Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Most desireable .22?

PennDog,

Sounds like a keeper. That is the best way to aquire guns and gold.

Best,

Chuck

Chuck is keeping all those beautiful Zephyrs to himself.

Can't blame him ...I would too....


I'll add another vote for the old Mausers...classics that shoot

350...340...410...and others

I'll continue to keep my eye out for a 52 sporting

I would add a Remington 541s to this list. They don't hang around long when one is up for sale.

Nice info and DD - great shooting!

The next one…

There a several on my list, Cooper, Zephyer, but my KDF K22, Mauser 201, and Kimber Classic K22 (Yonkers) are my favorites. A Sako Quad Hunter I have rates pretty high also.

Good Morning All,

The story on the Zephyr................

Bought the 1st one 50 + years ago, for $ 100.00, from a bicycle buyer for Sears. He was at Steyr picking out bikes and the Austrians gave it to him. Not being a shooter he sold it.

It is not grooved SN < 300. I have several others . Steyr started grooving somewhere around SN 500.

Lovely little rifles , and generally quite accurate for the short peckered little rifles that they are.

3 are scoped . 1 with the aforementioned Kahles 2X7. Unless hunting, and I do not do a lot of paper punching....except to sight in , I shoot CCI standard Velocity at paper. I generally shoot at 100M. As for groups , I don't remember , generally keep a

good record of CF ammo and rifles.

2 of the Zephyrs were bought on this forum. I used to run an ad on the much maligned Armslist as a buyer of my favorite rifles.. I do not do that anymore.

I bought a rifle from guy in CA or AK , don't remember, that was a Steyr Zephyr "Standard". Same action, different BBL , non-checkered plain carbine stock. I turned that into a custom . Pacnor tapered octagon BBL . Mannlicher Schoenauer style stock

like they used on the 56 models , with the big scalloped cheekpiece. Straight grained English Walnut. Spiffed up with skeleton pistol grip cap and buttplate to match.

Enough on the Zephyrs.......... 52 Sporters were mentioned . Had several . They are clunkers , but beauties , Like top heavy babes on the slightly + size . Got rid of the 52 Originals and Made up some customs, that's were it's at for me . I like the 52 C

Target rifles because of the excellent triggers. Again tapered octagon BBLS and good wood .

I had 5-6-- 52 repos, again , well made beautiful heavy clunkers. Gun shop called yesterday my last 52 repo was fitted up with an old B&L Balvar 6X24 .

Heading for a funeral..........

Best,

Chuck

I have /had Klienguenthers, Mausers. all the 580 and 541 series Anchuest,etc.......and my favorites arent on the list.........77/22's and 10/22 are all i need

Back in the late 60’s I was smitten by the Weatherby XXII auto loading rifles.
Their beautiful stocks and adult sized feature were well ahead of their time.
Of course I couldn’t even begin afford one and had to make due with an old Stevens single shot....

A couple of years ago I happen to run into one at a used gun shop and was able to make a very reasonable deal.
It’s a Berreta made model with the deluxe stock and the signature forend and pistol grip contrasting wood caps.
I mounted a Leupold rim fire 3x9 on it and it’s become my favorite ground squirrel shooter.

It no doubt won’t shoot along side some of the great .22 bolt guns that have been mentioned, but it’s accurate enough and is a real pleasure to use.

The one your Grandfather owned...... and if your lucky and he had brothers theirs as well..... Family history is a real pull.

Anschutz 1710 Meister Grade

LGS had two of these on consignment with 6.5 -20 Leupold scopes on them for $2500 each... had to pass as they sellers wouldn't budge on the price...

I would agree, though in my family lineage only two 22's made it down to me... a Monkey Wards single shot that will pepper my face every time and a Woodsman Sport that still sits in a place of honor in the vault.

And thanks ALL for your input, opinions, and experiences.

I think I'll start looking for an early Winchester 52.

I seem to be able to find some Target 52s in the $1K range. Should I really expect the "Sporters" to generally inflate to $3K?

Original 52 sporters are already at that stage... The repros aren't there and probably won't be for quite some time.... expect around $1k for the repro sporter 52's

Chaser'

I'm a big fan of the model 52. One in good condition can be had for that price point if you're patient and are looking at the target or repro Sporter models.

Are you wanting single shot or the repeater?

That will help narrow down the year.





We shoot several varieties including repros and they are a blast. I like mine affixed with period scopes.


Good luck with your search.

Dirtfarmer, That's a beauty. Too bad it's wrong (right) handed.

Well, a bunch have been through my hands-Mod52A, 52D, custom 10-22, Karl Kenyon Martini, and I still have 2 40x customs, a Rolling Block, 2 mod 37 Remington's one of which was Mike Walker's personal rifle, a Walther KK300 that is my present BR rifle, and a work in progress 1913 Anschutz the UK shooter, Jon Hammond shot in the Olympics. It is being turned into a BR rifle.

I forgot my first-A mod65 H&R leatherneck.

A dreamy assortment, Butch!

A note of caution to purchasers of early 52's. If it's a pre-Speed Lock version (circa 1930), be sure to verify that it doesn't have "the crack of doom". The LH bolt lug seat, at the rear of the action, was thin walled on them and prone to developing cracks which won't effect strength much (the RH lug is beefier and actually takes the brunt of the force), but may well affect accuracy by allowing the bolt to do a microscopic jutter on discharge. The crack is reputedly caused by repeated application of the safety, if that appliance is tight. Winchester corrected that fault when they adopted the Speed Lock.

It took me three years of looking to find one for less than $3K and it's only there because it was D&T'd and I don't think the seller really knew what they had. It also wasn't much under $3K.

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