i'm thinking of getting one just for squirrels. For those who either own one or have shot one, i'd like to hear your thoughts/opinions.

thanks

I'd try to find a 452... I'm not too hot on that new fangled barrel arrangement. On rimfirecentral.com there is quite a bit of discussion about the new 455. That'd also be a good place to research the new model.

I have the Silhouette model. Most accurate .22 I've ever owned.

Some don't care for the backwards safety, doesn't bother me.

If the 455 shoots anything like the 452's, then it ought to be one heck of a rifle

I've had the 452ZKM in 22 mag. for about 15 years. It's a very accurate rifle and I have had no issues with it. Excellent rifle and I like the European styling. I could go for the varmint version as well.....

d.

The safety isn't actually backwards. It's just most rifles sold in America have a saftey that goes the same direction-towards the muzzle-to be put on "fire." This just means unnecessary motion forward just to go backwards again to get your hand back into a shooting position. With the "backwards" style safety, your thumb is moving in the direction that it needs to go to get into shooting position. It just seems backwards, but when you think about the efficiency and elimination of wasted movement, this style wins.

thanks men.

The "backwards safety" operates just like a hammer rifle. Back to fire.

Bruce

Anybody do an aftermarket safety for the 452 to replace it with a more conventional one?

I have two 452 americans- .22lr and .22 mag. I am very happy with both of them. The mag is pretty impressive so far at one hundred yards. Trying to decide if I should glass bed it. Right now I am just going to leave it as is.

The safety seems to bother some folks, but about every rifle I have has a different safety -so not that big of a deal to me. Certainly not enough of a problem (to me anyway) to warrent changing it.

I got the 453 American, and it is a tack driver. I never use the safety. Stuff I shoot with a 22 doesn't bite hard enough to carry cocked and loaded. Squirrels usually aren't that vicious.

The 455 may develop an industry of interchangeable barrels like the 10/22.

Be interesting if they do, at a much lower price than the SAKO 22.

Bruce

I also cannot tolerate the wrongheaded safety. I keep hoping they will update it or that an aftermarket upgrade will come along so that I can start buying these. 455 should have had this corrected. Great accuracy from what I hear, hope the upgrade comes along.

Same here...never use the safety on a rimfire. I have two 452's... one in 22lr (lefty) and the other in 22mag. Both shoot good and I got the 22lr when I heard they were going for the 455's. I don't think I want to get a switch barrel as I have never had one. And normally when I go shoot my 22lr...I know what I am shooting at and again squirrels ain't vicious