The 22 was the first love for many of us.

I once owned an older Marlin 39 Mounty carbine. It was not as accurate as my old Nylon 66 or Mossberg target or several Remingtons I owned. Mine only ejected or loaded a new round if one used the same hard stroke. A slight pause was a jam. I had always wanted one, I personally was disappointed but made money on it.

I currently have a Ruger 10/22 it is a plinker fun gun. I bought an abused Marlin 25 at a gun show. The bbl had been held by a bloody hand in several places, the birch stock had no finish and dings.

I draw filed the bbl and blued it. Refinished the stock and I was repairing a prewar Octagon bbl 8-57 sporter stock for a guy. I fixed the crack and blind inletted cross bolt and glass bedded it. I had my Marlin stock on the bench and decided to glass bed it too. The little 25 dollar gun shot as well as the Anchuts I owned at that time. I sold the Anschutz.

I would like to trade into a CZ 22 LR. It seems to be calling my name.

Clones are sometime good. I bought my son a Norinco copy of the little Browning 22 auto, put a scope on it. It shot very, very well. At 25 yards it was one ragged hole.

If I were starting a 22 rifle collection and left out some of the old classic Win-REM items I think I would go for broke on the first one, a Kimber 22. I have 2 Kimber 7mm08's awesome guns.

One needs a fun gun, some kind of clip fed auto, A 10/22 or perhaps a fake AR platfoorm one.

Then you need an accurate beater so you are not dragging the Kimber through the rocks or leave it out in the rain in your boat.

Stainless synthetic stock something. I do love blue steel and walnut but this one is the shoot the eye out of a bunny in all kinds of weather.

Marlin 60 or Ruger? I vote Ruger because of the magazines over tubes.

I had a Remington 66 or was it a 77, forgot. It had the magazine and the cheap scope that came with it. Tack driver accurate. The only reason I got rid of it was the magazines kept splitting on the corners, new ones out of the factory pack the one that came with it all split making it a 2 shot gun. If I put 3 rounds in the Mag it would not work.

I also had the Remington 572(?) pump 22. It was very accurate. Some guy bought it and I was out looking again.