Yesteryears .22 Rifles

[joatmon]

I love the looks and feel of the older target grade .22's but the availability and cash never seemed to get together till today! Got a real nice 1952 born Winchester mod 75 Redfeild peep, tapped for the wide spaced target blocks.
Wish the camera worked! Haven't shot it yet but that will come tomorrow.
Which oldie's do you like to shoot?
Thanks Aaron

[Bret4207]

I have a Winchester 52 with Lyman Junior Targetspot I should be spending more time with. I paid $5.00 for the rifle, long story with a happy ending. The scope was a another far more expensive story. I also have 2 Remington 511's and a Winchester 63 copy, a Stevens Favorite and a few others.

[Shooter]

I still have the .22 Remington rolling block that dad started me shooting in the 1950's.
I have a Stevens Favorite I am fond of too.

[oldhickory]

My brother has a small collection of Winchester Model 52 target rifles. Any one of them is much too heavy to walk very far with, although built like a Swiss bank vault and amazingly accurate.

I'm content with my Winchester M69A target model, a full size .22 rifle with Redfield target sights, but a standard weight barrel, light enough to carry for hunting if I so desire. I had a Winchester M75 target model and a Remington 513 "Heavy" at one time, never target shot much though. I used them with sub-sonic ammo and a 16X Unertl scope to thin the vast flocks of starlings that seem to gather around this time of year. Head shots from 50-125yds. was the norm with the Remington.

The Winchester M52 and the Remington M37s were the top shelf .22 target rifles of their day, and built to last for generations.

[NoZombies]

I've got an old mossberg model 35 that shoots amazingly well, it predates the mossberg 40 and mine has a multi-diopoter rear sight. I need to find the appropriate globe front for it, and maybe a mossberg model 6 scope to fit in the mount it's got....

I think they only made the model 35 for 2 or 3 years, and it's not much good for anything but punching holes in paper, but it does that really really well.

[BarryinIN]

I have a Win 52 Sporter that I shoot fairly often just because I like being around neat old rifles like it. Lucky for me a previous owner drillled the receiver for a scope mount so I could afford it.
I had a Cooper 36 when I got the 52. They shot about the same, so it was no contest which got to stay.

I also have a Win 75 Target. I'd rather shoot it than my Anscutz 54.

And while I have newer designs, I'd rather shoot one of my takedown Browning 22 autos. That takedown semiauto is one of my favorite designs.

[Combat Diver]

Love my MAS 45, Mauser 98 training rifle. Full size built post war on pre war German equipment in France.

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/MAS45_1.JPG

[atr]

a High Standard "sport king" semi-auto,,,,,and a Mossburg 35 target.....and finally my first rifle a J.C. Higgans single shot...

[SierraWhiskeyMC]

Dad started me off when I was 5 y.o. with a Remington 514 single-shot that he installed micrometer sights on; he sawed 2" off the butt and made a nice aluminum buttplate for it.

Later, he found a good deal on a Remington 513T Matchmaster for me that already had Redfield micrometer rear sights, and a hooded Lyman front sight with removable inserts. I still have that rifle. It shoots better than I can.

Passed the 514 rifle on to my cousin's eldest son when he got old enough to start shooting.

[NickSS]

I have an old Montgomery Wards single shot that was originally made in the 30s by Marlin. I have put many thousands of rounds through that old rifle and it still shoots as good or better than some much newer rifles I own.

[Trey45]

Mossberg M44 US Trainer.
Mossberg 46B(b)
Both rifles are more accurate than I am.

[Rockydog]

I have a Mossberg 146 B with the rear reciever peep sight, the barrel mounted 3 position sight and the front 4 leaf sight (it has a thick post, thin post, bead, and front peep) It's very accurate and has a trigger that breaks like a glass rod. I also have a Savage NRA 19 that wears a 6-24 X50 cheapy BSA scope. I bought it as a package at a gun show. It shoots better than I can hold it. My best 25 yd target so far is 241 14X. The only problem is that it loves expensive Eley Ammo. I've had some luck with Wolf Target and when PMC made 22 target ammo that worked fairly well too. The current Federal, not so much. RD

[NoDakJak]

