Way back when dinosaurs ruled the earth I got my first .22--a Marlin 80C magazine fed bolt action. To me it was almost a Griffin and Howe Springfield sporter.

A few years later I got into small bore marksmanship under ROTC supervision. The rifles available were the Remington 513T, and a few Remington 40Xs which were carefully guarded. But my favorite was the Springfield M2 M1922, built on the M1903 action and expressly built as a sub caliber trainer for the Army in the interwar years. I shot them whenever I could, and many years later I managed to get one of my own. Most authorities believe that they were the finest .22 rifle ever built, with the possible exception of the Winchester 52s. Although I never shot it out beyond 100 yards, some clubs in the Depression shot them out to 2 and 300 yards; I have the windage and elevation tables for those ranges; and the Lyman 48 sights would crank up enough elevation to do it.

Now comes the 15-22 to understudy the AR rifle. Known-distance National Match slow, timed, and rapid fire is a purists' game nowadays for the most part. The real-world is now full of bad guys at shorter ranges, and the emphasis is on quick work and ranges that are almost always under 200 yards. The 15-22 with a red-dot optic is ideally suited to practicing that type of shooting, and for good or for ill, that is what we need to be good at these days. So much for position shooting, use of the leather sling, bolt manipulation, and sight changes. Snipers still practice all those things, but it's become a mysterious art form.

But every once in a while I take out that .22 Springfield with the 1934 barrel date, work the bolt, and admire the craftsmanship that went into it. They don't make them like that any more, and they never will again.

Nice post, well stated. I too enjoy all kinds of firearms, if it goes bang I'm in. I had a chance to spend some quality face time with 4 M1 garands. They were fun to strip down to parts and reassemble. The times change and so the weapons have to as well.

One of my best days that will go down in history in my life was at Stockton Calif. on March 1996. The FBI was training our group for new Range Masters. They brought down every kind of rifle you could think of even the Barrett .50 cal. We got to shoot a broom handle Mauser right down to the Post Office Police Thompson Machine gun. Yea, the smile on our face was priceless.

I remember this day and the vehicle that we made into Swiss Cheese at the end of the range.. The M&P 15/22 with a Red Dot is just a continuation of fun and training with the bonus of the cost savings you get on the ammo, to me icing on the already wonderful cake..

I still have a oregon made kimber 22 trainer on my bucket list. They were the smoothest 22 bolts made. That or a sako.

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Joshua Brown(Town)

I take the 541 to the range on a regular basis; nothing like putting a good group inside a dime with a bolt gun; the cheaper the ammo the better as long at it punches one ragged hole.

The 15-22 is the fun gun; sure glad we got one.

Bill

Hi Do you have any pictures you would share with us on the .22 Springfield.
I've never seen one

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M&P15-22’s Tupperware for Guys

I have among others a .22 Sako Finfire. If you ever get the chance pick one up. They rank up there with the best of them. Best regards Plum

Absolutely! I have one with a Jewel trigger. Sporter class rimfire benchrest .

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Don't Squat With Your Spurs On

I am SO jealous!!!! That's what we shot in High School ROTC back in '60-'61.

I keep looking for an M2 but they are way out of my price range. Shot them in boot camp in 64 at Great Lakes. Later a gun club I belonged to had some from the DCM

Ted