 was $37 but needed to be refinished and had a broken fiiring pin and but plate.

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[rule303]

Make sure the action feels smooth and solid. Bring a bore light if you have one. Also feel along the outside of the barrel with your fingers, there are a lot of old .22's floating around with slightly bulged or "ringed" barrels from someone shooting out an obstruction.

 

[Nifty944]

Candr44, thanks for the pics. I would be well served with a Marlin 81 like that, and I do have some woodworking/finish skills so refinishing is definitely an option for me. I would actually enjoy it I think.

Good call on the dummy rounds and feeling for barrel doughnuts, I wouldn't have thought about that.

All this being said, are there any particular makes/models I should avoid regardless of condition or function?

 

[BADUNAME37]

Look at all the screw heads and any nuts, fasteners, etc. If the screw heads and nuts are stripped or mashed in any way, you then must wonder how the internal components look!

I would rather have an old gun that was never disassembled than one that some person who shouldn't be working on guns has had apart many times.

I got an old Mossberg 152 .22 Semi-Auto rifle given to me that was made in the 40's - 50's. I was not going to take it, it looked like such junk and the bolt seemed all jammed up.

I completely dismantled the entire rifle and saw that no one had EVER had the gun apart! In fact, I really wonder if it had ever been cleaned since day one!

I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned and got two tablespoons full of pine needles, sand, dirt, pebbles, lots of sheared lead filings and lead dust from the action, chamber and barrel.

After I lubed it and reassembled it, adjusted the magazine ears to fine-tune the feeding, it is now one of the most accurate AND dependable guns I own!

Even the stock, which was black with dirt and grime, came out to be beautiful with lots of grain and several knots! After all the work I put into cleaning it and lubing it, it is now one of my favorite guns and is 100% reliable!

Instead of it being about 70% good, it is now about 98% good! It is definitely a KEEPER!

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

I generally look at the overall condition, test the action, look down the bore, look for buggered up screw heards.

 

[candr44]

[QUOTEare there any particular makes/models I should avoid regardless of condition or function? ][/QUOTE]

One that comes to mind is a Savage/Stevens model 87 or what some call a gill gun. It has ports on the left side of the receiver for venting gas that look like gills.

Its not a bad rifle when it works but they are temperamental and often have feed problems. I have one that does work well but one thing I noticed when taking it apart to clean is that if a screw isn't tightend just right or something isn't aligned just the way it was before you took it apart, it won't work right. some people never get these to work right.

I seem to have better luck with old Mossbergs and Marlins from the late 30's to the late 1950's. I especially like the Mossbergs from that era. Also, don't overlook store brand rifles. They are the same models as name brand rifles but with a store brand name on it. Store brands are also often cheaper and many are made by Marlin and Mossberg.

Here is a web site dedicated to .22 guns and has more knowledge there than you could ever want. http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/index.php