inexpensive .22 rifle with a decent trigger- which, is there one ???

A

AirRifleGuy

New member
I am spoiled with nice triggers on my air rifle- paid a lot for them and expect it. The Ruger10/22 I handled at the local discount store couldn't be dry fired because we didn't have a spent shell.

I know most stock lower end guns have terrible triggers, all mine did.

Who/what manufacturer of .22 riflles is know for the best factory trigger or cheapest aftermarket?
 
from what i understand making a good trigger on a 10/22 is pretty painless. some of the other guys can prolly tell ya more bout that.


i was gonna suggest savage too.
http://www.savagearms.com/64f.htm
here is a savage i own, actually i have two. They are on the cheap side, trigger is so-so, some creep but the rifle is VERY accurate for a .22lr

cant vouch for the .22lr version but i have the .17 version of http://www.savagearms.com/markiif.htm and the accutrigger is really nice. this is the low end, at 250 msrp. dunno how much higher ur wanting to go.
 
ARG,
I have 2 Savage 93's with the Accu-trigger.
I consider them good triggers compared to any other rimfire I've shot. Each one was bought for ~$180 + tax.
HTH.
M
 
I have found that the older rifles, pre 1964, have the better triggers. I will not buy a new .22 cal. I have a couple Mossbergs from the 1940s and 1950s, the triggers are perfect, crisp and smooth. When going to a gun shop I take my own ammo and buy only from shops that let me try it out. Older guns were made with quality of workmanship. To get a new quality rifle you need to put down a chunk of green. But, $200.00 for an older .22 cal is the was to go. One of the Mossbergs I have, new in 1947 cost about $20.00, 50 yards cut holds. Anyway go older they have the right feel.
 
My favorite inexpensive .22lr is my Springfield-Stevens from about 1948... Tube fed, reliable, not picky on ammo, and accurate..

The only downside to the rifle is that it isn't cut for mounting a scope and if you want one, you will have to have it tapped and mounted....

Average cost is $100-150 in most areas and can be found in pawn shops with the economy of late.....Otherwise I would second the new Savages...

Stevens-Springfield-22lr.jpg


By pushing in the bolt handle, you can lock the bolt closed and shoot shorts, longs, CBs, etc. and then cycle it manually...
 
I recently spent time recovering from hip replacement surgery. In an effort to try to keep my sanity (what little I have left anyway) I did trigger jobs on Ruger 10/22's for a half dozen or so friends. I found quite detailed instructions over at RFC, complete with photos.

After breaking the ice with the first one (which was my own 10/22 BTW) I couldn't believe how easily it was to make the Ruger 10/22's Triggers feel really, really good. Most ended up in the 2 1/2 pound range, crisp & smooth. The KEY is to NOT remove any significant amount of metal or change angles, but simply polish everything that rubs together so the contact surfaces are like a mirror. I learned to start with 120 grit emery cloth and progressively go to finer and finer grit sandpaper ending up using either 1500 grit or 2000 grit for the final polish.

The other thing I did (again found on RFC) was to Chamfer the rear bottom surface of the bolt so it interacts cocking the hammer with much less resistance. I also did the Auto Bolt Modification to each one of these 10/22's.

After smoothing up and polishing everything these 10/22's now will function perfectly with sub sonic hollow points, as well as high velocity ammo.

As per an inexpensive Bolt Action .22. Over the years I have very good luck with the Marlins. I was given an OLD Marlin Model 25 that my daughter uses now. When the guy gave me the Marlin he wasn't sure if it even worked or not. With a lot of cleaning, TLC and a trigger job that old Marlin thinks it is a Target Rifle when fed Federal BULK Hollow Points. The Marlins are not all that hard to do a trigger job on and if even a better trigger is desired there is always the Rifle Basix Fully Adjustable Triggers.

I have had a couple MARK II Savage .22 LR Rifles as well as a couple Savage Sport Striker .22 LR Handguns. Personally I would opt for the Marlin over the Savage anyday, just my experiences.

Larry
 
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As a present on his 16th birthday, I bought a friend's son a M60 Marlin with a synthetic stock. I was really surprised as to how well it shot.

With a Burris rimfire scope, I had a great combination that didn't break the bank.
 
I have a savage .22 mag, love it, very accurate and I like the accu trigger.

I dont remember how much it cost but I think it was under or just a bit over 200.

I would assume, that the .22lr would be just as good, and probably cheaper yet.

the 10/22 is a good platform, you can start basic, kind of a cruddy trigger, but you can get a ton of junk for it after market. build it as you want it over time.

Good Luck

Dave
 
I was given a VQ match hammer kit for my 10/22 for my birthday. What a difference! I don't have a guage, but I'm guess it's now around 2 lbs like they claim it would be. It's an easy and cheap ($30) accuracy fix if you go with the 10/22 option.

Now I do think other 22s have a design that are inherently more accurate than the 10/22. My dad's Rem 597 was more accurate than most 10/22s I've seen out of the box...it would be interesting to see what replacing or polishing the hammer would do on this rifle.
 


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