Your favorite, bestest, gotta have 22 rifle

[North Country Gal]

I get how hard it is to pick a favorite. Like I said, I started the thread just for fun. I wouldn't even attempted to start a thread about favorite rimfire handgun. Rifles are hard enough.

[Sir Henry]

I get how hard it is to pick a favorite. Like I said, I started the thread just for fun. I wouldn't even attempted to start a thread about favorite rimfire handgun. Rifles are hard enough.

I sold a lot of rimfire pistols when I left Seattle. I had several vintage Walther PP and PPK ‘s in .22LR that I miss.

[Hatchdog]

My favorite is my Marlin 39-A. This was my first Marlin and it led to a nice collection of various Marlin rifles. I have since sold off my entire collection but have kept this 39-A. I recall when I first got it hiking around the pasture hunting ground squirrels I had a thought that this is certainly an adult 22lr. A bit on the heavy side with an action as smooth as glass. Phenomenally accurate too.

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The only other rimfire rifle I currently own is this Ruger 10/22 LVT (light varmint tactical). It has a bull barrel that’s threaded, a checkered hardwood stock with a rubber butt pad and sling swivels. It too is very accurate. So I guess it would be my second favorite.

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Honorable mention would be the Glenfield M/60 with the squirrel stock. When I had just turned 16 in 1973 I was living temporarily in NE North Dakota. The ground squirrels were up and my buddies took me hunting with them with a loaned rifle. I wanted my own so I went into a Coast to Coast store in a small town and was sold the Glenfield directly, no parents involved and no paperwork????? Of course I didn’t know better then. About 10 years ago one exactly like the one I had came up for sale so I bought it. That was a fun trip down memory lane but of course I have since traded it off. Here’s a file pic of the squirrel stock.

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[North Country Gal]

Love those Glenfield squirrel 60s. They are actually getting a bit collectible with Marlin fans, now. Have to say, too, that the Marlin 60s I've shot have been very accurate, more so than those older stock 10/22 Carbines I love.

And yeah, vintage walnut 10/22s definitely make my list of favorite 22 rifles.

[North Country Gal]

Couldn't end this thread without adding one of my Winchester 1885 single shots. Any of these would at least tie the Marlin as my favorite and, in fact, I'd sell the Marlin before any of the 1885s.

This one a special edition called the Classic made for only two years circa 2000. It's in 22 LR and I added the tang sight and globe sight. The odds of me ever finding another one are about zilch.

[Vaquero]

Ooooooh, I like the 1885. Thanks for sharing that one. Nice!

Ok, I'll play. Nothing really special about any of these, but they are the ones that have been seeing the most action lately.
The Marlin 89c, I stumbled across this one a couple years ago working out of town.
It came without a magazine, but did come with the Weaver Marksman 4x, still very clear.
I found a magazine on ebay on the way home. Anyway it has been the most fun and is quite accurate with several different types of ammo that I've tried. These were made from '51 to '63, this one has no sn. So I'm assuming it's an early model.

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Next would be a late model 60, if I remember it was made '08.
Another is the Marlin 25N, very accurate if some cheap ammo. I found another stock for it and cut it down for the grandsons to get started.

One foggy morning back in the spring I had a little test. Was surprised.

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RP

[BrokenolMarine]

I really enjoy my Henry Golden Boy, but the go to in this house has been the CZ455 since we put the first shots downrange. I went looking for a heavy barreled Ruger but Greentop had sold the last 10-22 and Bolt Action that morning. Our Guy suggested the CZ, dead accurate, add this Nikon scope I'll mount it now and give my longtime customers a price break.

Four of my first five shots at 25 yards were a ragged hole and the fifth was just out. It became Miss Ts "defend the coop" sniper rifle.

[The Happy Kaboomer]

These 3 cover all the bases. Win 9422--Marlin 1897T--Browning BL-22 grade 2.

[North Country Gal]

Some great 22s, folks.

Love those old Marlins, Vaquero. Not sure if I've ever seen an 89c. Been keeping an eye out for a 25N. Great old bolt gun.

Marine, you can never go wrong with a CZ.

Kaboomer, those are some of my favorites, too.

[HenryFan]

CZ 452 American, blue steel finish with walnut stock, and a Leupold 4X fixed power scope.

I have others I would not part with including but not limited to a CZ 512 (incredibly accurate semi-auto rifle), a Ruger 10/22 International, a Ruger 10/22 Sporter and a Ruger 77/22 International in .22 WMR. The last three are blue steel with walnut stock rifles, you can see my preferences.

