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need a quality 22LR lever action rifle
- Thread starter Simon
- Start date
I've read a lot of negatives about the Henry rifles. I seldom hear or read anything bad about the Winchester, Marlin or Browning lever guns. Lever actions in a .22 are a lot more complex than $200.00 will buy new for something decent. If the budget isn't flexible, $200.00 will buy a whole lot more in the way of quality if you go with a semi auto. Like MalH says though, you might get lucky and find a gem used if you look hard enough. The problems I've seen with used .22's is that they are pretty much "shot out". People buy them for the same reasons we want them. They're cheap to feed and fun to shoot.
Green Republican
New member
A used Winchester 9422 can be had for $200 to $250 (or less) and is exceptional.
Master Blaster
New member
I have 94/22 winchester I bought mine new for $325
it has excellent accuracy, a very good trigger, but no external safety other than the half cock notch for the hammer, much like an old model 94, before the rebounding hammer and crossbolt safety.
I could heartily recommend a ruger 10/22 standard model
which is very accurate costs about $150 and has an external
trigger safety.
Walmart had a henry .22 for $195 (the one in Delaware)
but I don't know anything about them.
it has excellent accuracy, a very good trigger, but no external safety other than the half cock notch for the hammer, much like an old model 94, before the rebounding hammer and crossbolt safety.
I could heartily recommend a ruger 10/22 standard model
which is very accurate costs about $150 and has an external
trigger safety.
Walmart had a henry .22 for $195 (the one in Delaware)
but I don't know anything about them.
I recently picked up a Henry .22 s/l/lr from Walmart for $186.95. I have nothing but good things to say about this gun. The trigger`s nice and the lever is smooth. Shells eject to the side and not on top of your head. It`s accurate as lever actions go. I think it`s quality from top to bottom. I wouldn`t hesitate to recommend it. I think it`s a really great value for the $.
handgun357
New member
I have the Henry .22 cal lever action and it is a great gun. Very accurate and the wood stock surprised me with it's quality. I paid $186.00 NIB at Wally World.
I liked it so much, I went and bought a "Golden Boy".
I also have a Marlin 39A which is an excellent gun and a Browning BL22 (grade II) that also is very nice. I would reccomend any of these guns, but for $200.00, the only one in that price range is the Henry.
Did you know that Henry was the one who designed the Winchester lever action? He worked for Winchester at the time.
Happy Plinking.................
I liked it so much, I went and bought a "Golden Boy".
I also have a Marlin 39A which is an excellent gun and a Browning BL22 (grade II) that also is very nice. I would reccomend any of these guns, but for $200.00, the only one in that price range is the Henry.
Did you know that Henry was the one who designed the Winchester lever action? He worked for Winchester at the time.
Happy Plinking.................
Doc Hudson
New member
Either increase your budget or search for a used Marlin M-39, either the Golden 39-A model with the 24 inch barrel and pistolgrips buttstock or a M-39-M with a 20" barrel and a straight grip butt-stock.
There really are no other .22 LR leveraction rifles in the same league with the Marlin M-39. It is barrel and forearm above the rest.
And that is my honest and not so humble opinion.
Doc Hudson
[Edited by Doc Hudson on 02-09-2001 at 11:15 AM]
There really are no other .22 LR leveraction rifles in the same league with the Marlin M-39. It is barrel and forearm above the rest.
And that is my honest and not so humble opinion.
Doc Hudson
[Edited by Doc Hudson on 02-09-2001 at 11:15 AM]
Payette Jack
New member
Testament to the Marlin
I'm still shooting Dad's. Hard to guess how many rounds, tens of thousands. Shoots like a charm.
I'm still shooting Dad's. Hard to guess how many rounds, tens of thousands. Shoots like a charm.
six 4 sure
New member
My advise FWIW.
I just bought a .22 lever action last weekend. Always wanted one, and somehow bought three other lever guns before I got a .22.
A few options you might want to consider before buying are, what kind of ammo you're going to shoot, and wether you're going to put a scope on.
Before buying mine I asked the dealer, I've been doing business for years, with which one he though was best, Henry, Browning, Winchester, or Marlin. I also wanted to mount a scope, and shoot shorts in mine.
He told me to pass on the Henry, that the new 9422's are no longer guarantied to shoot shorts, and the Brownings are a little more difficult to put scopes on. Personally, I don't care for the looks of the Marlin's, so I was in sort of a fix.
My solution, LUCK. He had an older 9422 that was near mint. So I bought it, and mounted a 6x scope on it. The price range on the Winchester, Browning, and Marlin were pretty close to $325, I know that's a little over your budget. Hope this helps.
I just bought a .22 lever action last weekend. Always wanted one, and somehow bought three other lever guns before I got a .22.
A few options you might want to consider before buying are, what kind of ammo you're going to shoot, and wether you're going to put a scope on.
Before buying mine I asked the dealer, I've been doing business for years, with which one he though was best, Henry, Browning, Winchester, or Marlin. I also wanted to mount a scope, and shoot shorts in mine.
