Buying a .22

[juststarting]

So I am slowly caving to you jerks about this .22 fad, something about being un-Australian, nt to have one in the house...

Aaaaanyway, I've definitely decide on lever action with open sights. I am thinking Browning BL22 G1. Looked at it in a shop, shot it at the range, just seems like a nice little shooter. And wifey insisted that I need a b'day preset, so you know...

Any yes/no/alternatives, why/why not, etc?

[newsteadvic]

I would try and have a feel of the marlin 39A if you could. Horses for courses however I find the curved pistol grip of the Marlin so much more comfortable to hold. The takedown feature is nice and they are easy to put an aperture sight on (although the Browning prob is as well).

I recently shot a friends Henry (albeit in 22WMR, not 22LR) and was really impressed. Very smooth (smoother than my Marlin 39M), lovely trigger. Only downside is weight - they are very heavy.

[juststarting]

Newsteadvic - from everything I've read, the Marlin 39A model is like perfect .22... However, not as easy to find and price point is not something I want to pay, compared to Browning. Though that was something I did consider.

[Baronvonrort]

I would comment on this yet don't want to be called a Fudd, if you want a lever get one.

Makes sure it's .22lr

[Supaduke]

They don't make 39a's anymore so good luck finding one. As an alternative I can suggest a Henry Frontier. Also known as a H001T. It has a heavy hexagonal barrel, a little bit of gold (coloured) inlay and a brass front bead sight. Mine has functioned flawlessly for near enough to 5000 rounds. It has had zero malfunctions in that time, fed every round, ejected every case. But more expensive than the standard Henry but worth it. Cycles like butter and has a nice crisp trigger.

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Henry Frontier

And whichever lever action you get, make sure you get yourself a 15 round Spee-D-Loader

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Spee-D-Loader

[rsj223]

My old Winchester 250 leaver is my fave bunny gun

[Heckler303]

I would get that BL-22 if I were you. Played with one at the LGS and had a good feel of it, very nice rifle and very nice finish. It was brand new, so it had that feeling of 'New lever' where it hasn't been broken in yet. Even then it was smooth to operate. The 1100$ price tag was the only put-off.


Or you know, you could always go the cheap route and buy a Puma or a Brno. My puma has yet to fail me in the field, just the cheap nasty chinese scope.

[Wm.Traynor]

Lever guns are quirkier than bolt actions. Only the Marlin 39A is easy to clean but having said that I use a vice to clean mine anyway. After buying mine, I joined their forum only to be shocked by the horror stories from Unhappy owners
Never heard anything bad about Browning but they are harder to clean.
BTW, my 39A has never had anything wrong with it.

[alan j]

cz 452 the way to go. best .22 ive owned

[<<Genesis93>>]

Nothing to do with un-Australian....just odd to not have a rimfire or 3.
It IS however un-Aussie to not have at least one smelly,and a couple of double barrel shotties....in 12g.... thats all they come in.....

I looked as a Marlin 39 AS some years ago....I think its called 'Golden'... but the dealer wanted 6 hungie for so I told him to keep it.... ... theyre still made, not sure if theyre imported...

The Browning lever is a nice rimfire....the old pumps are also very nifty, occasionally a very good to excellent example comes onto the market...

[juststarting]

Thanks you, all. I just want something for random plinking fun. Lever is definitely my choice here. I've done some reading, some even without pictures! About Marlin and Browning. Most seem to consider Marlin the best lever action ever made. Seems like Browning is PITA to take down. Both seem to be excellent in the reliability department, both have this classic look that I like (did not like hammerless Winchester lever action, purely on looks). Based on the spec, BL is shorter, lighter and has short lever throw. For a fun plinking gun to take along as a complimentary - I am bored rifle, I think that's what I am going with.

Stay tuned, maybe pics this week May drop by Springvale range for few shots too, if I end up picking one up.

[Oldbloke]

I might be wrong here. But almost all levers are a PITA to dismantle and clean. On the postive side 22lr anly needs to be cleaned about every 2 or 3 thousand rounds.

[brett1868]

Bought my son a Henry lever cause he's a lefty and I didn't want to spend money on a LH bolt action. Great little rifle, accurate and smooth as silk action.

https://www.henryrifles.com/rifles/lever-action-22-rifle/

[knowsnothin]

another vote for cz 452. give a few more guns a try before you buy. or if you really want to show you hand get a brno model 1 (in good condition). cool.

[Heckler303]

another vote for cz 452. give a few more guns a try before you buy. or if you really want to show you hand get a brno model 1 (in good condition). cool.

If I ever got bored of my Norinco, I would probably get a CZ, because they're both one of the same. Brno's are a little hard to come by now and their Model 1 and 2 cost way too much tbh.


Then there is the Ruger American Rimfire and the Lithgow LA-101. If I had that kind of money to burn, I'd probably be leaning to the Lithgow. Australian made, well built, rugged, accurate, smooth, and sexy.

