Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Lever action 22lr's. - Winchester 9422 vs Marlin 39A

6 to 4 Marlin

Let's see if the. votes shift again or if we have a winner...

I have several Marlins and they seem to be a little handier than the Winchesters. That being said the one I'm talking about is the Mountie. All of them shoot great. My Model 39 rifle is an older one made in the early 50's before microgroove came along. That Marlin came from the factory drilled and tapped on the barrel for a side mount. I know, people don't like that mounting system any more but it allows me to install a receiver sight and use it at the same time. It shoots better than I need most of the time and functions well. I kind of like the crunch crunch sound when you work the action, kind of like cocking an old model Ruger Blackhawk. My 1894 22 Magnum will shoot 1 inch groups with select ammo. Over the last few years my only problem is I haven't been able to select the ammo. That is looking up.

I have shot many of the Winchesters. They feel like a model 94 30/30 if that appeals to you, the Marlin 30/30's are more common around here and that has probably influenced me too. Never heard a complaint on a Winchester about function or accuracy and would buy one if they were priced close to the Marlins. Around there they aren't.

The Model 39 was a dream gun when I was growing up and the Winchesters were not even a gleam in an engineers eye. I add a bunch of points for nostalgia and go with the Marlins.

The Winchester is nice, I prefer the Marlin. And as someone posted, I was in the 39 Marlin business before Winchester came up with their gun.

This 39 has been a perpetual project gun since I was a teenager back in the '60's. I got a Fajen stock, fitted it, then checkered it. IIRC, the factory forearm was better wood than the factory stock, so it matched pretty well with the Fajen wood. This gun was at one time set up with scout scope mount, then tang sight for CAS (thus leather wrapped lever), now wearing a VX-2 3-9x40 CDS. Years ago, I did a trigger job, drilled and tapped a set screw ahead of the trigger which functions as a trigger stop. I smoothed the trigger, didn't like the sharp edged, honed the sear until it feels more like an Anschutz than the typical 39 Marlin. Notice how the bases are set up, one on the receiver, one on the barrel.

Like most Marlins, it's very accurate. Years back, I bought a Volquartsen .22 Short 10-22. It had an aluminum bolt, modified mag, SS bull barrel chambered and twisted for the Short. It shot well, but this 39 Marlin grouped the same .22 Short ammo tighter than the Volquartsen. Now, that really made me mad. I sold the Volquartsen barrel, aluminum bolt, modified mag, bought a Green Mountain .22 LR barrel, a steel factory bolt, turned that .22 Short Volquartsen into a .22 LR. My son still has that rifle.

I'm going to get ballistic tape for the Federal Game Shok 38 gr. HP, about my favofite .22 LR hunting round. I'm going to zero at 50 yds, run the tape in 25 yd. increments as far as one turn of the CDS will allow. It should be fun plinking at 200+ yds. This set up should be great for squirrels, will get a chance at them this Fall.

DF

Model 39 IMV is the clear winner, I've had both. The 94/22 is a really nice rifle. These 2 stand way above anything else in a lever.....

I like the looks of the 9422's w straight stock.
Hate their sights though.
Scoped IMHO they look horrible.

Winchester wins in stock form, looks wise.

But if going optics, then a 39 wins...........and preferably a 39M.

Tough choice but slight nod to the Winchester today based on trigger and appearance. My answer may be different tomorrow. My 9422 is a magnum but have shot the LR version as well and they are just slick little guns. I really like my 39A as well and I have had great accuracy out of every one I have tried.

I've had three 9422M over the yrs. 75 yards and in, iron sights.........fun rigs on chucks.
Never thrilled with the iron sights but usable, with younger eyes.
Pops has a mag and reg still.

The ol'lady wants a 39M. I had one yrs ago and let it go...............she was rather grumpy about that.

Eh, I'm not really a lever gun guy.
Maybe a Savage 99F some day.

If I could get any .22 mag............... an H&K300.

Hunting buddy got his dad's 39A. Wears a Burris 2-7X. Has not experimented enough to find an ammo it really likes.
Upset him I think, my 1022 standard (1967) w Volq hammer...............outshooting it.

His 39A doesn't shoot anything horrible, seems to shoot OK with a variety...........but has yet to find what really lays em in there.

Marlin fur me.......this pic is my '54 if I recall........

Take down is easy.......cleaning is a snap........

Got into the '39s kinda late.......but along with this '54..

have a '66...'70 CL...'78....& '81...all 20" Mounties..

great little rifles......just sold a 94-22M.....

I think the 39 looks better than the 9422, I have not owned a Winchester but shot my great grandfather's quite a bit, it was accurate. I bought a 39A new and sold it to fund a 52B, but bought a 39M to replace the 39A, I can't see how to improve on a Mountie.

I bought and sold an 1894M for a 400 profit, dumba$$ mistake now that I want one.

Both the Winchester 9422 and Marlin 39 are nice rifles and I could be happy with either. But the Marlin 39D is my 22 LR of choice and has been years.

This one has really grown on me...



I switched the original wood off from the more used LR to this Mag version..



.. then it was stolen.

Hey, don't you know you're supposed to keep those Winchesters looking pretty? You're not supposed to actually use one hard...

I think it's pretty, and that ain't "hard". 😁

Klikitarik, I have a few safe queens and a few that have "character". That Winchester looks pretty to me too.

Winchester m94/22 - proven "Alaska Tough"..

But unfortunately ,not theft proof..:(

But unfortunately ,not theft proof...(

That absolutely sucks