What is the best lever action .22 ?

I don't know much about lever action rimfires, except my son has a Henry and it is smooth and accurate, and dependable.

What are your expectations, likes and dislikes? It seems that each of the current rimfire 22's is aimed at a different need. Most of the levers are pretty well made and fun to shoot. Tell us a little more about what you want this rifle to do and your likes and dislikes.
Bfly

Marlin Model 39.

Winchester 9422 XTR

quote:

Winchester 9422 XTR

That is my first rifle. Nice and smooth and accurate.

If it is for someone old enough to drive, then it isn't a Browning BL-22. They are great-looking kid's guns and not a whole lot more.

Trigger is horrendous. The pull feels much heavier than the gun's sub-6lb weight. The stock length of pull is just slightly longer than a squirt-gun. Doesn't feed or eject live rounds of CCI very well. Taken together, off-hand accuracy and field usefulness are poor.

I've had mine for 22 years as my primary rimfire. I put thousands of rounds a year through it, have carried it uncounted miles on hunts, but I can't recommend it at all except for shooting off bags. I'll be buying some 1885 or 9422, I hope for next fall. I wouldn't buy a metal-injected Henry and I sure read a lot about quality issues on new Marlin levers.

Like Black Fly, I'd like to know "best" for what?

I own a Marlin 39, a Browning BL-22, and a Henry (youth model, actually bought for my grandson). I also owned a Win 94/22 at one time.

Of them all, I like the BL-22 the best. It is light, trim, nicely stocked and finished, very smooth, reliable, and accurate. I also like the design of the trigger which travels with the lever. If you've ever pinched your finger between the lever and the trigger on a conventional lever action you'll know exactly why. I have none of the complaints of MichiganShooter above and wonder why he has put up with those problems for 22 years?

The Marlin 39 is heavier (too heavy for my tastes in a .22 rimfire), but no more accurate than the BL-22. It's a well-made rifle, but for the money I'll take the Browning.

The Henry is value-priced. It is certainly built on a less expensive design, and the one I bought for my grandson took about two boxes run through it before it smoothed up and started to feed properly. It is accurate enough, and for the money you pay it is a good buy.

The Winchester 94/22 hasn't been made in a number of years and clean used ones have become pretty pricey. The one I owned was not particularly accurate compared to other .22's, but it was the WMR version which tends to be less accurate than the LR version. I couldn't recommend spending what it takes to buy one of these when the other makes are available at a considerably lower price.

Although you can mount a scope on any of these rifles, none of them are particularly well-adapted to scopes. They have too much drop in the stock, and besides, a scope ruins the classic saddle gun lines.

I think the BL-22's limits have become more apparent over time to me. Even with a trigger job.

What do people think is the most accurate rimfire lever action out there?

I owned a Marlin Model 57 Levermatic many years ago. It is a one-piece stock design that is reminiscent of the Winchester 88 or Sako Finnwolf. It was uncannily accurate. I was foolish to have ever sold it.

More Marlin 39A's seen in Cowboy silhouette than anything else. But if I didn't have a 39A, I would want a 9422.

9422!!! Wish I had one...

My Henry's group well. I should shoot them more but shoot too much service rifle to spend a lot of time with them. 1 in .22 LR, 1 in .22 Mag. No complaints about function or accuracy.

Michiganshooter, what do you think is wrong with a "metal-injected Henry"?

I do not have something against the process per se. For instance, Damasteel might have real potential for interesting modern firearms.

I just do not want to take a chance on getting a void in the receiver's structure on a rifle built to extreme price constraints.

I know a gunsmith who had part of his face blown off. You could likely buy a nice English double rifle for what turned out to be over confidence.

So for me, the rule is the fewer chances taken on stuff like that, the better. A little extra cost for more established processes is worth it.