It was an old barn rifle that needed a new front sight, which I installed for a customer. While in my care, I went over it with steel wool and gun oil to remove the heavy rust and touched up the bluing to make it more presentable. I also sanded the stock and refinished it. The guy didn't even recognize it. Funny, but it was surprisingly accurate.
Worst 22 rifle you've ever shot?
- Thread starter someguy2800
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wanderinwalker
Member
Hmmm... worst .22 rifle I've ever fired? This is going to be hard, as none of them have been truly terrible, unlike some of the stories already posted.
But it's probably going to be a toss-up between the Marlin 15YN I learned to shoot with, or my 10/22 I keep threatening to turn into a project gun. The Marlin is actually quite accurate, and I was very fond of it as a kid. However, I shot it some later in life and discovered how truly atrocious the trigger was. Grit, creep, take-up, over-travel and it was pretty heavy too as I recall. Learning to hit bottle caps at 50' with that thing probably helped me be able to shoot near any rifle at least decently.
The 10/22 just is what it is. Truth be told, it's a basic Carbine model and never has been what I consider particularly accurate. On it's best days it'll shoot 5 shots into about an inch and a quarter to an inch and a half at 50-yards. Not bad, but after playing with a Walther KK-100 and a Winchester 52 Target for a bit, I really desired something that would stack .22 bullets on top of each other at 50-yards.
Side note: All of these stories about the AR-7s may be cooling down my interest in one. I've always thought they're kind of neat, and the new Henry versions are readily available. Maybe I'll still get one if I find one cheap some day.
But it's probably going to be a toss-up between the Marlin 15YN I learned to shoot with, or my 10/22 I keep threatening to turn into a project gun. The Marlin is actually quite accurate, and I was very fond of it as a kid. However, I shot it some later in life and discovered how truly atrocious the trigger was. Grit, creep, take-up, over-travel and it was pretty heavy too as I recall. Learning to hit bottle caps at 50' with that thing probably helped me be able to shoot near any rifle at least decently.
The 10/22 just is what it is. Truth be told, it's a basic Carbine model and never has been what I consider particularly accurate. On it's best days it'll shoot 5 shots into about an inch and a quarter to an inch and a half at 50-yards. Not bad, but after playing with a Walther KK-100 and a Winchester 52 Target for a bit, I really desired something that would stack .22 bullets on top of each other at 50-yards.
Side note: All of these stories about the AR-7s may be cooling down my interest in one. I've always thought they're kind of neat, and the new Henry versions are readily available. Maybe I'll still get one if I find one cheap some day.
JWF III
Member
I’m not sure of the make. Probably some off brand, if I had to guess. But I had a .22 as a kid, in the mid 80s, that looked like an M16. Full length stock, triangular hadguard, bayo lug, everything. It had what looked like a 20 round mag as a part of the reciever. The actual mag resembled a Ruger Standard mag, and was inserted through the fake “mag”.
It was bad enough trying to load the mag at 10 or 12 yo. But in the time I had it, I can’t say if I ever made it through a full mag without a malfunction. Horrible, HORRIBLE, gun.
Wyman
It was bad enough trying to load the mag at 10 or 12 yo. But in the time I had it, I can’t say if I ever made it through a full mag without a malfunction. Horrible, HORRIBLE, gun.
Wyman
p5200
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- 308
I had one bought brand new and it shot that bad or worse!
22250Rem
Member
The occasional mention of AR-7's reminded me of an AR-7 my buddy picked up back in the 1980's. IIRC it was made by Charter Arms. He didn't shoot it much because of feeding (?) or numerous other problems. So it soon went down the road for what he paid for it. I had heard that when Henry started producing them that they made some small but important design changes and the Henry versions were greatly improved. Then in January 2016 I came across a mint Henry Survival rifle at a gun show with its original box, and owners manual. It couldn't be told from new but it was being sold as used. Dealer told me he sold it a few years ago and it sat in the guy's closet unused until he traded it in on a centerfire. Well; the price was OK so it went home with me. Its had less than 300 rounds through it since then but so far it's 100% reliable & trouble free and pretty accurate besides. Don't plan on shooting it much but its just neat to have around and once it's all stored into its own buttstock it takes up very little space. Ran into another Henry AR-7 owner last year and he was happy with his also. Looks to me as if the folks at Henry got the "bugs" worked out of that design. Felt like I might be taking a gamble when I bought it but it looks like it paid off. The pre-Henry models like my buddy had are the ones I wouldn't take a chance on.
