Tonight I was tucking in the boy and we snuck down to the basement to “say good night to the hamster” and did some plinking with the red ryder while we were supposed to be in bed. I got to thinking he’ll need a 22 before long.

When I was in high school, a friends dad had a very old and small .22 pump action that really caught my attention. I’ve never forgotten about it. It’d be great pick up a 22 pump but it seems that the only two in production are a Remington (YUCK) and a Henry. The Henry looks good but it’s a rather large and heavy rifle for a 22.

Maybe I should stick to lever action. Sure it’s not as fast, smooth, and familiar as a pump, but there are more options and seems a more stable platform for laying over a bench or backpack.

So...

What other pump 22 options are there besides Henry and gangreen?
Are there fewer pump options because lever has proven to be a superior design? (Maybe I should stick to lever.)
If there aren’t many current production pumps, are there some older production pumps I could look for that won’t wallop the wallet?

Thanks all.

No, pumps are fine. Much faster than a lever and more versatile ammo-wise than a semi-auto.

In general, pumps are costlier to manufacture than a semi-auto and levers sell at a better profit because of the "cool factor".

The Henry is fine, but it has a really stiff action. Probably too stiff for someone upgrading from the Red Ryder. The Rossi/Taurus copy would work. They to be available from time to time.

Lots of great, older, Winchester pumps available. Unfortunate you are not considering the Remington 572, I've yet to find a bad one, they are accurate and reliable, with shorts, longs and lr's.
The older Remingtons tend to be a bit more accurate than the Winchesters.

Lots of good pumps mentioned here. The Browning Trombone is one that is quite good. The Remington 572, as fishdog mentioned, is very good and accurate. Others from Marlin, Winchester & Savage are worth your look.

Pump action 22's.
https://www.gunbroker.com/Pump-Acti...24&Sort=13&View=1&ca=5000011

Lever action 22's.
https://www.gunbroker.com/Lever-Act...24&Sort=13&View=1&ca=5000011

The old Remington, Savage and Winchester pumps were generally well made and are lots of fun to shoot. Watch out for a Visible Loader, they look cool but have a very bad reputation (deservedly so). It will be tough to put a scope on one of the old pumps, though. If you need or want to mount a scope, go with a modern Remington or Henry. Of the old pumps, I like the Remington 12c the best. Mine have never failed to fire and are as accurate as I am with open sights. Some people seem to like the Winchester 61's -- and the prices reflect that demand -- but I did not have good luck with the two that I've owned. You can find a 61 grooved for a scope but expect to pay dearly. I currently own a Remington 12c with original target sights and a scoped Henry; I like them both.

A Henry is never going to be a collectible like an older Winchester, Marlin or a Remington. I bought my Winchester M61 at a collector show and it is my favorite rambling around .22. It was drilled and taped it for a low mounted a 3-9 AO Leupold last year on Weaver bases. I grew up shooting a Winchester M62A visible hammer .22, so I suppose it is part nostalgia on my part. The gold trigger Marlin M39A levers are in high demand on the used market and that one would be worth having as well. I'd be shopping the used market instead of the new market if I wanted another .22.

So if I end up with a lever action, I’m looking at the Henry youth model and the Browning micro midas for the kids. Is the browning worth the extra $200?

The Henry is a piece of schit.

I prefer a 39 to all other levers,by a goodly margin.............

the Henry have plastic parts and painted. I bought a used one at a great price and the magazine retention spring was a oring and poorly designed geometry at that.

I get a kick out of the brass receiver Henry;s that have a protective sleeve on them at the store... it will be hard to keep metal scratches off them.


Get a marlin 39 or browning.

Don't knock the remington 572 too much, but you may like a rem 121

I like my marlin 39 better than my rem 121 though.

