9422 Itch Scratched

[CH4]

After watching this little 9422 XTR (1978) for a month, I finally caved and brought her home yesterday. At $675 OTD I am not sure why I waited so long. They definitely don’t make them like this anymore.

Took her to work today and let my buddy play a little. She’s so smooooth.

[Muley Gil]

Very nice. I bought a 9422 in 1973 & sold it around 1979. One of many firearms I should have kept.

[Countrycuz]

I don't think I could have walked away for that price. Nice find!

[CH4]

I’ve been wanting one since the late 80s when I shot my buddies 9422M. Had several opportunities, but other, harder to find guns cut in line. This one was patient enough to wait for me. Actually, I was at a show and a few shops last weekend, where I saw a few nice examples. When I saw what they were currently selling for, I jumped on this one as soon as I got back in town.

[.455_Hunter]

Great buy!

The 9422 makes the Henry products look silly, and is on my want list.

[Baxter6551]

I should have bought one back in the day. That and a Marlin Golden. I had but foolishly sold a Browning lever .22. The one with some engraving. Grade 2?

[sigp220.45]

That’s a smoking deal!

I was trying to wangle a deal on a 94/22M at a pawnshop in New Mexico that had come off the rez - dirty, missing part of the rear sight, corrosion on all the metal, everything but brass tacks in the stock. This was about 12 years ago and it was priced close to yours. That guy wouldn’t budge. Every time I went in I’d ask to see Ol’ Rusty, I’d make a pitch, he’d turn me down and say: It’ll sell for that. And it did, just not to me.

I don’t think I’ve seen another in a store since.

[Mule Packer]

Congrats! I have one in .22 magnum, but I'd love to have one in .22LR.

There was one for sale several months ago in the "Guns for Sale" section. It seemed like it was priced a little too high, but the seller took it off the market before I could respond. Darn! Oh well. I still have the .22 magnum.

[Cornhusker]

I have a 9422 made in 1978 I think.
It's not as pretty as the OP, but it's smooth and accurate.
In 1984 or 85, my wife's cousin was trying to raise some money. He asked if I wanted to buy a couple guns. I told him I'd look at them.
I didn't tell him I didn't have $10 to my name.
He got the rifles out, the 9422 and a Winchester 190.
I started to tingle all over.
I asked how much, and he said "I'll take $75 for the pair.
I stopped breathing.
My dad happened to be in town at Grandma's, so I scurried over there and told him about the deal.
I told him if he put up the money, I'd let him pick which one he wanted. (Generous huh? )
He agreed and of course he took the 9422.
I have both now, and they;ll go to my kids.
That 190 by the way is a gem. Never had a .22 that was any better, and I have a lot of .22s
OP, you got a fantastic rifle at a fantastic price. That thing is beautiful. Good score!!

[CH4]

Originally Posted by Countrycuz

I don't think I could have walked away for that price. Nice find!

Yeah, I know better. I am still scratching my head.

[KalamazooKid]

Most excellent purchase - you're gonna LOVE that baby! I know I do mine!

[quikdraw67]

One of the few guns that I regret not purchasing when I could have.

Congrats.

[BB57]

I have three of them:

- a 1978 9422 XTR, and a 2000 9422 Trapper;



The 1978 XTRs were not checkered. Most 9422 XTRs were checkered from 1979-89, and after Winchester discontinued the XTR grade in 1989 all 9422s were checkered.

All 9422s had high polished receivers. What makes an XTR an XTR is the high polished flats on the hammer and lever, a higher gloss stock finish, and the XTR stamp on the barrel.

1978 also was also the last year Winchester used a steel inner magazine tube. They switched to brass in 1979.

I don’t recall the precise year but it was around the time USRA was acquired by FN when they started using the 9422M receiver on the .22LR 9422. The 9422M receiver has a slightly longer ejection port and on the .22 LR guns you can see the bolt carrier and link at the extreme rear of the port. (If you look close you can see the difference between the two above with the trapper having the 9422M receiver. A more significant difference is that the later 9422M receiver rifles are .22 LR only rather than .22 S, L, and LR.


- and a 9422 Legacy. The 9422 Legacy paid homage to the Winchester Model 64 rifle with the longer barrel over hanging what became a 7/8 magazine tube, and a pistol grip and curved lever. It’s still a carbine pattern but looks more like the rifle pattern.




All three are very well made and a joy to shoot.

All of them are also worth a lot more than I paid for them.


——


I also have an older BL-22, it’s also a well made, quality firearm that is very enjoyable to shoot.



Given the quality of the Winchester 9422, the Browning BL-22 and Marlin 39A, I’ve never understood the passion for the zinc alloy receiver, painted receiver cover, lever action Henry .22 LRs. They’re not bad, but they don’t hold a candle to the Winchester, Browning or Marlin lever action carbines in terms of fit, finish, feel or accuracy.

——-

I see some discussion now and then over at rimfire central where folks will claim the later checkered 9422s were lower quality. These are often the same people who claim to have owned a 1990’s era checkered 9422 XTR. There was no such animal after 1989, so from that point forward it’s hard to take them seriously.

