.22's you would not buy or own again...

[Dragoon]

I'd like to address the topic of "bad" .22's, the ones that give cause to disappoint or frustrate for one reason or another. You would think that designing & manufacturing a reliable & durable .22 would not be too hard a task, relatively speaking, but certainly some have fallen short.

Case in point: the Marlin 88 semi-automatic rifle, an early 1950's product. These are usually found with the bolt operating handle sheared off or missing entirely, this essential part being for some reason far too fragile. The 88 also suffers from having to be loaded through the buttplate, which in the field is not the handiest system.

Functioning is generally not terrible, but when a jam does occur, it can be in the area at the top of the feeding tube, where the bolt can actually crush a partly protruding cartridge. Clearing this mashed round requires removing the action from the stock, which again is not an ideal situation in the field.

The final strike against the 88 is the lack of provision for mounting a scope, not unusual for a gun of its era, but nonetheless it means you are stuck with the mediocre iron sights.

Any other candidates in this category?

[Kieran McCaig]

The Mossberg 151k is much the same

[PPK 32]

Originally Posted by Dragoon

I'd like to address the topic of "bad" .22's, the ones that give cause to disappoint or frustrate for one reason or another. You would think that designing & manufacturing a reliable & durable .22 would not be too hard a task, relatively speaking, but certainly some have fallen short.


Any other candidates in this category?

Yup, it seems Smith and Wesson has a hard time making a good .22. Owned a 22A. It would fire anything, only problem was ya never knew where the bullet was gonna hit the paper. Not to mention the bottoms of the mags falling apart. Sold it.

[kutaho]

Originally Posted by Kieran McCaig

The Mossberg 151k is much the same

Clean it every 50 rnds and don't shoot garbage thru it.
and ya won't have a problem

[Dragoon]

Originally Posted by PPK 32

Yup, it seems Smith and Wesson has a hard time making a good .22.

That brings to mind a pistol I can disparage a bit, the Smith & Wesson Model 61 Escort (& I'm generally speaking an S&W aficionado). Awkward to hold, ungainly in appearance, & with its minimalist sights & short barrel, you certainly weren't going to be picking flies off with it. The cheesy plastic grips were not typical S&W quality, either, more the kind of stuff you see on a Lorcin. Just a gun I never saw much purpose to, other than slipping it in your pocket on the "something is better than nothing" rationale.

[LDBennett]

S&W dropped the Escort then re-issued it as a stainless version or a aluminum version with a longer barrel in the early 1990's. It was no better, in my opinion, with its reincarnation. My son had the aluminum framed version when he was in junior high school. Even he found it to be too light. It was uniquely made, lots of stamped steel trigger parts, and shot barely OK when it was not wandering all over the target while trying to aim it. But it is not the worst gun I ever owned but probably the worst 22. But I have avoided all the cheapy guns so my experiences are probably offset from the norm. I never owned one of the Saturday Nite Specials like the Jennings pistols. Friends have and they were absolutely junk. One of my friends even had the Jennings slide exit off the rear of the gun during firing and this was a new gun!

LDBennett

[Dragoon]

Originally Posted by LDBennett

I never owned one of the Saturday Nite Specials like the Jennings pistols. Friends have and they were absolutely junk.

I actually carry a J-22 in my pocket every day around my property (for snakes); I've shot it & have no cause for complaint, it's accurate & reliable enough, but there's no doubt it's a cast "disposable" that I wouldn't expect to hold up after thousands of rounds. Ergonomically, it's light years ahead of the Escort.

[Rocket J Squirl]

Remington 522, got one now I dont want. The trigger system is the pits

[Teejay9]

I would never want, or buy one of the new breed of "plastic fantastics" Like Neos, Walther p22, S&W 22, etc. I did like the look of the Mosquito, but am not willing to go through a long and tedious break in period while I try to find the right spring/ammo combo. I would put my money on a Ruger. TJ

[Big ugly]

Jennings .22 I had one of those pile of junks I carried in my tool box on the jobsite. Missfiered, stovepiped, Fell apart in your hand. Total junk.

[doug66]

Originally Posted by Big ugly

Jennings .22 Fell apart in your hand. Total junk.

Same here with J22. In less than 50 rds.

Had a Taurus 9 shot revolver that may have got out of time. Last time I shot it, lead splattered front of frame, down side of forcing cone, and top of index finger. Hurt like a sum beach.

Found out later in life if you need a 22 pistol, buy a Ruger.

[TOOHSOTKIL]

REMINGTON 522 VIPER

[Shooter973]

I bought a LLamma 22 , looked like a miniature 1911. Took it out the first day and it went Full Auto during the first couple of mags. Peened the firing pin in the out position and would empty the mag real quick. Took it back the same day.
Never bought another LLamma brand of anything ever again.