I bought the Henry youth model for the boys about 14 yrs ago and while it served its purpose I was really disappointed in the sites on it. You could not adjust it enough to shoot to POI . It shot about 3” too high with standard velocity ammo. At that time I posted my issues with it on some of the various sites like this place and found it to be a common problem. That told me they know about it but didn’t care to correct it. Yea it take very little swap out a site on my own but I just hated the fact they(Henry) would sell it that way. The rifle did chamber everything well and was smooth enough especially for the price. I would prefer the pump for your needs if you could find one of the Rossi copies that are out there. Otherwise it won’t be an affordable option unless you get real lucky from someone.

I've broken (4) Rossi's. Half each LR and Magnum.

They are Dog Schit................

In my mind, absolutely.

Excellent information here, fellas. Much appreciated and keep it comin.

Do a 39 and never look back.................

Or buy him some Lowers and stand back and watch The Show....................

What broke on them if I may ask? I’ve not shot any of them but was hoping maybe they were an affordable option.

you're going to get what you pay for in these guns.

The Marlin and Winchester levers are both top notch IMO, and a lot of people would agree.
I also think that the little Browning BLR makes for a "Big Three" and has the advantages of being a touch smaller in scale, has a short, smooth & light lever throw and is reasonably priced.
All three shoot very well. All three have steel recievers, not painted zinc or whatever the Henry's are made out of. All three will last generation s with a little care.

You also may want to spend some time in the rimfire lever gun thread, here on the fire. I suspect there is lots of good information there.

This right here answers a lot of questions for me. Thank you kragman1!!!

Look at the Browning BL-22 micro Midas if your wanting small..
Browning has a $75 rebate on rimfires until the end of the month

Thank you. Was wondering how long it was going to take before somebody said that.

I'll take my 39A any day.

This here is helping narrow the decision. I found a Micro Midas BL-22 online for $476 shipped. Knock another $75 off... I might have to get two!

Winner

Although I've had a 39A since I was 11, I think it's pretty husky for a youngster's first rifle --- mine's very accurate though. My Grandkids enjoy my 1906 Win. pump over any of my other 22s. It was made in 1912. Still shoots well with CCI SV or Quiet (at close ranges).

My brother has a Win lever action 22 that I'm not impressed with. It's the 9422. Action is rough and it's not possible to get POA and POI to coincide with the iron sights. In fairness, several years ago I held a new 39A and it's action was awful.

I have had Henry, Marlin and Browning .22 lever guns. The Henry, with an octagon barrel, was accurate and had a very smooth action. I sold it when I decided I wanted a Marlin. The Marlin (a fairly late JM rifle with 20" barrel) was not accurate and the action would occasionally hiccup; I liked the feel and handling better than the Henry but not the shooting. I now have the BL-22 which is a sweet handling rifle with a very smooth action. I can't comment on the accuracy since I'm shooting it with open sights only at short range. I would agree that the Browning is an excellent choice.

$400 for a new BLR 22 sounds great. Walnut stocks?

Also, the BLR is a good size and weight for a younger shooter, but somehow isn't too small for an adult (I'm 6' even). I guess I'd call it 9/10's scale or something.
Every time I use mine I'm reminded of how much I just enjoy the feel of it.
Its definitely easier to handle than the Marlin, the Winchester is closer. But double the money.

Have one of the Winchester gallery type pumps (Model 06 short, long, long rifle) about 1936 era in about 90% condition gratis a death bed bequest from an early fly fishing mentor. My friend lost use of it for a year when he was caught doing a day 2 unsupervised outing on their Colorado farm. An extremely fine little rifle, but given its source I can't bring myself to use it. Probably quite valuable as well. Would for sure make a great kids gun, but I'm not ready to disperse things yet.

Anything but a semi auto for a kid if one really wants to teach them to shot.

I agree whole-heartedly with this statement,... but

I just saw one of Chiappa's M39 mountie copies, and it looked pretty good, especially at half the price of a Marlin.

The Savage pumps hold a soft spot for me, and I think they are cleaner looking, being hammer-less

That Chiappa is NOT A MARLIN COPY.

It might resemble the look of a Marlin, but in both interior design materials and workmanship not even close to the same.

