Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Old Mossbergs

I love the old Mossberg rimfire rifles. I have my Dad's old 146B that he took on the bus to hunt the LA River prior to WWII, and I just bought a 46M. These are full-sized rifles with good walnut stocks and are usually tackdrivers. My Dad used to shoot lizards in the head with that 146B's peep sight just to show off while w were rabbot hunting.

Dad's old Mossberg

Solid old guns that you don’t see much around anymore. I have a few from that era. A single shot 22lr that has a mossberg peep. A 51M semiauto that has a 2 piece mannlicher style stock. And a clip fed 22 mag. All shoot very well. Have barrels long enough that it quiets down the reports and all of them have the funky plastic finger groove grip thing attached to the trigger guard. While not as in demand as the high end Remington, Winchester, and anshutz guns I’m betting a lot of them got used as they were intended, in the woods.

My older brother had (maybe he still has it) a 640K Chuckster, which was the .22 magnum, It was a later, more streamlined bolt action. Your 51M is the semi-auto version of my 46M. You can still find these rifles in good shape for around $100 to $150, and they are a deal at that price.

I kinda like 'em to. I got a couple.

I've owned a few and every one was marked "Acro-Groove" and shot very well, including my 640 KA .22 magnum.

They shoot way better than the price indicates! 340 BA, and a 320BA.

Dang, that's a beautiful rifle. NIce photos.

I used to work on guns, I love the old Mossbergs, the new stuff (rim fires) not so much,

I also like the Mossberg centerfires,

Mossberg .22s are very addicting - primarily because they typically shoot great. I have accumulated many 42s, 46s, 144s, 146s, and 151s over the years and started my informal offhand .22 matches with a 42 about twenty years ago. Have shot them with many much higher priced rifles at these matches and still get a kick out of beating the guys with those rifles😊.

PennDog

I've got an old 142 with the wood folding foreend. I've ran across the plastic foreend models a bunch and passed, but when I came across the wood one I had to have it, Superb condition, still has the foldable rear peep.

I have had the same fun shooting Dad's old 146B against more modern .22s in "Hunting rifle" rimfire matches - no target rifles allowed, just rifles you would take rabbit, squirrel or other small game hunting. It was definitely a good time to beat Kimbers, Volquartsons, tricked out Rugers, etc. I don't know if it is true or not, but I was told that "back in the day" Mossberg lapped their barrels. Regardless, I have never found an older Mossberg that did not shoot very well.

i had a 144us once. wow.

Another Mossberg fan here. Currently just have one, a 146B T-Bolt that came with a little straight tube 6x. I need to buy an S-100 peep for it, but the standard rear is all there, and it has all the front posts. Haven’t shot it yet, picked it up a few weeks back.

I learned to shoot with a 46M(b) that my father still has. That thing is a laser beam! It also gave me my abiding love for all things Mannlicher. I look forward to the day he passes it down to me!

My dad bought a 46b at a farm sale in Minnesota for five bucks back in the early fifties. Brought it out here with him where it sat in the closet until he gave in to my begging and finally let me use it.
Thing was, someone had used it for a barn gun and only shot bird shot through it. Had hardly any rifling in it any more. I tried everything short of putting a liner in it to get it to group but never had any luck with it. Finally gave it to my nephew for a wedding present. He was overjoyed to get Grandpa's gun. Such as it was.
Bought another 46b off of Gunbroker all original and THAT on is a tack driver.

I have a 352B, plastic folder, 7rd mag, sling rings on the left side
I had, years ago, a sa that loaded thru the stock, ala, browning. Don't remember the model.
They were, are good shooters.

I gave my middle son a Mossberg Palomino Carbine lever gun for Christmas fifteen or so years ago. I bought it in a Houston pawn shop. It was in great shape with very nice wood. It is also also darn accurate.

A friend in my early teens had a Palomino and I lusted mightily after that gun! It was beautiful. I never did even get a chance to shoot it. If I run across one, I will probably buy it.

I like our old long barrel, peep sighted single shot. A quiet gun with standard velocity ammo, bad on back yard pests and makes the quick shooting blowbacks seem like loud, raucous children.

I'm amazed at how well Mossy's shoot. They scrimped in a lot of areas, but not the barrel, I guess! A lot of older 22' s shoot very well. I had a guy at the range offer to trade his Ruger Precision for my Remington 581, on the spot. Why would I trade for a less accurate rifle?

I hated my precision, finicky about mags, the cheek piece was a pain to adjust...my winchester 320 shot better than it. Sent it down the road.

I've had a 42M since I was 7 years old. Never had a magazine for it until about 25 years ago. Never stopped me from shooting lots of ammo though. It is really quiet with shorts. It has all of the different sights on it at both ends.

I'd trade a 22 mag Chuckster for an excellent Palamino.

Thanks hancock. It was my dads. He had it when he was a kid. He took damn good care of it all those years, but damn near wore it out. When i got it (about 10 years ago), I put in a big order at numrich. I replaced the extractors, springs, ejector, firing pin and spring and I also had to order a couple trigger sears. The trigger was horrible and I ruined the first sear, trying to hone it down to a useable and safe pull weight. The rifle functions flawlessly now and for a while i used it in my clubs rimfire matches (the reason it has nice target sights). The bores on these old mossberg rifles are extremely accurate. Ive shot quite a few 1/2" 10 shot groups with this rifle, when it was scoped. Its been about the most accurate 22 mag rifle ive seen. Its also a joy to carry in the woods. Speaking of mossberg rimfire rifles, a buddy has a beautiful 22 target rifle and during a round robbin event at my club, i managed to shoot a 1 hole 10 shot group with that rifle. After that, i searched for another rifle like his, but had no luck. People dont know the accuracy potential of the old mossbergs until they have been beat by one, or actually shot one. Some are phenomenal

Just picked up three144 LSA in like in new shape from a private sale, there excellent shooting 22's, only down fall is there triggers. Got 10 extra magazines too boot in the deal