My premier rifle is a Model 52a Winchester with the light target barrel and scoped with a ten power Unertyl. It is pretty much reserved for when I go back to visit my sister in Iowa. They make their living with truck farming and are totally over run with sparrows, pigeons, Cottontails and worst of all squirrels. The eaves of their house had several holes chewed by these varmints. I shot nine off the roof the first two days and didn't make much of a dent in the population. The Cottontails really raise havoc with their crops. The largest Woodchuck that I have ever shot was in their garden. The range was about 75 yards and the chuck was heart shot with a Marlin bolt action chambered to 22 RFM. Instant kill.
I really love my Marlin Model 39 that was manufactured in 1955. I have a Williams peep mounted on it right now. On those dark dreary winter days my rather elderly eyes just can't seperate the cottontails from their surroundings so I may have to replace the peep with a scope. For the last several years my favorite rabbit gun has been a bull barreled Ballard topped with a Weaver K4. I sold it about a year ago and it is being used quite successfully in competition throughout this area. For many years my favorite rabbit gun was a BSA Martini that had a BSA peep sight. Unfortunately I can no longer see the sights on dim days so will switch to a Sportco Martini. This rifle is from Australia and consists of the Martini Cadet that has been modified and rebarreled to 22 Long Rifle. Unfortunately it has a scrawny little barrel but came equipped with a "Field" brand, side mounted scope. It should suffice for shots within fifty yards.
My favorite has been the Remington 241. When John Browning invented this design he sold manfacturing rights to both Remington in this country and to FN in Belguim. The FN morphed into the little Browning automatic rifle that most people are acquainted with today. My rifle was sold when I was injured and I am now looking for another one.
My latest purchase is a Savage Model 23. I haven't fired it yet but have high hopes. After all, my favorite small game rifle is another Model 23 chambered to 25-20. Neil

[oldhickory]

The other day I shot my old Mossberg 42B, (barn rifle). It looks terrible, but still shoots one-hole at 25yds. It's dispatched more coons, rats, squirrles, bunnys, hogs, and feral cats than all the other .22s I've ever owned. I need to clean that thing up a little...

[Hardcast416taylor]

I learned on a Stevens Crackshot. Then we moved up to a Rem. 550 - 1 on the farm. I had a nice Win. 75 but let it go when I downsized the gunsafe, wish I had kept it now.Robert

[codgerville@zianet.com]

Have a Winchester 61 that still shoots very well, a #6 Remington rolling block that I relined, and a Crackshot I rebuilt. They are more accurate than I would have thought, and fun to shoot.

[Doc Highwall]

Here is a picture of my Winchester 52C with iron sights and I have both a Lyman Super Targetspot and Unertl and my 1885 Lowwalls in 22 Lr.

[Shooter6br]

How aboit a Rem 514 i got with green stamps at age 12 Now 54. Still use it

[Reverend Recoil]

I picked up a Kimber 82 Government from the CMP Store while at Camp Perry this year. It was $400 with sights and shoots great.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
+1 on the Rem 514... that is the one I got started with. Mine went to the bottom of the Paw Paw River in 1966. Stiil have the "Favorite". Many little fellers have shot that one..

[southpaw]

Dad has a win 69a that I really like. His brother got it to thin out some of the stray cats on the farm. Not really sure how accurate it is since I haven't really shot many groups with it other than to make sure it is sighted in but there are many many tree rats that will atest that it is accurate enough. Dad is a pretty good shot with it too, not a beer can safe within 100 yards of him.

I doubt that it will be mine tho since my soon to be 4 year old has taken a fond liking to it. Hopefully he will let me shoot it.

Jerry Jr.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Moss 42b with Lyman peep and globe front site.
Jon

[gmsharps]

Started out with a Winchester 62a and put many a 22 shell through it. Picked up a Model 52 heavy barrel as a teenager and carried it a lot prior to going in the military. Good training to prepare for carrying the M14. I picked up a Winchester 9422 the first year they came out and it shoots pretty well. Still grab the 62a if I have to do much walking though.

[txbirdman]

My son is a collector of .22's. He has all the old Winchester pumps starting with the 1890 up through the 61's. He also has an 03 and 63. Awhile back a friend of mine offered to sell his old Remington Model 12 so I picked it up for his collection also. I figure every Winchester collector ought to have at least 1 Remington. The way that Model 12 functions is really unique and well ahead of it's time in my opinion. I have always been partial to Winchester 74's. The one I have now is a nice specimen from the early production "small feed hole" era.

[RP]

I love the old 22s I try to pick them up when ever I can just cant find the nice ones I would be willing to pay as much as they are asking yet.

