Most folks know about the Remington Nylon 66 series of semiautomatic .22 rifles, which were something of a sensation when they were introduced in 1958. Beginning in 1961 and running through 1964, they also came up with some nylon-stocked bolt action rifles. Not many folks know about these today, and few have even seen one. Even collectors argue about how they are sorted out. There are some very rare and valuable ones in the bunch, so I thought I'd try to shed some light on them.
The first to go into production was the Nylon 11, in late 1961. It was fitted with a 6-shot metal detachable magazine. It had a butter-knife Mannlicher-style bolt handle. 22,423 of them were made. Here's a picture:
In 1964, shortly before the bolt actions were discontinued, a few Nylon 11s were made with longer barrels. The quantity is unknown, but there were very few, and they are quite valuable today. Here's a pic of one of these, equipped with the optional 10-round metal magazine:
In late 1962, the Nylon 10 was introduced. This was a low-cost single shot number. Only 8,606 of these rifles were made, and it's rarely encountered today. The bolt on this beginner-oriented rifle engages the safety each time the bolt is brought back. It has to be released each time to fire the shot. Here's a shot of this rarity:
A really rare variation of the Nylon 10 was the smooth-bore version, designed to fire only .22 LR shot shells. There was no rifling in the bore. These are almost never found today, as only 2,064 were made. Needless to say, prices on these now border on unreasonable. Here's the marking on the barrel that distinguishes them:
In 1964, an extremely small number of long-barreled Nylon 10s were made. They are ghosts on the collector market; I've never seen one. This picture has been Photoshopped to show what it looks like. These are unbearably expensive when offered for sale.
In late 1962, the Nylon 12 was put on the market. It was a tube-fed repeater, with the tube under the barrel. Its production quantity was 27,551. Here's a pic:
A small number of long-barreled Nylon 12s was made in 1964. Quantity is unknown, but they are rare. Here is one:
The bolt action nylon rifles were never very popular, so not that many were made. Perversely, they are now some of the most valuable finds on the collector market. If you find one at anywhere near a reasonable price at a gun show or gun store, it's money in the bank, and Remington Nylon collectors will fall all over themselves trying to buy it from you!
As a side note, these guns will more often than not be found with no rear sight. To scope the rifle properly, it was necessary to remove that sight, and the sight was routinely put aside and lost. Therefore, the rear sights are in demand and have gotten pretty expensive when found.
Hope you find this summary of interest. All of these pictures, taken today, are copyrighted to me.
John
The first to go into production was the Nylon 11, in late 1961. It was fitted with a 6-shot metal detachable magazine. It had a butter-knife Mannlicher-style bolt handle. 22,423 of them were made. Here's a picture:
In 1964, shortly before the bolt actions were discontinued, a few Nylon 11s were made with longer barrels. The quantity is unknown, but there were very few, and they are quite valuable today. Here's a pic of one of these, equipped with the optional 10-round metal magazine:
In late 1962, the Nylon 10 was introduced. This was a low-cost single shot number. Only 8,606 of these rifles were made, and it's rarely encountered today. The bolt on this beginner-oriented rifle engages the safety each time the bolt is brought back. It has to be released each time to fire the shot. Here's a shot of this rarity:
A really rare variation of the Nylon 10 was the smooth-bore version, designed to fire only .22 LR shot shells. There was no rifling in the bore. These are almost never found today, as only 2,064 were made. Needless to say, prices on these now border on unreasonable. Here's the marking on the barrel that distinguishes them:
In 1964, an extremely small number of long-barreled Nylon 10s were made. They are ghosts on the collector market; I've never seen one. This picture has been Photoshopped to show what it looks like. These are unbearably expensive when offered for sale.
In late 1962, the Nylon 12 was put on the market. It was a tube-fed repeater, with the tube under the barrel. Its production quantity was 27,551. Here's a pic:
A small number of long-barreled Nylon 12s was made in 1964. Quantity is unknown, but they are rare. Here is one:
The bolt action nylon rifles were never very popular, so not that many were made. Perversely, they are now some of the most valuable finds on the collector market. If you find one at anywhere near a reasonable price at a gun show or gun store, it's money in the bank, and Remington Nylon collectors will fall all over themselves trying to buy it from you!
As a side note, these guns will more often than not be found with no rear sight. To scope the rifle properly, it was necessary to remove that sight, and the sight was routinely put aside and lost. Therefore, the rear sights are in demand and have gotten pretty expensive when found.
Hope you find this summary of interest. All of these pictures, taken today, are copyrighted to me.
John
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