This morning I went looking for some .22WMR to feed my Single Six and I ran across what I think is the same very nice un-checkered 9422 XTR, given the rather distinctive wood in the fore end. It had just come in to the gun shop a couple days before and looking at it up close it was obvious it was in excellent condition with no marks, dings or imperfections in the metal other than the imprint of a screw from a hammer extension - which is consistent with the 9422 I saw last week - and only a couple very small and light marks in the stock.
I negotiated $625 and took it home. In other words I got 100 rounds of .22WMR for my Single Six for only $665!
A closer inspection at home revealed that while it's been fired, it has not been fired much - maybe 200 rounds total. The serial number suggests 1978 as the year of manufacture, so it's spent a lot of time as a safe queen with virtually no use.
I took it out to the range this afternoon with my other 9422 and my Single Six (and of course forgot the .22WMR cylinder for my Single Six at home) and shot it initially with a Leupold 2-7x33.
I've never been a fan of scopes on a 9422, but I thought I'd see how it shot with a scope. It shot well at 100 yards, printing 5 round groups around 2" with SK Magazine and around 3" with Winchester T-22.
At 50 yards it shot less well, mainly due to parallax issues. The stock is not well designed for optimum eye placement with a scope, and the short receiver leaves the scope a bit farther aft than I'd like again affecting eye placement and hold on the rifle.
And of course the superb lines, handling and balance of the 9422 was upset by the bulk and weight of the scope.
After confirming why I've never been a fan of scopes on a 9422, I removed the scope and proceeded to sit down and zero it with the iron sights. At age 48 and with a need for progressive reading glasses, the front sight is on the inner edge of where I can focus in good light, but it still turned in very credible groups in the 3/4" range at 50 yards with SK Magazine and about 1" with Winchester T-22.
I drift adjusted the rear sight for windage and regulated the rear sight to shoot point of aim on the first step of the rear sight elevator. I then started shooting 5" plates at 50 yards for a couple tubes worth of ammo. After that I moved the sight up to the next step and started shooting another 5" plate set at 100 yards, and found it also shot to point of aim at that distance on the second step. Very handy....
I really like the Marbles tang sight on my 9422 Trapper, so the odds are good that I may order another one for this 9422 and drill and tap the tang for it. It would make a superb rifle for cowboy rimfire silhouette.
In any event, I need to stop going to gun shops and my newest 9422 now has a total of about 400 rounds through it.
