Shopping for Old 22s
With the craze for black rifles, all things 5.56, and ‘high-capacity’, there may be no better time to shop for great deals on old rimfire rifles. Odds are there are a few dozen of them gathering dust within just a few miles of your house. A few simple tricks will help make sure you get a good one.
The 22 rimfire round in short, long, long rifle, BB, and CB versions has been around since as early as 1857. In the intervening 150 years millions of rifles have come off the lines dedicated to firing these little pipsqueak rounds. With bullets that ranger in weight from 20-60 grains, the humble 22 can take out any paper target, tin can, or small woodland critter at ranges out to a football field away. All this in possibly the most affordable price range with bulk pack factory ammo typically about $0.02 per round. With even the stoutest rimfire loads still coming in under 24,000 psi in the chamber (half as much as centerfire rounds), 22s are by definition low-pressure rounds.
This combination of popularity and easy handling has led to racks of old rimfire rifles on the market with lots of life left in them.
Read more in my column at Firearms Talk.com