The 9422 Legacy, which appeared just after the XTR era ended is also frequently brought up as an example of declining quality. It’s not entirely untrue when it’s being compared to the mid to late 1980s 9422 XTR Classic. Like the 9422 Legacy, the 9422 Classic also had a longer barrel, curved lever and pistol grip, but was an XTR, left uncheckered in the pre-1979 tradition. As such it had highly polished hammer and lever flats and a higher gloss stock finish. So yes…it was “lower quality” - just like the non XTR was compared to an XTR. Given that the 9422 Legacy was a non XTR finished rifle that effectively replaced the 9422 XTR Classic thet comparison is a pretty natural one.

I’ve also heard people complain the 9422s made in the last couple years of production (2002-2004) were lower quality and are often claimed to have been made from mis matched left over parts. I’ve never owned from that era, so I can’t say.

I’ve also heard similar comments about the Marlin 39A after it got the rebounding hammer and safety, as well as the more recent “Japanese made” BL-22s, even though the BL-22 has always been made by Miroku in Japan since it was introduced in 1969 - and Miroku still makes very high quality guns.

I can say however, that the worst 9422, BL-22 or Marlin 39 to ever come off the production line was still better than the best Henry .22 LR. Since people like the Henry a lot, you need to put the “low quality” comments regarding the later 9422, BL-2 and 39A in proper context - if those claims are even true.

[Grayfox]

OP you got a screamin' deal there! I haven't seen a 9422 for less than $1000 for several years now. Congratulations!

I also have one of the 1978 early non-checkered XTRs. My favorite .22 rifle.

[Baxter6551]

I saw a pristine 9422M at the LGS today for $1,500.00. I don’t need it that bad. I have one .22 mag rifle - a Mossberg “Chuckster”. I’m good.

[CH4]

Got glass!

Having medium Warne rimfire rings and a Leupold 3-9 rifle scope laying around, I thought I’d see how they how they worked. Not much clearance between the bell and rear sight, but there’s definitely daylight. I know the parallax and reticle aren’t optimum, but it’ll scratch the itch for now. It looks and will work good enough to leave it on.

[clang444]

I have a 1973 gun, it's sitting next to my Marlins in the pic. Very smooth action and accurate rifle

[boykinlp]

Originally Posted by clang444

I have a 1973 gun, it's sitting next to my Marlins in the pic. Very smooth action and accurate rifle

What is the 5th gun from the left?
Larry

[CH4]

Originally Posted by .455_Hunter

Great buy!

The 9422 makes the Henry products look silly, and is on my want list.

Exactly! Got to be suspicious of anything made from Zamak. Not sure what it is, but it sounds like a planet from a distant galaxy.

[clang444]

Originally Posted by boykinlp

What is the 5th gun from the left?
Larry

It's a Browning BPR 22lr. Being a Southpaw, I have a natural affinity to lever and pump rifles.

[Tom K]

I've been on a lever action bender for the past couple of years, mostly .22s. From left to right:

Marlin M39A. It came with the scope base on it, so I put on a 4X scope that I had lying around.

Marlin 1892. It has a 24" octagonal barrel that has been relined, and it's been refinished overall.

Browning BL22 with a 3/4" 4x scope, a nicely made Chinese replica of a scope Redfield used to make. (Sold by a company here in Oklahoma: Riflescopes & Ammo Trap Door Bike Gun Rack. | GruBee Inc) The proportions go nicely with the trim Browning. The action is quite short so it takes a little more force, but it's pretty neat how little the lever has to move.

Winchester M9422M, .22 Magnum. Fun to shoot with more *pop* than .22LR.

Winchester M9422XTR. I installed a Williams receiver mounted peep sight and taller Skinner front sight. I was using this and the Browning to initiate my 16 year old nephew into shooting, using CCI .22 Shorts. He said that it was a pleasure just to operate the mechanism.

Henry H001TL with a 24" octagonal barrel and Skinner receiver peep sight. I had read of lots of favorable comments about how smooth the Henry action operates so I was looking for one. Now in my mid '60s, I've taken a liking to peep sights so when this came up on GunBroker already set up, I bought it. It's true, it's even smoother than the Winchesters but we'll come back in 50 years and see how well it's held up.

Henry H001T with 20" octagonal barrel. The last one isn't actually mine, I bought it for my wife's youngest son for his birthday. Don't get all sentimental, he just turned 48. But even though he grew up around guns, he has only just recently taken a real interest. He had shot my Henry and really liked it and said he was going to get one, so I just beat him to the punch. I added a Williams receiver mounted peep on the rear and a taller fiber optic front sight to match. I shoots well (I had to test it, of course!)

[chief38]

The Winny 9422 is a fantastic 22 rifle (carbine). Accurate, extremely well designed and built, superb fit and finish, buttery smooth and a classic design. What a great compliment to the Marlin 39A which is great rifle in its own rite!