silversport
Member
...got the bug for a nice .22 lever gun...choices are somewhat limited but after doing a search on the errornet I came up with The Winchester 9422, Marlin 39A as the front runners along with the various Henry offerings...
...after trips all over to area gun shops and retail outlets I added the Browning BL-22 (late entry for me...no real chance to do research)...after going to these places and actually handling them myself (along with my own biases of 48 years ) but not being able to actually shoot any of them, I came up with the following:
Winchester 9422...discontinued but seemingly well liked by every owner...I found one used but in 95% condition and appearing never to have been shot, with the 20 inch barrel, straight stock (what I wanted), checkering (what I wanted), nicely built and decently priced (especially when taken in the context of what I had seen for sale on the internet......definitely a front runner for me...shoulders well and just feels right to me (maybe because I have a Winchester 9410 in a similar configuration)
New Marlin 39A...about $100 more than the Winchester...20 inch barrel but pistol grip stock (not a deal breaker but I wanted a straight stock), nice checkering but felt thick...again, not a deal breaker but...shoulders nice, I didn't care for the squared hooded front sight but yet again, not a deal breaker...
Henry (blue steel, Golden Boy, Octangular Barrel, several configurations)...felt cheaper to me but the lock up seemed tight...nicer looking stocks but no checkering...squared hooded front sight...for me, the Marlin and winchester seemed a step up...
Browning BL-22 one brand new with a used one right next to it...the new was right in the middle of the New Marlin and the used Winnie...the used which was clean and looked unfired inside, at least little to no wear, undercut them all and was a whopping $200 less than the new Browning...made in Japan (in an of itself, not a deal breaker but shouldn't a Western style lever action be made in USA???...but it was nice)...short throw on the lever...nice change of pace...shiny stock, not my favorite...no checkering (I see now Browning makes other models that have it)...seemed a bit smaller than the others...the used one went to the head of the class in my search for a nice plinker...
Back to look over the Winchester as it was the rifle that started my quest for a .22 when I saw it in the used firearm section but hadn't looked it over with a buyers eye...hmmm, the asking price is $50 less than I remembered last week...hey, waitaminit...there are at least two other people talking about this Winchester...I ask my brother to look this over with a critical eye in case I missed anything...nope...three even scratched on one side of the receiver that don't go through the nice blue steel...more like what might happen if someone was careless putting this out...couple of minor chip/dinks in the dull real Walnut stocks...no deal breaker...I have my brother "guard" it while I try to get a sales guy...this place is busy...keep seeing the same two other couples milling about waiting for the 9422 to get put down...my brother holds on to it (feeling he told me later like the guy trying to be the last person touching the car in a whacky radio stunt)...FINALLY a sales guy...
I tell him I'm interested...tell him I'm looking at another rifle (the Browning) at another store and ask, are you married to that asking price because if you can come down a bit you'll take me off the market for a lever action .22 right now...he checks, checks again and then asks the manager...comes back and says, I can drop it $50.00...heck if I open a credit card, I'll get a $20.00 gift card when the bill comes...write her up I said...I got a new Winchester rifle...a 9422...
...now I have to wait 24 hours before I can bring it home or take it to the range...sorry to you other two, this one's mine...
Bill
...after trips all over to area gun shops and retail outlets I added the Browning BL-22 (late entry for me...no real chance to do research)...after going to these places and actually handling them myself (along with my own biases of 48 years ) but not being able to actually shoot any of them, I came up with the following:
Winchester 9422...discontinued but seemingly well liked by every owner...I found one used but in 95% condition and appearing never to have been shot, with the 20 inch barrel, straight stock (what I wanted), checkering (what I wanted), nicely built and decently priced (especially when taken in the context of what I had seen for sale on the internet......definitely a front runner for me...shoulders well and just feels right to me (maybe because I have a Winchester 9410 in a similar configuration)
New Marlin 39A...about $100 more than the Winchester...20 inch barrel but pistol grip stock (not a deal breaker but I wanted a straight stock), nice checkering but felt thick...again, not a deal breaker but...shoulders nice, I didn't care for the squared hooded front sight but yet again, not a deal breaker...
Henry (blue steel, Golden Boy, Octangular Barrel, several configurations)...felt cheaper to me but the lock up seemed tight...nicer looking stocks but no checkering...squared hooded front sight...for me, the Marlin and winchester seemed a step up...
Browning BL-22 one brand new with a used one right next to it...the new was right in the middle of the New Marlin and the used Winnie...the used which was clean and looked unfired inside, at least little to no wear, undercut them all and was a whopping $200 less than the new Browning...made in Japan (in an of itself, not a deal breaker but shouldn't a Western style lever action be made in USA???...but it was nice)...short throw on the lever...nice change of pace...shiny stock, not my favorite...no checkering (I see now Browning makes other models that have it)...seemed a bit smaller than the others...the used one went to the head of the class in my search for a nice plinker...
Back to look over the Winchester as it was the rifle that started my quest for a .22 when I saw it in the used firearm section but hadn't looked it over with a buyers eye...hmmm, the asking price is $50 less than I remembered last week...hey, waitaminit...there are at least two other people talking about this Winchester...I ask my brother to look this over with a critical eye in case I missed anything...nope...three even scratched on one side of the receiver that don't go through the nice blue steel...more like what might happen if someone was careless putting this out...couple of minor chip/dinks in the dull real Walnut stocks...no deal breaker...I have my brother "guard" it while I try to get a sales guy...this place is busy...keep seeing the same two other couples milling about waiting for the 9422 to get put down...my brother holds on to it (feeling he told me later like the guy trying to be the last person touching the car in a whacky radio stunt)...FINALLY a sales guy...
I tell him I'm interested...tell him I'm looking at another rifle (the Browning) at another store and ask, are you married to that asking price because if you can come down a bit you'll take me off the market for a lever action .22 right now...he checks, checks again and then asks the manager...comes back and says, I can drop it $50.00...heck if I open a credit card, I'll get a $20.00 gift card when the bill comes...write her up I said...I got a new Winchester rifle...a 9422...
...now I have to wait 24 hours before I can bring it home or take it to the range...sorry to you other two, this one's mine...
Bill
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