Redhill: I used to be a "big" collector of Winchester 22 rimfire Rifles.
I had a bunch of them but decided to trade them off for money and or pre-64 Model 70's. I did pretty well trading them off but could NOT bring myself to trade away all my Model 72's, 75's and 69's. I kept 3 of the Model 72's including a "Target Model" 72 (with peep/receiver sights).
The 72's indeed had (have) long barrels IIRC they are 25" long and meaty - not quite heavy barrels but meaty.
I have shot more Model 69's than Model 72's but have done quite a bit with each.
I never had any feeding problems with my various Model 72's - but I do not recall shooting any shorts or longs in any of them just the long rifles.
I hope you can remember what happeend to that Model 72 of yours and you retrieve it - or you find another Model 72 to replace it.
They are nifty and good shooting little Rifles.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
You are quite right about that barrel on the 72A. It seemed somewhat like a middleweight bull barrel with a taper and as you mentioned long too. I didn't realize it was at the 25" mark but it does make sense now.
I ran all the .22lr offerings through mine. From shorts to longs to long rifles. I remember as a wee lad buying a box of 22shorts for 55 cents a box and I would buy those when I didn't have the funds for the more expensive stuff. Later on as I got older I shot only long rifles through it when I put that Weaver scope on it to have to only allow for Kentucky windage on one type of ammo. I don't think I ever bought a carton of 500 rounds at a time as it just didn't seem to be the code of the West at the time and this was before most of the .22 autos worked consistently enough for the bargain buyer. It was before the 10/22 came out and that really changed things around.
These days I have a very good idea of how many rounds our 10/22's have put through them and having put around 6-7 of them together with bull barrels and Hogue stocks, it is surprising how our sons have burned through the ammo. We had 4 sons that all hunted and I would buy a case 5,000 rounds of 22 ammo in the spring and hope that it made it through the summer, usually it didn't. One 10/22 had almost 20,000 rounds through it and it is still going strong with one of our sons.
I don't know how many rounds I put through that 72A but I spent every available hour out in the field with it for at least 12-14 years. I could hit things with that shooter that were impressive but now remember those clear youthful teenage eyes. I remember that the safety on it kept coming out of function and I learned quickly how to adjust it back into place. I also refinished the stock twice and now would probably cry to see how lousy my handiwork on it would be.
The chances of ever getting it back are fleeting and I can't remember even when I sold it. Probably when I got a FFL and was wheeling and dealing firearms like a big shot. If I found one today I don't think I would buy it. It most likely wouldn't match up and I certainly don't match up to yesteryear and it could be a disappointment. Those pleasant memories of fantastic days afield are probably better keep in the recesses of my memory and each time I recall them.....the distances seem longer and the misses fewer.