CapnMac
Member
Ok, I can play.
1979, some of my buddies talk me into going shooting with them, since we had free time. So, we trundle off to the basement of the Trigon, and go to get set up. So, what I have is a Remy M-12 and a brick of Ammunition, cal..22lr, Training (looked like what I'd now call Federal RNL; then, it was just "ammo"--sigh, to be so young and naïve)). What I did not know was that I was set up. The kids in AROTC got classtime to go qualify in the range for marksmanship badges. They knew to grab the Mossy M-44s. Put a rond down range, it's way outside at 2 o'clock. Change hold to low and 7 to get high left around 11. Go back to center hold and maggie's drawers.
Look this marvel over and the front sight is bent. In both horizontal and vertical. Rear sight threads are stripped (mostly). Just enough grip to give the illusion of precision, but really, a mockery of machining. Take it back to the NCOIC. He goes "Hey, what's that doing out?" Turns out they keep it around as it was in inventory when the Commandant of Cadets was a cadet himself. Four decades of ham-fisted freshmen had done it no favors. Crown looked scalloped, it had been hit with so many cleaning rods.
About '91 or so, hanging around with the loval Army Reserve guys, they say "Hey, we have all this left over .22 ammo to use up; come help!" So, they hand me one of the M-16s out of the rack. It doesn't feel right. So, I pop the pins and take a look at how the .22lr adapter has been fitted. Well "fitted" is a word. A word with many connotations. I'm trying to decide just how to look this gift horse in the mouth (and in a less than favorable way), when Isee them set up another rifle. They hae a rack of them, all with green tape on the stock up by the castle nut.
So, the E5 pops this one open, separates the upper. Tips out the BCG. Grabs a 22 conversion and tips it, mostly, into the upper. He then takes up a block of wood and a mallet and beats the conversion into place.
I had to remember to close my mouth.
Off we go, with ammo, mags, rifles, and we set up with the back of the motor ool building for a backstop. They blaze off away. I put a few rounds down range, and notice something. They are not POA, but, they are holding decently enough. I take a seat, hasty the sling, and take my time wearing the target out. Which marvels the E5s. First, I'm going way slower than they are but getting more rounds on target. They round up their E6, who nods a lot. Then shakes his head a bit, as I use the other, untouched 10 rings to show you just had to hold off right. (Was a ton of work, remembering to dope that much kentucky into every shote--every single stinkin' shot.)
After that, I was Merlin the Magician or something. Was good for a few beers at the Ptarmigan afterward, though.
1979, some of my buddies talk me into going shooting with them, since we had free time. So, we trundle off to the basement of the Trigon, and go to get set up. So, what I have is a Remy M-12 and a brick of Ammunition, cal..22lr, Training (looked like what I'd now call Federal RNL; then, it was just "ammo"--sigh, to be so young and naïve)). What I did not know was that I was set up. The kids in AROTC got classtime to go qualify in the range for marksmanship badges. They knew to grab the Mossy M-44s. Put a rond down range, it's way outside at 2 o'clock. Change hold to low and 7 to get high left around 11. Go back to center hold and maggie's drawers.
Look this marvel over and the front sight is bent. In both horizontal and vertical. Rear sight threads are stripped (mostly). Just enough grip to give the illusion of precision, but really, a mockery of machining. Take it back to the NCOIC. He goes "Hey, what's that doing out?" Turns out they keep it around as it was in inventory when the Commandant of Cadets was a cadet himself. Four decades of ham-fisted freshmen had done it no favors. Crown looked scalloped, it had been hit with so many cleaning rods.
About '91 or so, hanging around with the loval Army Reserve guys, they say "Hey, we have all this left over .22 ammo to use up; come help!" So, they hand me one of the M-16s out of the rack. It doesn't feel right. So, I pop the pins and take a look at how the .22lr adapter has been fitted. Well "fitted" is a word. A word with many connotations. I'm trying to decide just how to look this gift horse in the mouth (and in a less than favorable way), when Isee them set up another rifle. They hae a rack of them, all with green tape on the stock up by the castle nut.
So, the E5 pops this one open, separates the upper. Tips out the BCG. Grabs a 22 conversion and tips it, mostly, into the upper. He then takes up a block of wood and a mallet and beats the conversion into place.
I had to remember to close my mouth.