They are a steaming pile of crap.

Go find him a Rossi 62. I've had one for 25+ years and it still shoots like new or better. They're perfect size for a youngster.

I sure wouldn’t. Mine basically fell apart and it wasn’t even reliable when it was new.

BL22 and 39’s are my favorite levers, only pump I have that still works is a 62A..

as for Henry I have a few levers and they seem to be solid, never an issue with them. I’ve never used their pumps.

Maybe I just got lucky. I paid $125 for it at the Wanenmacher's gun show in Tulsa, OK. I've shot the daylights out of it.

I have a both a Henry Pump in 22WMR and a Remington 572.in LR. The Henry was so stiff when I first got it that it was almost unusable but it did slick up nicely after running two boxes of ammo thru it. The Henry is good for 1.5” groups at 50 yards off the bench using the Skinner barrel mounted peep sights with Hornady 30 grain loads.
Also as others have mentioned my 572 is far more accurate ( scoped it will hold 1”@ 50. Yards with CCI mini mags and even a little better with std velocity Eley) than I ever would have expected. Especially considering it was a “parts gun” that I bought in a basket for $25.00 and put back together. The 572 is also one of the few 22’s I own that shoots Aguila Super Colobri’s reasonably well stabilizing that short little 20gr bullit well enough for me to use it as my den window squirrel off the bird feeder gun.

Who told you they knew about it and didn't care?Henry?They have one of the best service departments,if not the best in the industry,they will bend over backwards to fix any issue out there.That is the first time I have ever heard that complaint....See where customer relations with Remington or Marlin will get you LOL

Get a Remington 12A pump. The perfect size for a young man and he'll like it when he's bigger too. Standard velocity ammo only though.

I did not give customer service an opportunity to correct it so that part is on me. As it turns out I traded it off for something else and never looked back. However back then there was much discussion about the sites and it was obvious to us that had them that QC let it slip by. I have not shot any of the newer Henry’s and can not comment on the current models. Just relaying my experience.

Friend has a Winchester 61. All steel parts and probably fitted. The trigger beats many of todays out of the box CF's and the accuracy is good. An average one will cost a little more than some of the modern ones mentioned and the more would be worth it.

for those that say the 572's are accurate, i'd like to know the secret. mine is a scattergun. i've deleaded the barrel, changed scopes, mounts, etc and it is at best a tin can gun. definitely not anywhere near my 77/22's. i like it and am a pumpgun guy but this one is a dud. and its been in the family for almost 50 years and was bought new. its never been good. i'd buy another but don't want to take a chance. i was thinking of maybe a 121.

I'll call BS on this. I have a Henry I bought for my son a number of years back. The magazine tube fell out of the receiver. The tube had electrical tape wrapped around the tube where it fit into the receiver! I talked to the president of Henry and I sent the rifle back for repair/replacement, They sent it back "repaired". 1st time back out the tube popped back out. I called Henry back and they said they would send me the repair part. They sent me a fooking O-ring. That POS still sits in the back of my safe. No way would I sell this turd to anyone. It serves as my reminder to never buy another Henry turd.

BP...

yesterday I sold a henry 22 mag. wonderful carry gun, short and light. slickest action that never missed a beat- and the magazine tube had no problems.

could not hit a pop can at 50 ft with an 18x scope on it. the marlin will hit a quarter at 50yd. with mini mags and a dime with ely.

This might be a dumb question but is your 572 by chance a smooth bore,they did make them.And in that case with out rifling it would tend to shoot all over with a bullet.all the 572s I shot or knew of were very accurate

no its rifled. its the BDL model. nice wood and blue. pretty gun and very handy. just not accurate enough for hunting. i've tried most ammo from thunderturds to CCI mini-mags. all shoot about the same.

Ok,just had to ask,most of the older 22 pumps I've known of over the years have been real accurate.

Henry's are an EPIC Fhuqk Show,in relative Goat Fhuqktdom.

Hint...................