[Gamerancher]

Marlin 39a's are all "take-down" models. They have a large screw that goes through the middle of the action from the rhs. Undo that, a bit of a twist and you have the action/buttstock in one hand and the barrel/mag/fore-end in the other. They have been around for over a hundred years. ( from model 39 anyway ) They all have heavy "target" barrels and are renowned for their accuracy. Predominantly 24" barrel with pistol grip but there are "mountie" models with shorter barrels and straight stocks. (rarer)
Later models have a "rebound" hammer and can have misfire troubles. They also have a habit of problems with extraction. These are easily remedied by a competent gunsmith who knows exactly how to fix them, however, plenty have been ruined by "expert" amateurs. Pre-1980's are the better ones to get, more reliable and tend to give no trouble. They are sought after by competition shooters, they are the most popular .22 for Lever-action Silhouette, hence the prices asked.

[on_one_wheel]

If I ever got bored of my Norinco, I would probably get a CZ, because they're both one of the same. Brno's are a little hard to come by now and their Model 1 and 2 cost way too much tbh.

You can still find them at a good price if you hunt around.
I recon I paid only a little less than this almosr 20 years ago for mine.

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http://www.fisherfirearms.com.au/catego ... ecial-22lr

[juststarting]

Lever action!

[GLS_1956]

I have a Marlin 39A bought 1999/2000 damn fine rifle very accurate, great trigger. I put a Lyman receiver sight on it. Dad has a Browning BL-22, it is also a fine gun, he bought it when they first came out that was what the 1970s? So I've actually fire more rounds through the Browning than the Marlin.

Dad scoped his Browning so it is hard to say which gun is more accurate but both will take the squirrel, rabbit or rouge tin can. The Marlin is bigger, heavier, and holds more shots. The Browning's shorter dimensions and lighter weight makes it a faster gun to handle and the rack and pinion lever with its trigger staying with the lever makes it the next fastest thing to an auto loader you can get. I have a Browning BPR-22 and I can empty the BL-22 faster. That flick of the wrist is super quick.

You'd be happy with either, and the Marlin is still in production.

[Supaduke]

I know they stopped making 39a's for a while, apparently they were retooling the factory after some quality issues. Not sure if production has resumed.

[juststarting]

There are 39A's with safety and no safety. New ones - safety. Old ones - no safety.

[<<Genesis93>>]

I know they stopped making 39a's for a while, apparently they were retooling the factory after some quality issues. Not sure if production has resumed.

Marlin was effectively closed down about 10yrs ago....then production moved and recommenced by Remington at Remington sheltered workshops in different U.S. States... at that time the new / old Marlin thing cropped up.

I was in the market for a 45-70 lever at one time and I read about 1895s with pic rails that did not fit or where otherwise un-aligned with the barrel, I thought, OK, the exception......so me goes to the friendly local dealer and picks one up for a fondle.... who would have guessed - an unaligned pic rail, to add to the displeasure the dealer denied they had a good go at straightening the job out (obviously from the well screwed with screws on an otherwise new rifle)....

So, having said that - I'd jump at a very good - to unused 10+ year old example.... probably not a new one.

[GLS_1956]

I know they stopped making 39a's for a while, apparently they were retooling the factory after some quality issues. Not sure if production has resumed.

When Remington acquired Marlin the ended up closing the old plant and moving production to a new plant with new employees as well as machinery. Yes they did have quality control problems for awhile and Remington addressed that. The Model 39A is back in full production and the guns I've seen at LGS are fine looking examples.

[Supaduke]

39a's seem to be like unicorns in Australia. Never seen one on a shelf, and any on the used guns websites sell very quickly. If you do try to buy one online don't hang about.

Winchester 9422's are in a similar vein. Out of production, and used ones sell for stupid money very quickly.

Another , much more widely available option is a Norinco JW-21, a Winnie clone. All steel and very nice for the price. They are a little rough to begin with but once run in are a nice gun. And pretty cheap at around $500-$600

[Oldbloke]

Lever action!

Yep, just a lot smaller and on the side.

[Gamerancher]

New 39a's are available at your LGS @ nearly $1300. "Lawyer" models with cross-bolt safety and rebound hammer. While they may still be a good rifle, they 'aint as good as the older ones. Keep an eye out on the used market, anything under $900, grab it! An alternative would be the Miroku/Win9422 clone, can be had fairly cheap second hand and they are O.K especially if you are just after a "fun" gun.

[Gwion]

Finally decide to by a 22 because it's "unAustralian" not to have one; then you buy an American lever gun???

You're one strange cat.

It would be more Australian to have a bolt or pump action 22lr; mostly a bolt, though. I would put a bet that for every one 22 rifle of another action type in Australia there would be 10 bolt actions.

I'll sell you my Sportco, then you can really be getting a quintessential Aussie 22!!!

Hang on, no I won't. I'm keeping it.

[<<Genesis93>>]

Nothing as Aussie as the current Aussie 22... assembled from imported parts by a 457 visa workforce (*)

Be an Aussie and buy a rimfire made by a pioneering Australian.... Arthur Savage (Savage arms....)

(* possible spurious rumors, latter part anyway)

[Gamerancher]

Hands up who hasn't got, shot or at least once owned a Lithgow "Slazengers" single shot or repeater? If you're talking iconic Aussie .22's, I reckon they'd be up there wouldn't they?

[Gwion]

There are quite a few models and brands of classic old Aussie 22lr rifles.