"I have always thought that the best general-purpose 22 is the Marlin Model 39. Its lever-action is equally convenient for either hand. Its half-cock safety is convenient and reliable, and its trigger-action can be honed to complete satisfaction. In the 20-inch barrel, take-down version, it may be the best general-purpose 22. It should probably not be fitted with a telescope sight, since a good ghost-ring adapts well to the hard-top Marlin action and provides all the precision necessary to all but the optically handicapped."