Winchester 9422

I’ve always liked the 9422 and I own three of them. I committed a collector sin of adding tang sights to two of them, but I am not a collector. I believe rifles and carbines exist to be shot and regard few things with more pity than a gun that’s never been fired. Besides, tang sight really helps the 9422 shine accuracy wise without upsetting the lines of handling as happens when you add a scope. (Collectors hate ring marks as well.)



I do have a scope on my 9422 Legacy and it sort of works looks wise on it. It’s something different to shoot.



Absent a scope, the 9422 has superb balance and feel. At 6 pounds 3 oz, it is heavy enough to shoot well and still light enough to carry comfortably in the hand. Accuracy is also good with about 1” at 50 yards and 3” at 100 yards being the norm with a tang sight and standard velocity ammo. Around 4” at 100 has been my experience with high velocity ammo. It’s not a match rifle, but it’s a solid 50 yard squirrel or 100 yard jack rabbit carbine.


Browning BL-22

Over the years I also acquired an older Miroku Grade 1 and a Belgian Grade 2 BL-22. The Grade 1 wears a 2-7x20 scope that lets me shoot it to its potential, but the handling suffers.



I much prefer the Skinner receiver sight I put on my Grade 2. It’s not as elegant as a tang sight but it’s less obtrusive than a scope and it’s the best option for the tang-less BL-22.



Skinner also has an interesting solution for where to put a spare aperture. Much like the Turnbull threaded slot blank for a red dot mount, Skinner threads a slot blank to hold an extra aperture. After I installed it, it was a little snug in the dove tail and I had to chase the threads to round everything back out.



My BL-22s are also 1” at 50 yards accuracy wise. Subjectively however it’s too short and too light for my tastes at 4 pounds 15 oz to shoot well in the field.

But like the 5 pound 12 oz 9422 Trapper it’s light, handy and makes a great youth carbine. In fact I think Browning still offers a “growth insurance” option for their youth version with the option to buy a longer stock at 50% off the normal price in the future.


Marlin 39A

The Marlin 39A has a cult like following, and while I’ve never shared that regard for it, I can see where some folks might.

It’s a rifle pattern with fore arm end cap and a dove tailed hanger for the magazine tube, rather than the barrel bands used on carbines. It’s also the longest and bulkiest of the three with a 24” barrel, pistol grip stock and pot belly hand guard. It weighs 6 pounds 9 oz, surprisingly only 6 oz heavier than the 9422, but it subjectively has more heft probably due to the more forward weight distribution. However it still has nice balance and the forward weight distribution should make it shoot very well off hand.

I have not shot mine yet, but the Marlin 39A has a reputation for excellent accuracy, not just by lever action standards but by .22 LR sporter standards as well. I expect it will be a bit more accurate than the 9422 or BL-22.






Side by side

Left to right, 9422 Trapper, BL-22, 9422, Marlin 39A:



Left to right, Grade 1 BL-22 with 2-7x20 scope, Grade 2 BL-22, 9422 XTR, 9422 Legacy with 2-7x33 scope, Marlin 39A (pre tang sight and hood):




In terms of smoothness the 9422 takes top honors with the Marlin 39A coming in a close second. Both are silky smooth.

The 9422 uses a bolt design more or less copied and downsized from their Model 62 and had ample time to evolve to that level of smoothness.

The Marlin 39A uses a longer lever stroke and greater mechanical advantage but the slightly longer stoke isn’t objectionable or even noticeable compared to the 9422.

The BL-22 is marketed as having a short 33 degree lever stroke, and it is significantly shorter. However it comes at the expense of much less leverage available to cock the hammer. It’s a very distant third in the smoothness comparison.



The 9422 and Marlin 39A are take down designs.

The Model 39A has a captured knurled thumb screw on the right side and is the most practical, with the receiver halves separating when you clock the hammer and then tap the left side of the stock.

