I went out to the Range yesterday with a friend I had not seen for quite a while. During that time he acquired a few used rifles that he had not shot yet an so yesterday was the day.

The one I have a question about is his Winchester 9422. The gun was probably built in the 80's and was in about 90 - 92% condition, had the typical slick 9422 action, uncheckered stock, and was a tack driver. When he loaded the gun for the first time I noticed that the Magazine Assembly was made out of steel (not aluminum - attracts a magnet) with a dark red follower. I've seen my share of these fine winchester 22's and have NEVER seen a steel mag. assy. - they have always been Brass. If there are any "Winchester Guys" here my question is, is the steel part an after market job or did Winchester at any time actually make them out of steel? I'ts hard to believe Winchester would use steel on such a beautifully made rifle.

My 9422M has an all steel magazine assembly and I can assure you it's just as it came from the factory.

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Dave Brown
SWCA #3279

I can answer your question for you.

From the 9422's beginning in 1972, all of them were equipped with steel feed tubes. In later production, the feed tubes were changed to brass. This was an effort to reduce any problems that might be caused by rust in this critical component. I have several of these fine guns, and both types of feed tube are evident with them. I am not sure when the change took place, but I believe it was from the mid- to late 1980s. The .22 LR XTR model pictured below and illustrated in my book 101 Classic Firearms was shipped in 1980 and has the earlier steel version.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Thanks guys..... I'm just very surprised! First time I have seen steel Mag Assy's on ANY Leer Action Rifle ........ Guess ya learn something every day

I have a 1975 9422 and it also has a steel magazine tube.

Getting to be real treasures those 9422s Gonna look for one in 22 magnum that won't break the bank but I doubt it.

I have an early 9422 with a steel tube. Whenever I take a non-shooter to the range for some instruction and familiarization, I start them with my 9422. I have yet to meet anyone who doesn't love the 9422, and from seeing so many Westerns, they seem to instinctively know how to shoot it. The 9422 is a real treasure.

bought one earlier this year

In case someone does a search looking for the 9422’s transition from steel to brass mag tube, it was 1977/78.

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213th FBINA

I had one in .22 Magnum back when they were still being made. Nice gun. Pistol grip, crescent butt plate, 22 or 24 inch barrel.
The thing tha drove me nuts about it was that Winchester or the Japanese manufacturer decided to put the carbine-length magazine tunes on the longer rifle model, which looked like ****. Why they did not put the longer tubes on the longer barreled guns is beyond me. The tube was about 4 inches shorter than the barre.
They may have saved a dollar per gun btpybusing the same tubes on both the carbines and rifles, but they never were not cheap guns to buy anyway.
Some production manager who understood any of the esthetics of classic type guns made that decision..

Some folks like the 2/3 magazine tube, my M64 has one.

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213th FBINA

I am fortunate to have received a “brand new in the box”Winchester 9422XTR S/L/LR for Christmas in 1981.
Thanks again Mom and Dad.
It instantly became my most prized possession.
I was in 8th grade then and I still have it to this day.
This thread made me curious so I got it out of the gun cabinet and checked. I performed the magnet test and it did stick. Mine has a white follower. There is no rust on it whatsoever.

A quick internet serial number lookup indicates it was indeed made in 1981. Serial number F471*** if anyone wants to confirm.

Winchester used steel for the inner mag tubes on their earlier .22 pumps. Some other makers did as well. Pump, semiauto, lever, etc.

I think the Winchester Model 64 has the most graceful lines of any in the Winchester lineup through the years.

Mine was produced in 1936 and is still in nearly perfect condition. The 2/3 magazine gives it excellent appearance and balance.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

The change from steel to brass magazine tubes occurred in mid 1978.

The reported reason was that brass would not rust. But oddly I have never seen a reasonably well cared for 9422 from the 1972-78 era with a rusty magazine tube.

I suspect the change was made as a cost saving measure on a gun that only had a couple cost saving measures during its entire production run. The second was the switch to a common receiver for both the 9422 and the 9422M, with the 9422s switching to the 9422M receiver with its slightly longer ejection port.

One of the few flaws in the 9422 is that the magazine tube can easily jump its detent and fall out when the shooter is walking with it muzzle down and with an empty magazine. When that happened post 1978, and older 9422 was likely to end up with a newer brass magazine tube. If it happened after Winchester folded it’s tent here in the US, the magazine tube was likely to be generic replacement cut to length to fit the outer tube.

The best prevention for losing the magazine tube is to install an o-ring in between the end plug and the pin. It keeps pressure between the outer tube and the plug and won’t let the inner tube jump the detent.





The steel magazine tube shown here is off a 1978 XTR, the first year for the XTR and the only year where the XTR had an uncheckered stock.

The 9422 below it is a 2000 9422 trapper. It has a checkered stock but is not an XTR. When Winchester discontinued the XTR models all 9422s got checkered stocks, but they did not get the high polish on the lever and hammer flats. It’s the presence of the “XTR” on the barrel as well as the highly polished flats on th hammer and lever that distinguish a 9422 XTR.

Steel also on my 9422.

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Paul
Salome, AZ

Ironicly just today. i was rereading my old Guns and Ammo 1980 Annual .it had an article by John Lachuk called Saddle Gun Round up, about all available lever guns for sale .In it when he got to the Winchester 9422. His exact words , I quote"the inner tube that contains the spring and follower is of everlasting stainless steel rather than brass." unquote

Couldn't agree more. I almost settled for 64A, but luckily found a 1935 (dad's birth year) in .32 WS. Used, but not abused.

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213th FBINA