He told me to pass on the Henry, that the new 9422's are no longer guarantied to shoot shorts, and the Brownings are a little more difficult to put scopes on. Personally, I don't care for the looks of the Marlin's, so I was in sort of a fix.
My solution, LUCK. He had an older 9422 that was near mint. So I bought it, and mounted a 6x scope on it. The price range on the Winchester, Browning, and Marlin were pretty close to $325, I know that's a little over your budget. Hope this helps.
The Marlin 39 is the only "real" rifle to choose - 19th Century technology and quality at it's finest. In fact the 39 has the honor of holding the world record for longest continuos production rifle, any caliber from any maker, at somewhere around 108 years. IMO all the other .22 lever action rifles in production today are cost-reduced bean-counter designed toys. -- Kernel
JNewell,
With respect to you, I know a lot of people like their 9422 and I didn't mean to put them or the rifle down. It is exactly what you say it is and by all accounts a fine plinker and a nifty little fun-gun, but IMO it's more closely related to a Ruger 10/22 than to a Marlin 39. The Marlin is the real deal, a design that's been manufactured virtually unchanged since 1897, and even then it was based on an earlier rifle that was introduced in 1892 IIRC.
The point I was trying to make is all these look alike cowboy guns have zero historic cache. And history is one of the reasons some of us like collecting guns. The 9422 was introduced in the early 1970's. (Heck, it's not even a real Winchester since that company ceased to exist at about that same time, it's a "U.S. Repeating Arms.") The 9422 is a facsimile - a modern arm purposely designed to mimic the look and feel of an older era. What P.T. Barum would have called a " ... genuine fake." -- Kernel
With respect to you, I know a lot of people like their 9422 and I didn't mean to put them or the rifle down. It is exactly what you say it is and by all accounts a fine plinker and a nifty little fun-gun, but IMO it's more closely related to a Ruger 10/22 than to a Marlin 39. The Marlin is the real deal, a design that's been manufactured virtually unchanged since 1897, and even then it was based on an earlier rifle that was introduced in 1892 IIRC.
The point I was trying to make is all these look alike cowboy guns have zero historic cache. And history is one of the reasons some of us like collecting guns. The 9422 was introduced in the early 1970's. (Heck, it's not even a real Winchester since that company ceased to exist at about that same time, it's a "U.S. Repeating Arms.") The 9422 is a facsimile - a modern arm purposely designed to mimic the look and feel of an older era. What P.T. Barum would have called a " ... genuine fake." -- Kernel
K. -- thanks for the comback. I probably have better reason than most to have fond feelings for what's left of Winchester, but on the whole I actually think that if we're talking about new production the Marlin levers are better, stronger designs and at least as well made. And, you're certainly right about the historical merits (and lack of merits) of the 39A and anything else available new today.
On the other hand, if you strip a 9422, you will find that when they designed this rifle (late 60s/early 70s) they had the howling from the 1964 debacle still ringing clearly and loudly in their ears. The 9422 may be a new design, but there is nothing "cheap" or even really "modern" (in the sense of lots of stamped or cast parts) about it. I've never compared the relatively recent USRAC 9422 we've got to the very early Olin/Winchester 9422M, but I've never noticed any real differences, either. If anything, the external finish on the USRAC might be better.
I'm not trying to start an argument (hope it doesn't sound like I am), but I would say that, whatever else is true, the 9422 did and does stand a cut above the excellent 10/22 and certainly above the Rossis and Henrys and other similar rifles. Not trying to pick an argument, just trying to get my point across clearly -- hope you take it that way!
On the other hand, if you strip a 9422, you will find that when they designed this rifle (late 60s/early 70s) they had the howling from the 1964 debacle still ringing clearly and loudly in their ears. The 9422 may be a new design, but there is nothing "cheap" or even really "modern" (in the sense of lots of stamped or cast parts) about it. I've never compared the relatively recent USRAC 9422 we've got to the very early Olin/Winchester 9422M, but I've never noticed any real differences, either. If anything, the external finish on the USRAC might be better.
I'm not trying to start an argument (hope it doesn't sound like I am), but I would say that, whatever else is true, the 9422 did and does stand a cut above the excellent 10/22 and certainly above the Rossis and Henrys and other similar rifles. Not trying to pick an argument, just trying to get my point across clearly -- hope you take it that way!
Nevada Fitch
New member
Stay away from the Henry. I have owned both Marlin 39A's and I own a Mod 94/22mag. Both are fine guns and accurate also. The wood to metal fit varies quite a but from gun to gun on the winchesters but really nice ones can be found.Anymore I prefer The winchester because they haven't installed that dammed ***** safety yet and that is all the reason I need to recomend the Winchester over the Marlin.Also I have had no problems yet with the Winchester. But the Marlin has one weak link.It is the firing pin.The will break under hard use.They are easy to change. I had one break on me and My brother in law also had one break on him. I bought extras from an old gunsmith and drilled a hole in the buttstock of my rifle so I would have one with me if it ever happened again.