[TCFAN]

This is my favorite old 22. A model 62 winchester made in 1937.Given to me by a good friend 30 yrs ago who bought it new. It has a old Lyman tang sight and I put a lyman 17-A on the front. It is a good shooter

http://i755.photobucket.com/albums/xx200/TCintheOzarks/Cast%20Boolits/DSCN8137-model-62-1.jpg

[10 ga]

Being from a shotgun sorta family didn't have any rifles in the house except great grandads 73 win in 38-70. I was the first to bring a rifle home. Remington 581, sorta a mini 788. Took the "22" scope off and put a full size 1" tube 4X on it when I got it in "68" and it still shoots clover leafs today. Next was a black nylon 66, it was my trapline gun and I still carry it in the truck and boat even now. No sights left on it but she still dispatches critters with the best of them. Wish I had a complete collection of them "Nylon" guns. The different colors and types, it'd be a neat display. 10

[abunaitoo]

I just got a H&R "Leatherneck", finally.
Been looking for years.
I was looking for a Mod 165, but got this Mod 150 insted.

Have a love of old .22's.
A few of those I have:
Win 63
Win 61
Rem 513 US
Moss 44 US
MAS
and a bunch of others.

[Dollar Bill]

I've had a Mossberg 341 for........ever, it seems. 35 years, probably.
Then, this year, my youngest daughter wanted to go shooting. So I drug the old Mossy out, cleaned it up, worked on the trigger and got the pull weight down to reasonable 3#, and off we went. Had so much fun, I got a CZ 452 Varmint. Next came a Winchester 52C Heavy with Redfield sights and a Lyman STS. Right now, I'm trying to win a bid on a Mossberg 144LS.

I think some kind of bug has bit me.:grin:

[Char-Gar]

A Winchester 75 like your got me into four postion rifle shooting in 1955. I was 13 years old. A few years later as my skills increased I went to a Winchester 52D Bull Gun to stay in the hunt with the rest of the shooters. Alas, both are now long gone.

About three years ago I picked up a Mossberg 146B at a pawn shop for $80.00. It has the nice peep and multi-front sight. The trigger pull leaves a little to be desired, but I adjusted it down to a decent level. That rifle will shoot with the best of them.

There are some very good old rifles gathering dust on the gunshop racks, because folks have no idea what they are.

[Frank46]

I'm looking for either a good scope reccomendation 4x or a good red dot site for my ruger #3. So if anyone has been down this road I'd br glad to hear from you. This will not be used for hunting. Mostly paper punching. Thanks, Frank

[WILCO]

There are some very good old rifles gathering dust on the gunshop racks, because folks have no idea what they are.

Indeed. I've often looked through the old gun books and wondered where these old timers have gotten off to.

[smokinfeathers]

i swapped into 3 22's yesterday, 1 a smith ar15 22 , but the other 2 were older 1 a rem nylon 66 that shoots pretty good so far. But the best of the 3 is a painted up win 121 single shot with a weaver k4 on it. I went out back and put 50rds of rem gameload and anthor 50 of win cb long match and this is a great shooting little gun! I am also partial to my old marlin 39 as well.

[NoZombies]

I got the old Mossberg 35 out shooting today. I've really got to get a better front sight, but for now, I suppose it'll do.

The target was shot at 50 yds. 5 rounds of federal auto-match ammo (cheap and consistent, who can ask for more from plinking ammo?) This is my 3rd most accurate .22 rifle.

My eyes are getting older, and I can't see the sights as well as I could when I was 15, but the peep sure is better than a notch sight.

I've got more .22's than I could name, and I love 'em all... well, almost all of 'em.

http://nozombies.com/cast/moss-targ.jpg

[gnoahhh]

My all time favorite is my M1922M2 Springfield, followed closely by an early Winchester M52A (which was the first rifle I bought with my own money- $35) and a BSA Martini 12/15 that I restocked. All of them shoot far better than I can.

Other more pedestrian .22's I have include a Marlin 81DL that my Dad won buy selling greeting cards and salve door-to-door soon after the war. Then there's the Savage Model 4 with Tenite stock that Grampaw bought at a country auction for $2. A Remington 12C that I fed with ammo bought with the bounty my uncle paid me for shooting vermin around his farm and a New Haven (Mossberg) 250 autoloader that was my Christmas present in 1965.

A lot of other .22's have come and gone over the years but this group has been a constant. A couple were of the "kick me in the ass for getting rid of" category (a Marlin 39 , MAS 45, and a sweet little Low Wall come to mind) but we won't go there.

So many .22's, so little time!

[bob208]

still have my first rifle a remington 514 got my bsa marksmanship badge with it. i used it fore 40 years as my only .22 rifle. then i got a brno #1 and a year later a brno #4 used them both for .22 sil. matches.