The 9422 doesn’t come with a knurled thumb screw but the take down screw located on the left side can be replaced with a saddle ring screw to eliminate the need for a screw driver. The stock, hammer, lever and trigger assembly easily slides out the back of the receiver. The screw isn’t captive but it can be reinstalled in the receiver to prevent loss when carried while taken down.

In both cases the bolt can be lost if it comes back out of battery, so it’s important to carry them in a case if you want to carry them taken down.

Even if you never take it down, the designs make cleaning easy and in particular cleaning the bore for the breech end of the barrel.

The BL-22 comes apart similar to the 9422, with the screw on the other side. But the ejector and ejector spring will come out and are both easily lost. The bolt can also easily fall off and the locking bolt and the plate covering it can also both easily detach.

Unlike the other two, the BL-22 is a bit fiddly to put back together and you’ll need a pair of forceps to get the ejector spring and ejector back in place in the receiver. You’ll also need a bit of a magic touch to get the bolt aligned with the ejector when you put the halves back together, while pressing in on the ejector through the ejection port. You’ll never complain about a Ruger Mk I-IV again after you reassemble a BL-22.

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I like them all and it’s unfortunate that the BL-22 is the only one of these great carbines and rifles that is still in production.

I’m hoping Ruger gets around to resurrecting the 39A in a few years, but I am not hopeful. The Model 39A under Remington was farmed out to their custom shop, which was also their acquired Dakota Arms. My understanding is that Remington screwed up big time, moving production and losing most of the skilled Marlin labor.

Based on what I have seen from Ruger, I doubt they have the skilled labor at present to pull off the manufacture of a quality Model 39A given the complexity of mating the two halves of the take down receiver and getting it to work reliably and shoot accurately. Maybe they’ll learn enough with a few years of 336 experience.

Winchester could certainly have Miroku make new 9422s and Miroku could certainly do it to a high standard of quality, but probably not at a price people would pay for a .22 LR lever action.

The BL-22 in grade 1 sells new for around $700, but Henry no doubt sells a lot more of their much lower quality (material, fit and finish) .22 LR lever guns for around $400. Personally, I’d pay $500 or so for a used BL-22 long before I’d buy a Henry.

Along those lines I suspect Ruger is going to have to be able to bring a new Model 39A variant to market for not too much more than the Browning to capture much market share.

My fear is that they will do a 10/22 number on the design and bring out a cheap version of it.

The Winchester, Browning and Marlin are all great rifles…they all accomplish the same thing though each in its own way.

But…to pick just one…the Marlin is simply in a class by itself.

I have owned all three, the Browning BL-22 is the only one I kept. Trying to pick out a favorite is like picking out a favorite child, they have different characteristics but I love them all.

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Live long and prosper

I have owned several 9422's and currently have a 1955 model 39.
The feel and action of the 39 has always been superior to any Winchester I shot.

Great comparison write up.

That Browning is beautiful!!!!

Nice collection - I have four 39's, two 9422 and instead of owning a BL, I went with the old short throw Marlin levermatics, I currently have three of them in 22 Cal. All great shooters

Hard to pick a favorite but it would probably be my 1951 Marlin 39a. Super smooth action and has one of my favorite Weaver post reticle scopes slammed right down against the receiver. A real pleasure to shoot. All the rest of my 39's are short barrel carbines, they are great for balance when shooting off hand.
Here is a pic of my 39's

Attached Images

39s 2022.jpg (107.2 KB, 37 views)

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Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda

Thanks for posting that. Love that 9422 Trapper!!

I had been looking to add a .22 lever to the stable for a while. First choice was a 9422, but the prices on them have gone nuts. I picked up an early 1980s BL22 for a decent price and it's a nice shooter, but you're right about it not being as smooth as the Winchester or Marlin.



One look at the Henrys was enough to take a pass. Probably decent guns, but just not in the same league as the other three.

I own a BL-22 Grade II, a 9422 XTR, a 9422 Coon and Hound, a 2010 MNFR 39A, and a H001. All are very fine rifles. For best bang for the buck, I'd say the H001 is it. It's very accurate. Here's a 25 yard group with Skinner Peeps, bench rest:



The Marlin has comparable accuracy. I've never been to get as good a grouping with the Browning, however.