Off we go, with ammo, mags, rifles, and we set up with the back of the motor ool building for a backstop. They blaze off away. I put a few rounds down range, and notice something. They are not POA, but, they are holding decently enough. I take a seat, hasty the sling, and take my time wearing the target out. Which marvels the E5s. First, I'm going way slower than they are but getting more rounds on target. They round up their E6, who nods a lot. Then shakes his head a bit, as I use the other, untouched 10 rings to show you just had to hold off right. (Was a ton of work, remembering to dope that much kentucky into every shote--every single stinkin' shot.)
After that, I was Merlin the Magician or something. Was good for a few beers at the Ptarmigan afterward, though.
John Joseph
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- May 5, 2016
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- 1,441
A Remington 241 in .22 Short.
I don't know what was wrong with it.
I'm usually pretty good with gallery r.fles.
Couldn't hit a paper bag from the inside.
I don't know what was wrong with it.
I'm usually pretty good with gallery r.fles.
Couldn't hit a paper bag from the inside.
Riomouse911
Member
My grandfather left me a beat up old Stevens visible loader. The thing barely operated, wasn't accurate at all when it did function, and worst of all smelled like musty clothes. I gave it to a friend about 20 years ago and never missed it.
OP
OP
someguy2800
Member
If it's a 22 pistol that's close enough for me, let's hear it. I nominate the ruger SR22. Hateful trigger, couldn't hit anything with it.
fjblair
Member
It an was older Taurus PT-22, 1990's model I believe. Clunky long trigger pull and just loved to misfeed and stovepipe. Impossible to shoot with any kind of accuracy. I know it was a pocket gun, but suffered even by those standards.
marksman13
Member
Savage MK II TRR-SR hands down. It would not feed from a magazine. It shaved a portion off of every bullet loaded into the chamber unless I manually pushed the round into the chamber with my fingers and then closed the bolt. It wasn't nearly as accurate as it should have been for what it was. I went back to CZ and never looked back.
My worst was one of these...an Ithaca lever-action single shot when a teenager (late 50's). It looked cool, but the receiver was cheap aluminum and the bolt top was a loading ramp that hinged at the back and opened with the lever. The extraction was poor and accuracy wasn't much better. Got rid of it after a few months of frustration.
OP
OP
someguy2800
Member
I was just looking at one of them in a pawn shop. I saw the tag of $120 for a lever action 22 and got excited. Boy was I disappointed when it got in my hands to check it out. I've seen higher quality cap guns
MosinT53Hunter
Member
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2016
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- 1,042
I had an ol Savage/Stevens semi auto, tube fed...don't remember the model, its been almost 20 years since I sold it. Was a parts gun from the rafters of an old auction house. Missing a few bits, like the trigger guard. I was getting into metal working so I made the parts needed. It shot....kinda. Maybe 2 rounds, jam, 1 round, jam, etc. Sold it for more then what I had into her.
My second worst was a Winchester 190, badly deformed receiver, looked like someone had used a chisel and hammer to make it work right, trigger was bent to one side, missing a lot of parts. It floated around my work bench as I looked for replacement parts, mostly from numrich, then after shooting a few rounds I lost interest in it, traded it off for something I forget what now.
My second worst was a Winchester 190, badly deformed receiver, looked like someone had used a chisel and hammer to make it work right, trigger was bent to one side, missing a lot of parts. It floated around my work bench as I looked for replacement parts, mostly from numrich, then after shooting a few rounds I lost interest in it, traded it off for something I forget what now.
grandpawj
Member
OP thank you sincerely for giving me the opportunity to tell the whole world my Mossberg 715T isn't even worth what it cost to ship it to me. (And shipping was free! from Bud's) It will not even shoot a full magazine of 22LR's without hanging up. Believe me, I have tried everything to fix the problem without success.
Jeb Stuart
member
I have been shooting the SR22 now since they came out. Recently replaced the worn firing Pin. Reliable shooter for sure. However, I am still trying to figure out why the hell Ruger put that ridiculous trigger on the gun. That crazy creepy free play is downright weird. Feels like the trigger spring is broke. It seems to be a new Ruger idea that is even on one of their newer guns that I know of. And yet some folks think it is great. And what was Ruger thinking in Putting the safety on that is directly opposite of the way the rest of the SR series??
For 22.cal I will stick with a Bolt action. However love my Lever Action Henry.
For 22.cal I will stick with a Bolt action. However love my Lever Action Henry.
