Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Son wants an “old” 22

My son’s 11, and has been shooting all his life. He’s got a decent bolt action 22 with a scope, but he told me he wants an old lever or pump 22. I found a pretty decent Winchester 62A today, but when I went back to get it the thing had sold. Is there sometime not thinking about I could find decent prices on one of these? I’ve been checking Gunbroker, but it’s a coin toss on used guns there.

PM sent (not selling, just some info).

You can't beat a Win, model 62! Nice Pump!
I like a Marlin 39, for a lever!
I almost forgot about an Ithaca model 49,
that my Boys grew up on, in a .22 cal Lever!

One of the most accurate 22's I have, is a lever. A Marlin 56. Made in 1955. You can get very close to 4 of 5 in one hole, on a good day, with CCI Standard velocity.

Marlin 39 or an old browning bl22. Winchester 61 or remington 141 would be good pumps.

The BL 22 is a good one, especially for a kid. They are pretty small. The Marlin is not! Either pump is pretty good too.

Agree with the BL-22 for a kid gun.

The Remington 12 is a great, vintage pump .22. Mine have been 100% reliable and problem free. Also, generally less $ than the Winchester pumps which have not been as reliable for me.

In your search don't pass up a Winchester 1906 if you come across one. This was my Dad's kid gun and my kid gun.

94-22 LR or 22 Magnum.

One of the best 22's Winchester ever built.

Virgil B.

I think killerv means a Remington 121. 141 might be a bit stout for a kid, especially the .35! A 121 would be excellent.

My first .22 was an old gun, a Winchester M62A. While I thought watching that mechanism moving and sliding through the top of that thing was pretty cool, I didn't think so when I was old enough to appreciate having a top scope mounted rifle. There is a M61 in the safe that is better though honestly putting a 2-7x33 Leupold on it did kind of mess up its easy carry attributes. Most of us own a 10/22 something, so be thankful he isn't coveting one of those ammo burners. For what you would spend on an old 62A or 61, you could get a less old Ruger 77/22 or Marlin 39A and have something that your son would appreciate more as he gets older.

Okay, I just reread the OP and see that there is already a bolt action with a scope in the family. Sure, then a nice Winchester pump or a Marlin lever would be on the shopping list. Wish my son wanted a rifle instead of another video game console.

The older ones are great guns if they havent been rode hard and put away wet.....
I have a Winchester model 490 I am selling soon if interested. Not as old, but you dont see many of them.

I'll heartily second the Remington 121. I've had two, still have one and it's a nice, fairly lighweight rifle at 6 lbs 1 oz unloaded with a good capacity and a long sight radius. Mine was made in 1939 and is still very accurate. It's also a takedown which an 11 year old might find kind of cool.

Prices are downright decent compared to many firearms these days, here's a list of ones that sold between $350 to $475 in various conditions: Remington 121 completed auctions

One consideration with any older rifle is the lack of mounting an aftermarket sight on it. Many were drilled and tapped later on and the quality of that work varies from excellent to something Bubba would be ashamed of.

The first Model 572 pumps which replaced the 121 had that old look with the corn cob forend but I don't know if those were grooved for tipoff mounts or not.



Mine had two holes d&t into the receiver, I'd give whoever did it a C or maybe B- on the work but it was good enough to mount that Skinner peep sight with an .860 hole spacing.

My 572 is.

He’s completely uninterested in mounting a scope on this rifle. He wants to use iron sights, and I’m good with that. His other 22 has a scope if he needs it, but he prefers irons.

You are right, I've had both and got confused. Let my 121 go in an local auction and got 650 for it, light freckling but otherwise in honest shape. Had a 141 in 30 remington. Let it go awhile back.

Dont rule out even an new bl22, something he'd be proud to own and pass down.

Check out Turnbull Restoration website for a nicely done BL22

My grandsons, 8 and 11 have many models and actions to choose from...and every single time they grab the little Remington #6 on the way out the door. The so called 'baby rolling block'. But, with a good bore, they don't come cheap.