Great rifles, Winchester built them as a premium rifle and they are, IMO, the best .22 lever action. I've got two of them, but must confess I don't know how they shoot! I've shot other 9422s, but not my own...!
Bought my first 9422 when my son was a baby. Literally had him in the baby stroller, at the gun show when I bought it for him! He doesn't know/remember about the gun. He's 11 now, and I figure I'll give it to him for his 12th, or 13th Birthday. It came with box and docs, like from the factory, I don't believe that it's been shot.
I liked that gun so much, I had to buy one for myself. Found it here on the forum classified back around 2007/08, if I remember correctly. Again, if I remember correctly, the member that I bought it from said he bought a couple when he heard that Winchester was going out of business/closing the New Haven factory. Anyway, this 9422 I know is unfired, in the box...
Now, thanks to OPGs (other people's guns) I have shot 9422s plenty, and they are very nice shooting guns. I suppose I'll shoot mine some day, maybe when I give my son his 9422, we'll shoot them together. I've got enough .22 rifles to shoot in the meantime, while I decide if/when to uncork the 9422s...
I do own a nice Marlin 39A, and have shot it a bunch. Quality built, sturdy, 'full size' lever .22. The Marlin shoots really nice and is also built for a several lifetimes if you take care of it. I also like that it's a take-down rifle.
Comparing it to the 9422, IME, the Marlin just does not have the same refinement of fit, finish, and lines/handling as the Winchester. The Mountie is better balanced than the full size 39, but still... I think you'll hear a lot more about the Marlin 39 because, well, there's a lot more of them out there!! And, of course, they are a really nice gun. But, to me, there really isn't much of a comparison to the 9422, for me...
I do think that the Browning BLII is right up there in terms of quality, fit/finish and how smooth the action is. They are a very nice .22 lever. Not a Winchester, but very nice...
Had a lot of trigger time on them and they shoot nice, too.
I also like the action on these Henry .22s. Very, very nice gun that is ruined by the cheap cast alloy action that is concealed by a painted covering! Functionally, I know they work great, such a smooth action, but to me the cast alloy just cheapens the rifle. I also find the triggers to be a little too stout, but not terrible. Usually Henry's have very nice walnut stocks and the bluing is nice, too.
But, why Henry insist on cheaping-out on that element of an otherwise very nice rifle confounds me. I'm sure it's to hit a price point that works for selling as many rifles as possible. But, can't they do a .22 model with a forged steel receiver, as well as well as the ones with the zinc receivers...? They do it for their large caliber rifles, maybe they'll do it for the .22s some day...?
That said, I bought a Henry .22 pump action a couple of years ago, and its such a fun gun to shoot! Very nice walnut and blued octagon barrel. It shoots pretty darn accurately, and is 100% reliable in feeding rounds though it's tube mag. With better sights and a lighter trigger, it think this gun could hold some very tight groups...
Anyway, yes, I believe the 9422 is worth the money, if you believe in purchasing quality. They are not making them anymore, and doubt that they will again. It's one of those classic, "they don't make 'em like that anymore" situations. I think the price will probably continue to rise. It's been like that for as long as I've been looking at them...