Been wanting a Winchester 94/22 Classic for a few years now.... just never on the hunt for one. Now I am. I'm a sucker for long barrels and curved butt plates. I have a Marlin 39 Mountie as with all Marlin 39's is a real shooter.

A real clean Win Classic 94/22 will cost $1,000.00 or more. Wondering if I should just go with a standard barrel length Marlin 39-A.

Your thoughts?

Can't go wrong with either one. I have found that micro groove rifling is a little more forgiving for different brands of ammo.

Marlins are getting right up there too. I found a very nice ‘77 model at a fair price and jumped on it. Later, when I checked out others for sale, I discovered I had scored a bargain. I would have happily paid the same or more for a nice 9422, but all I’ve seen for similar prices were beaters, or marred in some way. I regard the 9422s as nicer rifles, but not better, if that makes sense.

Then of course, there's the 56, 57, and 57M...

The only Winchester that I want is a 94/22 M

i have never owned a Marlin or a Winchester lever in 22LR but guys that i know claim the Marlin 39 is more accurate

Having owned about 10 of each - Marlin m39 and Winchester 9422 rifles over the last 40 years I have to say in terms of accuracy they are equal.

Both models shoot about like most good bolt actioned sporters when scoped and fed ammo they like.

I've shot both and I would go with the 9422 just because they are a bit lighter. Both are built extremely well but the 39A's seem a bit heavier but more solidly built. They lock up like a bank vault when the lever is closed but the Winchesters are more like a Swiss watch IMO.... both are a pleasure to shoot but the Winchester also usually has a much nicer bluing job and polish. Can't really go wrong with either one and if my buddy will sell me back my 39A that I foolishly let go a long time ago I will have both again....

I own both and I prefer Marlins, but it's really a coin toss. They both have positives and basically no negatives for either in my opinion. My favorite Marlins are the 20" carbine length 39s like the 39M from the mid-seventies and later, the 39D, 39 Carbine, etc. because they handle so nicely. The main reason the Marlins appeal to me so much is that the first rifle I ever owned was given to me on Christmas morning in 1976 by my dad and it was a Marlin 39M Golden Mountie. My oldest son has it now, but I have others to give to my youngest son and grandkids. Both rifles are classic Americana at its finest.

Its all a matter of preference. I own both plus a BL-22. My "39" is an 1897T model with 16 in. octagon barrel and straight stock.

For a while they made a 6422 with pistol grip and a longer barrel. Hard to fi d, but nice. Saw a clean one in a gunstore in MN by Lake Mil Lacs for $1100. Wish I'd have had the free cash.

Greg,

I have a 94/22 in 22LR.... its pretty darn accurate, with about anything one would feed it...

it even gives my CZ 452 a real run for its money most of the time.

Both my 39M and 94/22 are barrel sight rifles, i simply cant shoot well enough to tell the difference with any brand of ammo i've put through either, they're rag hole accurate and zeroed at 25 yards, 75 feet is a damn tall tree to knock a squirrel out of.

I have had a good number of Marlins . both the shorties and the long barrel 39's. I am always disappointed that the breech bolt is proud ( at the front) of the receiver. Accuracy is acceptable.

The Winchesters, all models from .22 LR , .22 Mag. and the caliber that Marlin does not chamber the .17HMR in the 9417, are all superior in accuracy in my limited experience.

The only Marlin 39's that hold my interest are the Ballard rifled models and the early * marked 39's.

The classic appearance of the Winchesters appeal to me.

I have 3 39s,a 48 39a with the ballard rifling,68 39a and an 82 mountie, the 48 has the best trigger, my go to is the scoped 68 for small game,heavy trigger and have been thinking about working on it to lighten the trigger, my winchester 9422 i feel is not as well built in my opinion, rear sight has enough play in it to affect the POI, a scope would cure rhat. all in all I like my marlins over the winchester.

Both my 39M and 9422 wear the factory barrel sights, i've tried like hell but cant shoot a spits worth of difference between the two.

I really doubt one has an accuracy advantage over the other on average, but the most accurate 22LR lever I owned was a 9422. It outshot the 39's and Browning BL22 I had at the time by a good bit. Of course I might buy three more and find the 39 or BL22 was the most acccurate.

I have a 94/22M from 1978 and a 39a from 1959. Both are under a half inch at 50 yards with ammo they like. The 94/22M likes CCI green ammo, the 39a likes Wolf or Norma Tac. No real accuracy difference.

Both are great examples of blue steel and walnut with extremely smooth actions.

My BL-22 is more accurate than my 39A was. My Henry .22 mag. is also more accurate than my 39A was. Never had a 9422 to compare but my 39A was no great shakes in the accuracy department..

My 94/22 is pretty accurate with the 40gr Rem Thunderbolts. It doesn't shoot any 29 or 36 grainers I've tried through it well, though. It's a 1990 DOM; my old man has one from 1976, and it shoots pretty much any bullet weight well.

With the Williams peep on mine, it'll pretty much stack the entire mag tube of the Bolts into a 1" target sticker at 50yds off a bench, unless I jerk a flyer or two. I have another one in 22WMR that is just as, if not a touch more accurate with the same peep sight at 50yds with Win HP ammo.

I'm not sure about accuracy comparisons to a 39, though. I never shot the one I briefly had enough to really see what it was capable of.

Been on the lookout for a BL 22, have yet to fire one but one is in the cards eventually.