The Best .22 Ever Made

[BillyKframe]

When I was an older kid late 50s & early 60s I would look at the Nylon 66 in catalogs and dream. They really looked space age compared with the other 22s. The 66 was out of the price range for my family but my Dad got me a used Mossberg with a wood stock that folded down on the forearm and an OD sling. It looked kinda like a M1 carbine so I was happy. I finally got a 66 in the 21st century and it shoots great and still looks space age.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I have a 1973 Glenfield Model 60.

I'm good.

 

[Glenn R. McMannly]

I have a 1973 Glenfield Model 60.

I'm good.

Those would be a fine gun if it weren’t for the terrible triggers and cobbled together pinned mess of a trigger group.

 

[Rustyt1953]

Those would be a fine gun if it weren’t for the terrible triggers and cobbled together pinned mess of a trigger group.

I have yet to be disappointed in its accuracy or reliability.

I win.

 

[Bald1]

I always disliked the Nylon 66s. I thought they looked cheap. Turns out they were just plastic before plastic was cool. Should’ve bought a bunch of them.

 

[Barbarian-CBX]

I second the Ruger 10/22.

 

[Model52guy]

The best 22 ever made is probably the S&W Model 41. Still being made today after 68 years. Same design. Next would be the ruger 10/22. Still being made after 60 years. Can’t say that for many other brand 22’s.

 

[kwill1911]

I remember when these came out. A couple of my dad's friends visited us on the farm. One had a beautiful, cased Browning SA-22. The other had a brand new Remington 66. Traditional blue steel and walnut vs. molded plastic and stamped sheet metal. Both functioned well. It is only in recent years that the Remington has become respected, primarily due to nostalgia, I suspect.

 

[DWalt]

Had one Mohawk 10C version with detachable box magazine. Wasn’t using it much, sold it about two years ago. A good enough rifle but I could never warm up to it. My favorite .22 rifle always has been and always will be the Remington 550-1, mine is ca. mid-1950s. Seldom seen today. Have seen that the Remington Nylon .22 rifles were favored by northern Canadian and Alaskan natives because they functioned reliably in arctic environments.

 

[Gamecock]

Agreed, kwill1911. The Browning SA-22 was much more valued back in the day.

And today. SA-22 values today are 2X Nylon 66.

 

[JP@AK]

Back in the 60's a bunch of us high schoolers were squirrel hunting and one of the group brought his 66. We teased him so much about his "plastic" rifle

That made me laugh because I had a similar experience. The family that lived next to us had three boys, all about the same ages as my brothers and me. Doug, the middle boy like me, and I used to hunt rabbits together after school. At some point, he bought a Nylon 66. When he showed it to me, I said, "Doug! A plastic gun?" Then we took it out to shoot it and I was impressed.

Impressed, but not enough to want to give up on my Winchester 72 bolt action. That was my first gun, bought with lawn mowing revenue when I was 13. I still have it, taught all of my own boys and tons of 4H kids to shoot with it. Now my grandkids have been shooting it. My great grandkids will probably shoot it too, now that I have 14 of those!

I do have a black Nylon 66 and shoot it occasionally. My granddaughters like it a lot. They are fine pieces of equipment.

 

[dave1918a2]

One of the few semi-autos I wanted. Never wanted a 10-22. Got offered lots on trade at the gun shows, always said no. I'll stick with My 1933 vintage Winchester 52.

 

[max]

I was a teenager when they came out and remember wanting one, but didn't have the money. My dad had an old Remington bolt action that a neighbor lady had given him. I shot a ton of LR's through the Remington and it is in my safe.

Several years ago, my oldest and best friend had taken over control of the lumber yard from his dad. Some guy stopped by and said he had guns in his trunk he wanted to sell. One was a like new 66, and it came to live with me. I take it to the range almost every time I go.

 

[lihpster]

I'm sorry, but, obviously, the best .22 ever made is unquestionably the Remington 512 Sportmaster my father gave me as my very first gun. He bought it used, in rough shape, and refinished it for me. Did the same for my older brother with a 511. Of course mine is better. It's the best ever.

 

[Rick Sanborn]

I’ve been a fan of the Nylon series for some time.

 

[mule69]

Model 41

 

[BB57]

Today I took to the woods with my Remington Nylon 66: the very finest .22 semi-automatic ever made:

View attachment 758743

For an autoloading rimfire, the Nylon 66 combines phenomenal reliability with high durability. It’s practical field accuracy is excellent, and it carries like a dream, weighing only 4 lbs.

Remington were fools for ever discontinuing this fine rifle. But due to their ruggedness, many still serve today and work as well as the

 

[BB57]

My uncle Gregory had one in Seneca Green. He'd let me borrow it to go rabbit hunting and I was always impressed with its accuracy, reliability in extremely cold weather and its general handling. I always wanted one but never got one while they were in production. However, I bought on in excellent condition after, inherited another and will most likely inherit a third in Apache Black.

 

[45Smashemflat]

What, no love for the Marlin 39 series?

 

[BB57]

Model 41

I'm not in agreement on that. I have a couple Model 41s, a 5" made in1970 and a 7" made in 2020. The newer 41 won't hold a candle to the 1970.

And I also have two High Standard 107 Victors, as well as a High Standard Supermatic Citation. All three are superior to the S&W 41s, both subjectively and objectively when I look at averages of precion pistols scores with all of them.