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Thread: Finicky old semiauto .22 rifles

  1. #21
    Boolit Master
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    I have an old Hi-Standard Sport King 22 rifle in like new condition that I really like. The best part is that I found several Sears and J C Higgins in various states of repair. I cleaned them up and got them working, they are all the same rifle made by Hi-Standard. So I have plenty of rifles or parts depending on the situation.

    The first 22 auto I had was a Mossberg, A 350 something model I believe. It had a nice heavy walnut stock and loaded from the rear. Very accurate and reliable if kept clean and oiled. Dad talked me into trading for a Nylon 66, it was a very good rifle but I missed my Mossberg.

    I have had several Rem 550's, another fine rifle and I should have kept the last one. I guess hindsight is 20-20, we've all let things go we should have kept.

    Dave

  2. #22
    Boolit Grand Master
    Mk42gunner's Avatar
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    I'm .22 poor, I seem to accumulate them. I'll agree that CCI Mini-Mags are about the best bet that is readily available for decent functioning.

    Robert

  3. #23
    Boolit Master scattershot's Avatar
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    As others have stated, MiniMags are the gold standard now for non match ammo. There was a lot of junk turned out during the late unlamented regime and the ammo shortage therein. Now that the govenment is not so much of a problem, maybe quality control will return to the .22 ammo world. Until then, shoot MiniMags and be happy.
    "Experience is a series of non-fatal mistakes"


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  4. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Artful View Post
    Minimags seem to be the ultimate for most 22LR ...
    Minimags are the solution for old, worn springs that won't cycle right anymore. Remember that Minimags didn't exist in the 50's and 60's, and most of these old semi-autos specify "standard velocity" ammo, not hypervelocity fare. But as the guns wear, and the springs get weaker, they seem to work.

    Yea, I'm a big 22 collector. In the middle of refurbishing a Marlin 80DL, and just bought a vintage Remington 552 Speedmaster. Can't wait to get my hands on that.
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  5. #25
    Boolit Master Drm50's Avatar
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    The number 2 problem with semi auto 22s, is caused by number 1 the jam or failure to feed or
    extract. Doesn't matter what the cause was, but guys will use whatever they have at hand to pry
    on problem through ejection port. This can cause damage to feed mechanisms, extractors, ejectors
    ect. On tube feed models once the stamped parts are bent I have found it near impossible to bend
    them back. Most all troubles can be avoided by keeping gun clean. If you have to use a hotter 22
    cartridge to cycle your rifle it won't be because of weak spring. If gun is clean you have bent or
    burred part obstructing the recoil stroke in most cases.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master
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    I have a soft spot for old 22 rifles, mostly older Marlin 80, 81's, and all the variants. I can't seem to pas them up in gunshops, the model 60's are another that follow me home a lot. I've also found that the mini mags are the go to' for semi's, most bolt 22 don't care what goes in, they just plug along.

  7. #27
    Boolit Master
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    A very slightly jugged chamber can slow down extraction of standard velocity spent cases.
    Many older .22 RF barrels were made of steel a bit too soft for modern .22 RF high speed loads.
    This is a well recognized problem of the Winder Musket training rifle and brass lined Hamilton rifle barrels.

    Best .22 autoloader I've run across was the J C Higgins. My Brother had one that fed shorts, longs and long rifle without a stutter. Accurate as they come as well.
    If that's the problem there is little that can be done other than to sleeve the chamber.

  8. #28
    Boolit Grand Master popper's Avatar
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    I've seen the comment of using Stingers in Marlin and Glenfield .22 autoloaders Yea, if you want to break them. Few years back I was trying to fix a Marlin 60 that had Stingers run through it. Replaced buffer, spring, FP and tried to fill in a groove in the receiver. Still no go. Real problem - New ammo won't hardly chamber in 30 yr old gun. Evidently 30 yr old ammo was held to tighter tolerance. Oh, groove in receiver (perp. to barrel) was where the bolt rotated enough on recoil to dig that groove. Filled with JB & sanded down.
    Whatever!

  9. #29
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    I don't like minimags. So there

  10. #30
    Boolit Master
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    I have 3 Remington 552s. They have never had an issue or been finicky about ammo. They shoot anything, std vel, high vel, mini mag, shorts, longs, long rifles. Last one I got worked fine but felt "grungy". Tore it and apart and at least figured out why it felt grungy. It's my favorite for shooting silhouettes from 25-175yds. Bunch of other old .22s but the 552s are my favorite.

    Yes it ran fine..
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  11. #31
    Boolit Master kmw1954's Avatar
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    arlon I think grungy is being kind. Would hate to see what that sludge would turn into if it ever dried out.

  12. #32
    Boolit Master

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    I went "rat shooting" with some friends a few years back. They go out to the alfalfa fields in Eastern Oregon to set up and shoot sage rats. Sometimes there would be over a dozen people working a field, out there all day shooting thousands of rounds. They typically all had some variety of 10/22 with the long plastic magazines.

    It gets real dusty and windy there, and my gun started to jam up. My friends all kept telling me they had a fix for that. They'd pull out a can of WD40 and just soak down the inside of both the gun and magazine. That just seemed wrong to me, but while I was patiently cleaning my gun they just hosed theirs down and kept shooting, with WD40 dripping out and spattering on everything.

    As to Mini-Mags and good ammo; as much as I like Mini-Mags I went ahead and bought another brick of the Winchester M22. So far it's been working great in my old rifles. They gobble through it without a hitch.

  13. #33
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by arlon View Post
    I have 3 Remington 552s. They have never had an issue or been finicky about ammo. They shoot anything, std vel, high vel, mini mag, shorts, longs, long rifles. Last one I got worked fine but felt "grungy". Tore it and apart and at least figured out why it felt grungy. It's my favorite for shooting silhouettes from 25-175yds. Bunch of other old .22s but the 552s are my favorite.

    Yes it ran fine..
    this is what our 22s looked like after a summer of shooting. It was not hard for us to piss through 20k plus rounds between brother and friends... Thanks giving morning was clean the guns day. We dreaded the 22s always filthy

  14. #34
    Boolit Master
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    I've got one of the leathernecks as well, and when I got it, I needed to iron the chamber (most will know what a .22 chamber iron is, if not, Google will be enlightening) but once I did, the gun has run reliably on just about any of the cheap fare, and seems to love the fed automatch.
    Nozombies.com Practical Zombie Survival

    Collecting .32 molds. Please let me know if you have one you don't need, cause I might "need" it!

  15. #35
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Multigunner View Post
    A very slightly jugged chamber can slow down extraction of standard velocity spent cases.
    Many older .22 RF barrels were made of steel a bit too soft for modern .22 RF high speed loads.
    This is a well recognized problem of the Winder Musket training rifle and brass lined Hamilton rifle barrels.

    Best .22 autoloader I've run across was the J C Higgins. My Brother had one that fed shorts, longs and long rifle without a stutter. Accurate as they come as well.
    If that's the problem there is little that can be done other than to sleeve the chamber.
    I have a Mdl 31, it even feeds CCI quiet 22.

  16. #36
    Boolit Bub
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    I have a soft spot for 22 pumps

  17. #37
    Boolit Master kmw1954's Avatar
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    For me it's single shot bolts. That was my 1st!

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check