Only Henry I'd ever have any interest in would be the original brass frame .44 RF. Last one I saw at a gun show was not far removed from excellent condition. Also had a sticker price of $125K. I'm just a po boy. -sniff-

There has been a Rem 572 in the family for about 50 years. Brother bought it new, it was passed to me in the mid 80s. Shot remarkably well, particularly with shorts. Passed it to my nephew when he was old enough and he's still using it.

Marlin 56's are nice if you can find a clean one

Too easy to buy something good.

Hint.

Pass the 39's................

Always had a soft spot for those. Of course, I have a Savage 99, so it looks good...

As classics go, a Rem model 12a/141 is impossible to beat for plain fun. Iron sights. Think gallery gun.

As new goes, option to scope, the marlin 39 or the blr/browning midas are no-brainers.

Do you mean "121", rather than "141"?

er, yeah sorry

The Marlin 39, and Rem 121 would be my choices for quality and accuracy. That said, they are both man sized .22's. I don't consider either one sized for a kid.

My 1958 production Rem 121 is a tremendous .22, loads of fun and very accurate for open sights.

In regards to the Marlin 39A rifles, a Mounty model might be a tad handier for kid. But LOP would still be an issue.

In pump 22s I have the Remington 12, 12a, 121, 241, and 572.
I have the Colt 1890.
I have the Winchester 1906, 61, and the 62A.

The expensive Winchester 61 is the best.
The cheap Remington 572 is second. The only fault I can find after killing zillions of small animals is it may jam with rapid fire 22 shorts shooting straight up.


In lever actions I have the Marlin 39.


The Marlin was factory drilled and tapped for some 3/4" Weaver scope.


Getting the Marlin to have a 1" tube scope over the bore [without drilling and tapping more holes] requires making an adapter plate. And possibly adding a hammer extender if the eyepiece crowds your thumb.



My Marlin 39 made in 1954 had almost no usage. One theory is that the *29 ejector lock rivet was left in bore cleaning position and would not eject.

I've never seen one with a checkered stock, beautiful..Nice walnut and the the peep really adds to it.. nice find. I'm a '39 guy, but, if I came across a 57 or 56 that looked like that, i'd take it home. No beer goggles required.

39Ms

here are my '66 and '73 39M's

Those are nice!

One lever rimfire gun that is all but forgotten is the Ruger 96/22.

They are becoming hard to find and often the price is reflective of that.

They are not real smooth in the action, but are robust, sized right for youth and adults, accept scope mounts, use the same mags as a 10/22, and my example is fairly accurate.

A plus to me is that the stock, and the entire rifle for that matter, is plain enough to not worry about scratches or dings.

That said, I would recommend the Browning BL22 as they are lighter weight,have better fit and finish, readily available and can be had in a higher grade of finish if desired.

Keep the BL22 away from your wife however, or she may claim it for herself as my wife has.

96/22's are Dog Schit. The BL-22 simply pales in ALL regards,to a 39.

Hint....................

I passed up a 39 some 8 years ago and have regretted it. However, it is a full size rifle, which may not be a good thing for your son. The Browning is smaller, and the action is smooth. I run a 9422 and love it. I prefer it’s looks to the 39, with the straight stock and thinner forearm. A 39 Mountie, however, could tempt me.

Steel weighs sumptin'. Hint.

Laughing!..............

I really like the look and feel of the 9422 but at one time my FIL had a 39A that he needed to sell to pay some bills. At the time (recession of '82) I didn't have a pot to piss in so I foolishly let it go for short money, along with several other rifles he was selling. My buddy has that rifle to this day so there is hope I may see it in my safe again some day- I hope.... They are heavy rifles but hell for stout, smooth as a Singer sewing machine, and accurate as any other lever I've ever shot. Just one of many I wish I hadn't let go...

Bob

Oooopsie!...............

Careful Larry, people will think you like blued and walnut rifles..... those are beauties. The one I sold looked like the bottom one, but had a few extra holes in the receiver as did almost all of his guns....

Bob