A new to me, Ranger/Stevens 416 Heavy barrel .22

[koger]

I recently traded into a Ranger, R-22 Heavy barrel, sporter. I have never seen one of these before, in 45 years of gun trading, running a shop. It is a 416 Stevens sporter, but with a walnut stock, made similar to a 52 Win., with a wider forearm and handstop/sling swivel that the bolt threads into the bottom of the barrel. I have not put calipers on the barrel, but it is heavier than my model 12 Savage Varmint barrel .308. Wood is in great shape, original finish, so is bluing, soft deep dark bluing, looks like rust blue nearly. Stock is relieved for peep sights that are gone, and has a blade ft sight. Clip is easy to operate, and the barrel is in mint condition inside. The only patina is on the bolt handle. The base of the bolt handle is the locking lug, and it is massive, and shows no wear, period. It has a cheap set of scope rings with a BSA 8x32 Mildot, looks clear, clamped on the grooved receiver. Anyone else her ever run across one of these.

[30calflash]

I believe a friend of mine bought one from an older member at his club. It's got the ranger name on it and sounds similar to yours. He uses it for club benchrest matches, seems happy with it.

[Mk42gunner]

GPC says Ranger was a house brand for Sears Roebuck & Co.

I know I had a Ranger that was very similar to a Marlin Model 80, just a few slight differences that probably cost more to do than they saved.

With that said, some of those old Stevens rifles would put a new CNC made "match" rifle to shame. Particularly with ammo it likes.

Robert

[gnoahhh]

I've owned a couple over the years. Traded them off when tired of dealing with their sub-par sights (lots of backlash in the threads making repeatable adjustments an exercise in frustration). Shot ok, but not match winning accuracy. Solid rifles, but definitely second tier quality.

[Drm50]

Ranger was sears, just like JC Higgins or Ted Williams. Sears let out bids for guns. Many companies made guns for Sears. I never had the model OP mentioned but had tubular mag Ranger made by Stevens. Good solid gun every bit as good as Rem or Marlin bolt guns of the day. Having had several 22s with house target sights, none compared to Lyman or other sight companies. They didn’t cost near as much either.

[uscra112]

The barrels were considered to be excellent in their day. I've got a Model 44 that was retrofitted with a 416 barrel and stocked for prone shooting by somebody who knew what he was doing. I've never wrung it out, but it shot very well with iron sights and CCI SV the one time I had it on a bench.

[ebb]

I bought one in Jupiter Florida a few years ago. Mine is not in as nice a condition as yours. Some idiot tried to add weight to the butt stock and ruined the stock, I think they poured the lead into the wood while it was molten. I found a new stock at Numrich, and the magazine needs to be shimmed as it seems to pop out after a few shots and won't feed the 3 or 4 shots. I will eventually get it all worked out. It is quite accurate.

[koger]

Recently got to shoot the rifle. On a dead calm cool afternoon, I zeroed it and shot 5 into a ragged hole with some old Remington Target ammo and some old T-22. Both shoot nearly the same groups, at 25 yds. I went to 50 yds and it readily shot 1/2" or under groups. I then went to 100yds, and holding on a .270 hole from zeroing another rifle in the same outing, I procedded to shoot the best group I have ever shot at 100yds, with all 5 going into slightly under 3/4". I shot another one that was a dead even 3/4". I stopped at that, because I had never, had a stock factory rifle shoot that good, at 100yds. The drop was just under 10 inches from point of aim to impact.I have had a slew of Mossberg heavy barrels, Marlins, Rugers etc. I never could get under an inch, except this time. This one is a keeper.

[uscra112]

Congratulations!

[gbrown]

Look at this. https://forums.sassnet.com/index.php...ranger-rifles/ Might help. Sounds righteous, as Sears sold guns made by Marlin: Model 41 (I have one), High Standard 29, 30, 31, 50 and 51., as well as Winchester (don't have those model #s), but I have seen lever actions (Model 94) and shotguns.