OP
OP
someguy2800
Member
I completely agree, as far as I am concerned if you can't figure out how to put a safety on a handgun in the same flick down with your thumb configuration as a 1911 you can just keep it. I'm not willing to reteach myself to push the safety the wrong way. That is akin to someone making a new car with the gas and brake pedal switched.
tubeshooter
Contributing Member
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- Aug 15, 2006
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- 2,150
I have a number of .22 rifles - too many, to be honest. None of them appear to be anything like the horror stories I have seen here.
I guess the "worst" one is an old Mossberg 146b. It is not a bad gun in and of itself, but it has this weird S130 rear target sight that is rather clunky IMHO. The gun shoots fine, though. I leave it in the country with some relatives so that I have something to plink with if I don't feel like schlepping a rifle along on the trip.
I guess the "worst" one is an old Mossberg 146b. It is not a bad gun in and of itself, but it has this weird S130 rear target sight that is rather clunky IMHO. The gun shoots fine, though. I leave it in the country with some relatives so that I have something to plink with if I don't feel like schlepping a rifle along on the trip.
Speedo66
Member
Yet another vote for the POS Charter Arms AR-7. Total jam-o-matic which two trips back to the factory couldn't solve. Gone, replaced by a Marlin Papoose which is everything the AR-7 should have been. Plus it's all stainless and can take larger capacity mags. And never has jammed.
RecoilRob
Member
Nobody has mentioned the Walther G-22...so I will. Bought it because it looked cool and wanted something bullpup to play with....but the thing just wouldn't run. Took it apart to find out why...and a bunch of tiny little parts went flying across the room. Great! Turned out that these fiddly little spring-loaded parts were the magazine safety...which I hate anyhow so they didn't go back in and it was like a MIRACLE! The gun became totally stone reliable even with standard velocity ammo and was simple to disassemble/reassemble for cleaning. It's now one of my favorite .22's but they didn't last long on the market because of that stupid mag safety...what was Walther thinking? Mags are impossible to find since the gun had so short a production run...but I did find that the P-22 mags are the same except for the plastic base-plate and there is a 3D printer program available so you can print up the bases needed to use P-22's in G-22's.
Turned out that these fiddly little spring-loaded parts were the magazine safety...which I hate anyhow so they didn't go back in and it was like a MIRACLE! The gun became totally stone reliable even with standard velocity ammo and was simple to disassemble/reassemble for cleaning. It's now one of my favorite .22's but they didn't last long on the market because of that stupid mag safety...what was Walther thinking? Mags are impossible to find since the gun had so short a production run...but I did find that the P-22 mags are the same except for the plastic base-plate and there is a 3D printer program available so you can print up the bases needed to use P-22's in G-22's.
Panzerschwein
member
Sadly my Nylon 66.
Thing is a jamomatic. Something must be wrong with it but the knowledge on their inner workings is arcane. I've heard these are the most reliable .22 rifle in history but not so with my example, figures. Quite the shame as its offhand accuracy is stunning and it is incredibly light and handing. I can pop a fresh green walnut from 25 yards or better almost every time standing. Would make a top squirreler but the jams are frustrating and I'll probably get rid of it soon.
Thing is a jamomatic. Something must be wrong with it but the knowledge on their inner workings is arcane. I've heard these are the most reliable .22 rifle in history but not so with my example, figures. Quite the shame as its offhand accuracy is stunning and it is incredibly light and handing. I can pop a fresh green walnut from 25 yards or better almost every time standing. Would make a top squirreler but the jams are frustrating and I'll probably get rid of it soon.
I think that the worst mechanisms in the world may be tubular magazine actions that are worn out. Usually you can't find a new assembly to slap on because the rifle is 20 or more years old. I slaved over an old Stevens and could never get it to be reliable again, so traded it. I probably should have just buried it in the back yard, or used it as a tomato stake.
rskent
Member
The worst 22 I have ever owned is a Mossberg us44. I thought if the CPM is selling them they must be great. Oops!
Speedo66
Member
I also had a Stevens with a tube magazine, Visible Loader, which while visible, did not load. Gone....
armarsh
Member
My worst .22 was a Marlin 39. My dad gave it to me a birthday gift when I was 5. First time we went out shooting it gave a horrible trigger slap. My dad was watching me and asked what was the matter? I explained it hurt me to shoot it. I still remember his comment: Are you sure, son? these are good rifles. Then he tried it and agreed that it hurt him too. He was a dealer so just like that it was gone.
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