[shootstr8er]

Originally Posted by Shooter973

I bought a LLamma 22 , looked like a miniature 1911. Took it out the first day and it went Full Auto during the first couple of mags. Peened the firing pin in the out position and would empty the mag real quick. Took it back the same day.
Never bought another LLamma brand of anything ever again.

i wount take anything for my llama .380 made in spain, sweetist shooter i ever held..i have 2 mags for carry and defence..bought from a retired gun shop owner as a daily carrier..urs must have been made in the us..cheap s**t knock offs..

[Magnum12]

Originally Posted by shootstr8er

i wount take anything for my llama .380 made in spain, sweetist shooter i ever held..i have 2 mags for carry and defence..bought from a retired gun shop owner as a daily carrier..urs must have been made in the us..cheap s**t knock offs..

I have one of those LLamas. Thirty years old. Less than one box through it.
Gotta watch that hammer.
Mag

[Suwannee Tim]

I bought a Ruger 77-22. I had high hopes for that gun. I can shoot a rifle and I love an accurate gun. First trip to the range, six to eight inches at 50. Sent it back to Ruger. Two months later I got it back, six to eight inches at 50. I called them. "It meets Ruger accuracy specifications." "What are Ruger accuracy specifications?" Answer: Ruger accuracy specifications are a secret. I sold it in frustration. I wish now I had kept the Ruger and rebarreled it.

High Standard Sentinel Deluxe, nine shot revolver, they don't make them anymore, good thing. My father bought one, the recoil shield where the firing pin emerges got beat in so the fired cases drag. Oddly enough, rat shot works fine. It was my rat shot gun when I had pecan trees. I had some pitched CQBs with rats

[shootstr8er]

yea mag.dropped the hammer decocking.. dug some carpet.now i do it the safe way,clip out, breach clear.

[thomas44]

Heritage Roughrider

[johnlives4christ]

henry lever, standard model... worked well... couldnt hit anythign with it.. first shot would hit where you aim.. the warmer it got. the looser the group got. i've heard people swear by them henries. gunsmith said my complaint is common though. i've yet to see anyone that swears by their henry actually be able to hit anything with it smallern a coke can at 25 yards. i can hit an empty 9mm casing with my remington 41 targetmaster though at 25 yards using a rest and iron's, or empty shotgun shells offhand

[Dragoon]

Originally Posted by thomas44

Heritage Roughrider

I take it you got a bad one? I have one & it shoots okay, & while the construction is not what I'd characterize either as robust or finely finished, it is about what I'd expect at this price point. Many of the .22 SA's imported from Germany in years past were a lot worse.

[Tom Militano]

The biggest piece of junk I ever made the mistake of buying was a S&W 22A .22. I sent it back to the factory because there wasn't enough adjustment on the rear sight to get a group in the black. A couple of months later I got it back and all they did was bend the bridge on the rear sight. Except now you couldn't turn the rear sight screw. When I called about it the idiot that answered the phone said they didn't have any gunsmiths at the repair facility, they just change parts or adjust things, his words. I gave the piece of crap away and that will be the last S&W I ever purchase. I have some old revolvers that are good guns, but I lost respect for S&W with some of the junk they are selling now.

[fyimo]

Originally Posted by Tom Militano

The biggest piece of junk I ever made the mistake of buying was a S&W 22A .22. I sent it back to the factory because there wasn't enough adjustment on the rear sight to get a group in the black. A couple of months later I got it back and all they did was bend the bridge on the rear sight. Except now you couldn't turn the rear sight screw. When I called about it the idiot that answered the phone said they didn't have any gunsmiths at the repair facility, they just change parts or adjust things, his words. I gave the piece of crap away and that will be the last S&W I ever purchase. I have some old revolvers that are good guns, but I lost respect for S&W with some of the junk they are selling now.

Too bad about your views on S&W as I agree that a lot of their new stuff is junk as is the Sig Mosquito. I however buy the S&W revolvers built in the 60's and 70's and they are great guns and you can find many that are like new.

I bought a Model 17-4 22LR made in 1980 with 8 3/8 barrel for $550 that was unfired. It's a laser beam as far as accuraccy goes and so is the 1952 Model K22 with 6 inch barrel I bought for $500.

The worst 22 I ever owned was a 1960's early single shot Mossburg rifle that would someimes fire when you closed the bolt. That was so scary I decided if they ever had a guns for bucks turn in here I might actually turn it in and I think those programs are stupid.

Model 17-4

K22

[tazz7002]

winchester model 70

[Keystone]

A Jennings .22. That thing was a POS. I never know where the bullet is going to go. I'll never buy one of those again.

[fleetwood1976]

Originally Posted by thomas44

Heritage Roughrider

I thought the same thing untill I tried some Wolf Match Extra through it. Now I can not miss with it. My ruger single six shoots anything well, but the cheaper guns seem to be picky.