Bottom line is these are all fine levers. But if I were buying a lever for the first time, I'd go with the Henry.

I also love levers. I have 22lr in Browning, Marlin, Winchester and Ruger
The Ruger is my least favorite, to be fair, someone whittled the stock to resemble a schnable foreend
The Winchester is my favorite followed by the Browning, with a 1968 sn and reddish wood finish.the Browning feels tiny
They all are great rifles!

Need to add that I did own a REM 76 lever. Bought it on the cool factor it is the only lever Remington made. To me the plastic seemed delicate and I was afraid to let anyone else shoot it

I own both the Marlin 39A and the Winchester 9422. I love both of them for different reasons. The fit, finish, bluing, detail work, action and accuracy have to go to the Winchester - it's the high end checkered model so it's really nice. The fact that the Marlin is a full sized rifle makes it very shootable, steady and feels like a full sized rifle, not a carbine is also very nice. The Marlin also takes down easier than the Winchester - no parts to fall out and does hold more cartridges due to its longer length. Add in the fact that the Marlin was my Dad's that he bought in 1946 and I grew up shooting that rifle and now you can see why I'd never part with either. Hmmm, might even take them with me - lol!

Suggestions......

For a large man, the Marlin 39A might be the way to go. Don't get me wrong, its still plenty accurate and the fit and finish back in the 40's, 50's and 60's was excellent. The action on mine is so worn in, it is buttery smooth (not like the ones made 15 or so years ago). For a smaller sized man, a woman or younger people the Winchester is probably the better choice.

Better yet - get both! HA!! LOL.

The Henry's never quite did it for me. Their rimfire rifles have that aluminum shell over the die cast zinc alloy receiver and that is a deal breaker for me. It just screams "economy model" and doesn't give me the "look and feel" of quality I like. Yea, they shoot fairly well, have nice actions, are made in USA and the company is reliable from what I understand, so if the rifle is for a less OCD person, a gift for a young man or woman, or silly things like this don't bother you - I suppose that would be in the running as well. Certainly the least expensive option.

I have shot the Browning (and liked it) but I do not own one.

Now we just need Winchester / Miroku to bring back the 9422. I doubt Miroku would disappoint.

From what I understand the reason it was originally discontinued is because they lost money on every rifle they sold. The parts are all forged and the quality was very high and so it was quite expensive - even back in the day.

I agree, I'd love to see them make it again, but without cheapening the parts and quality. Quite a feat these days of runaway inflation!

I think these three quotes pretty well cover the thoughts on the Henry rifles.

They are a very good bang for the buck and can be decent shooters.

However aluminum or brass covers over a Zamak zinc alloy receiver and the overall fit and finish won’t ever qualify them as heirloom quality, or even high quality rifles and are not in the same league as the 9422, 39/39a and BL-22.

On the other hand they are a huge step above the Rossi Rio Bravo in terms of fit and finish. They ironically became mid tier .22 LR lever guns when Rossi shot the bottom out of the quality fit and finish barrel.

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I found my 9422 Trapper in a rack full of Henry .22 LR rifles at a large gun shop about 90 minutes away. They normally have a number of collectible Winchesters and keep them in their own section. When I told the owner I’d like to buy his 9422 Trapper, his response was “I don’t have one.” When I said he did, he started walking toward the spendy Winchester section and I said “no it’s over there” and walked him to the opposite corner of the large building and the rack of Henry .22 LRs with that Trapper resting in it.

It was obvious one of his staff had mis identified the 9422 Trapper and put it there with a $450 price on it that would have been appropriate for a checkered Henry (they made one in .22 Mag). I knew it, and he knew it. I was really asking him for his best price on it as I didn’t want to take advantage of him. Which is why I’d gotten his attention rather than one of his staff. I think he appreciated that as he said “if you buy it right now, I’ll sell it for that price, otherwise I’m going to take it down, reprice and put it where it belongs”.

