If You Could Invent The "Perfect" .22 Lever-Action Rifle?

[Fiddler]

Most of us consider the Marlin 39A as "perfect". I bought mine in 1978 and had a gunsmith modify the trigger a year later, lowering the trigger-pull to almost a "hair-trigger" status, and I feel this rifle is "almost" perfect.
Still, there are still a few features I'd like to change to make this rifle the "perfect" lever-action .22.
First, the add-on aluminum scope base held in place by two tiny screws needs to be re-engineered. That thing is just an afterthought. I'd rather see the scope rings fastened right into the top of the receiver.
Secondly, I'd like to see a buttstock-fed tubular magazine and a bottom ejection system, just like the Browning .22 Auto system. I'd like to see nothing hanging beneath the barrel.
For those of you who insist on open sights, how about a peep sight system of some sort? I can't understand how buckhorn sights have survived into the 21st Century in the first place.
Although I'm thrilled with the stoning job my gunsmith did in 1979, what would it hurt to have an adjustable trigger on today's production rifles, other than taking the bread off the tables of trial lawyers?
Do all .22 lever-actions need a barrel-band? Why can't a .22 lever-action be engineered as well as a bolt-action?
The Savage 99, Winchester 88, and the Browning BLR made great strides in modernizing lever-action centerfire capabilities.
Was the oldtime Marlin Levermatic as close as we'll ever come to perfecting a state of the art .22 lever-action rifle?

[Terry Murbach]

DO NOT lose sight of the fact that most Americans want to buy a 22 rifle for 100 bux period. It is nothing but a toy to most who just want a "22RIFLE".
What you are asking for has already been done well over 100 years ago and was never put into production for all the reasons stated above and several more besides.
NOW....if you are really serious about this, you offer to buy the first 5000 rifles out the door and we might be in business.

[adirondakjack]

DO NOT lose sight of the fact that most Americans want to buy a 22 rifle for 100 bux period. It is nothing but a toy to most who just want a "22RIFLE".
What you are asking for has already been done well over 100 years ago and was never put into production for all the reasons stated above and several more besides.
NOW....if you are really serious about this, you offer to buy the first 5000 rifles out the door and we might be in business.

Terry's got it. take the 10-22, arguably the best "basis" .22 out there. The basic autoloader is pushing $200 last time I checked, and isn't a "real" rifle until ya get $400-$500 in it. (I got close to $500 plus labor in my .5 moa 10-22)

Take that $200 semi, add the cost of a more complex action, add the other doo dads that make em a great rifle, yer into some pretty serious bread....

[AJMD429]

I hate to spoil things by not suggesting a refinement of the Winchester or Marlin, but MY idea of the perfect .22 LR levergun would be simply the Ruger 96/22 with a better stock, and no 'barrel band'.



It is pretty accurate, and with the easily-swappable barrels, a 'bull' barrel could be put on in a few minutes without any tool but an Allen wrench. The magazine has cast-steel feed lips, so is indestructible, and since it is a detachable magazine, the gun can go from 'full' to 'empty' in a second, with no doubt as to whether one is lingering in the tube, and likewise is instantly loadable with from 10 to 50 rounds, depending on your needs. You can have a loaded magazine of .22 LR Stingers for hunting in the magazine, but slip in a magazine of cheap 'plinking' ammo if the groundhogs aren't coming out to play. Scopes mount easily, as do a variety of 'peep' and open sights, or red-dots, etc.

Disadvantages? It doesn't "look" like a Winchester. Yup. Looks more like the Marlin Model 56 .22LR's, or the Marlin Model 62's did, which everyone seemed to think were pretty cool.

[pokey]

ha!

opinions!

that's what makes horse races, though.

here is my perfect 22, some of you may recognize it.

9422m.JPG

[jdad]

My turn!

The perfect 22 levergun.....Marlin Model 1892

[nemhed]

jdad, I think you've won, that is awfully nice. I own a 39a and will never part with it before I've shuffled off this mortal coil, but I think my favorite rimfire currently made is the Browning T-Bolt. Alas I need a $600 dollar .22 like I need another hole in my already porous head.

[Hobie]

If it isn't a .39A Mountie with a Williams Foolproof...

[Terry Murbach]

If it isn't a .39A Mountie with a Williams Foolproof...

I JUST PUT NEW WILLIAMS FP APERTURE SIGHTS ON MY MARLIN 39CL JUST YESTERDAY. THE FRONT SIGHT WILL BE TALL ENOUGH AND THE OPEN SIGHT IS GONE, REPLACED WITH A DOVETAIL BLANK FROM LYMAN. OH MY, IT LOOKS SO GOOD I FAIRLY SWOONED !!
YOU KNOW WHAT THOUGH ?? AFTER PUTTING ON THE WILLIAMS RECEIVER SIGHT I WAS REMINDED AGAIN AS TO WHY I MUCH PREFER THE LYMAN RECEIVER SIGHTS !!!! THE WILLIAMS ARE A P.I.T.A.!!! HOW I ALWAYS END UP WITH WILLIAMS APERTURE SIGHTS WHEN I DO NOT REALLY LIKE THE DAMMED THINGS BEFUDDLES ME. HEY, LIFE AIN'T EASY FOR THE DRAIN BAMAGED, GUYS.