I have found that if I sell or trade something, I usually want it back.

[Vaquero]

Some great 22s, folks.

Love those old Marlins, Vaquero. Not sure if I've ever seen an 89c. Been keeping an eye out for a 25N. Great old bolt gun.

Marine, you can never go wrong with a CZ.

Kaboomer, those are some of my favorites, too.

Thanks NCG, I'd never heard of or seen one before that day. When working out of town I look for gun and pawn shops, and we'll visit them during a lunch break or on the way home. That particular day, we were bs'ing with the owner and I told him I liked Marlins, and he said I have one here in the back that I've been thinking about taking home myself. He went and got it and after looking it over I asked what he'd take for it. Best I remember it was like$125 otd because of the missing mag. I said sold. It shoots the CCI sv ammo quite well.

As to the 25N, it really shines with the reg. CCI stuff. I also have it's twin a 25NM which is the 22 mag version, both born in 1995, but not close in production and pretty accurate in it's on right.


RP

[Vaquero]

The 25N & 25NM, with the pair of single-sixes.

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RP

[North Country Gal]

Thanks for sharing. I gotta find one of those Marlin 25Ns. I've heard so much about them over the years.

[BigAl52]

I know one thing about CZ you can pretty well bet that if you are buying one it will be right from the start. Im not so sure anymore about some of the other gun mfgs.

[daytime dave]

For me, it has to be my Browning T-bolt. It had been delivered to my favorite gun shop less than a half an hour before I walked in. They said it was on order for almost 2 years. I liked it and bought a nice scope. Once I got it home and sighted in, it is a winner. If I do my part, at 50 yds with bulk ammunition, the group will be touching each other. I haven't tried with good ammunition.

[JEBar]

for me, the choice is simple .... the best is a late 1930's vintage Remington Model 12 pump 22LR/L/S .... it belonged to my grandfather and is the most accurate 22 I've ever fired .... decades ago (and yes I have multiple witnesses) I hit a quarter at 100 yards .... No, I couldn't see a quarter at that distance back then and I still can't ... the shiny new quarter was placed in a red clay bank and the sun's reflection could be seen .. ... it ain't particular about what you feed it but really likes CCI Mini Mags

[North Country Gal]

Dave I'm also a fan of T bolts. I've had two of the new ones with the rotary mag. Loved that t-bolt action and accuracy. Working that action was a blast.

With my old arthritic hands, though, I fumbled with that rotary mag design. Having to hold that wheel while loading when I was having a bad day with my hands was just too much. The old Ruger 10/22 rotary mag I could do, though, because there was no wheel to hold while loading. Yeah, really a minor thing, overall, but sometimes it is the little things.

Then I found an original Belgium T2. Problem solved. Just uses an old fashioned non-rotary mag.

By the way, if you ever decide to go with a replacement trigger, let me know before you buy aftermarket. I still have a Jard trigger for the new T bolts that I was using. It can be very tricky to get set right, but it will drop the pull weight down under 2 pounds.

[North Country Gal]

Al, your Remington reminds me of my 20s vintage Marlin 38 pump I rescued, but your Remington is much more famous, of course. I think it's a shame that so many shooters have missed out on these old 22 pump guns from Remington, Winchester, Savage and Marlin. They really do provide a unique 22 rifle shooting experience. Love my 22 lever rifles, but these old pumps are smoother and faster to shoot.

[North Country Gal]

Have to add some more.

When I was much younger, one of my favorite places to hunt fox squirrels was in the hills along the Platte river in eastern Nebraska. And those were hills. Lots of up and down walking, but some of those bur oak and walnut groves with a corn field here and there were great places to hunt. I usually carried a handgun to keep things light, but here's a rifle I wish I had, back then. Just couldn't squeeze one into the budget, though.



Yeah, it's a light, but very accurate Belgium Browning SA 22 auto wearing a small vintage Browning 4x scope made by Redfield. What a terrific little rifle this would have been to carry in those hills. I have a few of these, now. These little Brownings are in a class of their own.

[Luv the lever]

Buddy had a pump 22 I liked, wish I had it today. Fun as my 22revolver and 10/22 are the favorite would have to be the Golden Boy. I know, it’s gaudy and heavy with a slippery butt, it just rocks. It has a Skinner peep on it and I am crazy about keeping it clean, it comes to the range with a towel to set it on.