This was at a time when excellent condition 9422s we’re selling for $800 and the less common Trappers were selling for around $900-$950. At best he was breaking even at $450 and unless it had been there a year or two, he might have even been losing money, but I was also a regular customer, so he was probably weighing in future business as well. I decided not to argue and just said “sold”.

That’s as close as I have ever come to buying a “Henry”.

I’ve owned examples of all three, and at one time had all three at the same time. They’re all great, but the Browning always struck me as the best looking, plus I loved that short lever throw. I picked up a couple new new in box Henry’s a few weeks ago from a small collection I bought. They just strike me as being in the same class as the others.

One thing I found out, the hard way, when taking my first 9422 apart were the VERY sharp edges along the bottom of the receiver. They are like little knife blades! Cut myself and had blood all over the table (the wife was not pleased). I had no idea the machining was that precise.

On another note, where did you get the saddle ring to replace the takedown screw on your 9422? That would be worth investing in, for me anyway...

I've owned a 9422 for about 30 years now. Absolutely love it! My all time favorite .22 rifle. Most people don't realize that the 9422 was one of Winchester's Top-Of-The-Line rifles. The very best they could make. Yeah, they're expensive, but worth every penny.
I'd love to add a Trapper version to my safe, but prices have gotten plumb crazy.

I was at a gun show last Saturday and found myself sorely tempted by a nice, used BL-22. Talked myself out of it. Not sure if that was a mistake or not.

I have a 9422XTR from 1986, best .22 lever I've ever shot,and beautiful to boot...BL-22 would be mine if price was right....found a Henry carbine 10/21 for a great price and must admit, it shoots great and is accurate, but its not even close to my 9422 overall

The receiver edges are just as sharp on the BL-22 as well.

I got my saddle rings from Beartooth Mercantile. It’s a nice, totally reversible addition.

Lever Action - Saddle Ring - Page 1 - Beartooth Mercantile

Popular wisdom says that the latigo leather around the one was so a cavalry soldier could hold the carbine with his teeth.

Ok…sure. I’ll watch why they try to hold a 7-8 pound cavalry carbine by their teeth on a galloping horse.

The ring itself is for the hook on the end of a cavalry sling that went around the trooper bandolier style.

The latigo leather just keeps the ring from clinking against the receiver, something that would scare game on a civilian saddle ring carbine, as well as damage the finish on the receiver.

I have a Marlin 39 (not 39A) with a period correct aperture tang site.

It’s an old one built in the first years of production.

It’s the smoothest lever action rifle, in any caliber, I’ve ever used.

It’s plenty accurate with virtually any brand ammunition.

I’ve enjoyed lots of days glassing mountain slopes looking for Marmot.

I like the Marlin the best..and of them the Model 97 is my favorite.
The trim stocks and early profile frame can't be beat IMO.



I've just never been a fan of the Browning or the Winchester 22 levers.
Fine rifles, but for some reason the styling just doesn't speak to me.

Thanks for your write-up. Having the other two, I’ve kept my eye open for a BL22. My Miroku 92’s as smooth as silk, so I’m a bit surprised that they weren’t on par with the Winchester. Now, I’ll not worry about getting one.

I got into the Marlin collecting many years back, specifically the zipper bag guns. (Midget Magnum, 39TDS, papoose…I had to have all the colors). My favorite of the 39’s being the TDS, then the Mountie, then the std model. To me, the 22 lever shines when it is a small handy utility configuration. Why have a big bulky lever when I could have a Win 52, or Mossberg 44/144, Anschutz……

Seems about the time I got my 9422, my collecting interests just changed. It’s probably my lever .22 that gets the most range time. Allthough, I think the 39 is a more interesting gun, and still wish I kept my ‘53 (ballard cut) 39. Ah, thanks for letting me reminisce….

Thank You so much for the info, just did some ordering!

As a side note one of my 9422's is the most accurate 22 I've ever shot. With one lot of ammo, I still have a couple boxes I think, open sights on a bench rest would put 5 shots into a nickel at 50 yards. When my eyes were much younger and cell phones weren't a thing yet...