[ceb]

Mr. Murbach, I'd love to see a picture of that rifle.

[jdad]

Sorry Terry, I wish I would have known about 4 days ago. I just sold my last 66MC. I do have a Redfield 102, but it's not as pretty and not click adjustable.

[barbarossa]

I d like to see a scaled down version of a Henry rifle(original Henry rifle).While not perfect it sure would be neat.

[Lastmohecken]

Well, a 39 Mountie is just pretty hard to beat, and that 1892 belonging to JDad is about as nice as it gets.

At anyrate, for me, a leveraction .22 has got to have a few of the following:

Blue steel and walnut construction
An external hammer
Tube magazine, although I would consider a flush mounted Ruger rotary mag as an alternative, but you can't keep the rifle nearly as slim as a tube affords.
Good iron sights, with the option of scope mounting, if you want.
Good Trigger
No extra safetys, and no crossbolt saftys of anykind.
No plastic parts, to speak of.

However, there will never be one perfect leveraction .22, because some people like a heavy .22 (39A), others a feather (Browning BL22), and some inbetween, such as the 39 Mountie, Winchester 94/22. I like all of them for the same reasons, and the uses they excel at.

[Palmtreee]

I vote for a stainless Marlin 39TDS with DRC peep sights and no cross bolt safety.
Sweetness.

[Streetstar]

I agree with the Doc , (AJMD429) --- likely the 96/22 is close to your criteria === I would say its a pity more people havent bought them, but i dont have one in the safe either.

[Blaine]

A 9422 with a really good trigger from the factory would be nearly perfect. I love my two 39s, but they are no where near as smooth as a 9422.

[rjohns94]

Two different looks but I can't determine which I like best:

My Winchester 9422 Classic with pistol grip and 22inch barrel or my Marlin TDS with 16" barrel.

Though JDAD has me thinking he has a very good candidate. I like to use cci mini mags for hunting and the older Marlins were not for the HP .22LR rounds. I find that a problem. Fix that and I would shift to them.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

What you are asking for has already been done well over 100 years ago and was never put into production for all the reasons stated above and several more besides.

What rifle design is Terry referring to that was never put into production? Was there something specific?

[Terry Murbach]

What you are asking for has already been done well over 100 years ago and was never put into production for all the reasons stated above and several more besides.

What rifle design is Terry referring to that was never put into production? Was there something specific?

OVER IN THE CODY MUSEUM, DOWN IN THE BASEMENT, I SAW A 22 LEVER ACTION FROM W-W THAT HAD TO BE NEARLY 1/3 TO 1/2 SMALLER IN IT'S EXTERNAL ACTION DIMENSIONS THAN THE MARLIN 39 GUNS. IT WAS SO SLENDER, SO SLEEK, I STOOD THERE FOR 20 MINUTES JUST GAWKING AT IT. IT WAS IN THE WHITE AND I ALSO HAD DELUSIONS OF IT BEING STAINLESS STEEL TO BOOT. THE SLENDERNESS OF THE BARREL ITSELF WAS BREATHTAKING !!! OH LORDY, WHAT A FINE LOOKING 22 LEVERGUN ITWAS/IS, AS THE CASE MIGHT BE.

[Mokwaw]

39 Mountie does it for me. I might try one them 96/22 if I run across a good deal. My .22's get shot the most, so I'm always looking for another one.

[J Miller]

Perfection is like beauty; in the eyes of the beholder.

My perfect lever action .22 Rifle has already been made, sold by the gazillions and sadly discontinued.

My perfect "Perfect" .22 Lever-Action Rifle is the Winchester 94-22. I bought mine 12-8-77 and paid $156.35 for it. I wasn't looking for a cheap .22 rifle, I wanted a really good one that would last me for ever. I got it. It's suited me so perfectly I've never bothered to look at another one.

Joe

[TCB in TN]

I have had the BL22 and the 9422, and shot the Ruger, and think all are great guns, but for me you just can't beat a good 39A mountie. Now don't get me wrong there are things that I would like to change (Stainless, 16 1/2 laminated stock, and back in production) but I still think it is the closest thing on this earth to the perfect .22 lever gun.

[Buck Elliott]

There ya go, Fiddler ---

There's a sheet of plain, white paper in front of you. Now pick up your pencil.

[Buck Elliott]

For me -- the "perfect" .22 levergun would be the "92-22" design I've been working on...

You'll have to use your imagination for now...

[w30wcf]

Fiddler,
At least, for me, I found my perfect .22. It is a 39A made in 1948 with a Leupold 1 piece mount fastened directly to the barrel.
Sighting systems-
1.) Vintage 4X Weaver 1947 series (pictured)
2.) Vintage 8X Weaver with dual crosshairs (nice for distance shooting)
3.) Tang sight for NRA Cowboy Silhouette competition

The scopes can be removed / exchanged / placed very easily. Only takes about 1 minute since all I have to do is remove the right rear screw, then twist the scope out of the forward mount. When placed back into the mount the scope(s) return to zero. Here's the rifle with some vintage .22 ammo




w30wcf