Winchester .22 Speedloader

One advantage of magazinefed semiautomatic firearms is that you can spend a rainy day filling magazines before you go shooting so when you arrive at the range you can spend time shooting instead of loading. This gives rifles like the Ruger 10/22 an edge over rifles with a magazine tube. There are other potential benefits to speedloaders besides simple convenience. I was in a gun shop that had a rifle with a magazine tube like the 190 that was suppressed.

I was a bit confused by that given the need to pull out the inner magazine tube spring assembly. In order to do that on the suppressed rifle I saw, you would have to remove the suppressor first, load the rifle, screw it back on, and repeat every 15 shots. Using a magazine fed rifle lets you just change the magazine, instead of removing the suppressor every time. A speedloader helps a little there. While it will never be as fast as changing a magazine, there is away to reduce your reloading time with tube-fed guns.

Before we build speedloaders, let’s conduct a good inspection and handle any needed maintenance or repairs. Inspection and Repairs Older tube-fed .22s like the Winchester 190, 290, and Sears Roebuck & Co. Ted Williams 3T/3T-A are still floating around. Production began Ted Williams 3T and 3T-A are basically the same rifle but may have slight variations between models, especially related to the stock. about 1964 and lasted until 1980. These rifles feature a semi-automatic blowback action.

The Model 190 featured here is chambered for .22 Long and .22 Long Rifle. While the 190 originally had a smooth stock, the Model 290 came checkered. These stocks were basically interchangeable and this 190 is wearing a 290 stock. The rear sight is adjustable but the receiver has the basic .22 scope mount cut. A search at your favorite Internet search engine will easily locate a PDF copy of the owner’s manual for download. Basic takedown for cleaning is rather straightforward.

After checking to make sure the rifle is empty by cycling the bolt and putting it on safe, the first step involves removing the magazine tube and punching out the trigger housing pin. The rear of the trigger housing is pulled down and the entire housing should be pulled backwards. There is a pin on the front of the housing that fits in the receiver. Flip the rifle over, move the bolt back a little while holding it in the receiver, and pull the bolt handle out.

When you take the bolt out of the receiver by moving it backwards and lifting up, make sure the spring doesn’t escape. Inside the spring is a nylon guide rod. Clean any buildup off the bolt and trigger housing, lubricate them, and then reinstall. Sounds simple enough that you would be eager to take it apart for routine maintenance and have flawless performance for the life of the rifle. Your willingness and desire may soon be dashed upon the rock of reality known here as the bolt spring.

This brings up the first issue that people have with the rifle. Searching online will find a variety of methods to reinstall the bolt spring. One disassembly man-

It is prone to loosening and should be checked if you have feed problems. ual says to push the spring into its channel and hold it with a small screwdriver. Not having much success with that route, I removed the stock using a deep-well socket and an extension. Placing the rifle upside down in a cradle so it couldn’t move, I set the bolt back in the receiver, got the spring in place, and started the stock bolt a couple turns.

Gradually pushing the spring into its channel, use something thin but very stiff to hold the spring in place while pushing the stock up against the receiver and tighten the bolt up. With practice and/or a couple extra hands, it becomes easier to do. Regular cleaning will minimize another any dirt buildup concerns. Dry lube might also help. Another issue is damage to the chamber from dry firing. This might be remedied by using a chamber tool, such as the Menck Chamber Ironing Tool.

Hopefully you have already purchased one because they are discontinued and no longer available. George Nonte’s Pistolsmithing as well as a page on the website Ed’s Metal Shop (EdsMetalShop.com/EdsMetalShop/Rimfire.html) has instructions on how to make such a tool. Some people also use a tapered punch. To avoid damage, always use a proper snap cap. If you’re inspected and cleared so far, check for another known problem.

If you have a rifle that intermittently shoots great and then jams, the first thing to confirm is that the barrel nut is tight. See if the barrel will move in and out when pulled on. For whatever reason, this model seems to be well known for the nut to loosen. In order to tighten it, follow the disassembly instructions above. After that, remove the pin that holds the magazine tube. Pull the magazine tube forward out of the forend. The forend should slide off the barrel.

The rear sight will need to be removed so the collar cover can be removed. There is a proper wrench to fit, but it can be difficult to find now that the rifle has been out of production for almost forty years. This should take care of known issues. Broken or worn out parts will require further disassembly. Parts might be found at the usual suspects such as Numrich, Jack First, and Bob’s Gun Shop (Gun-Parts.com). Building Speedloaders The first step is to figure out the capacity of your magazine tube.

Measure the overall length of the .22 ammunition used. Some rifles are stamped that they are chambered for .22 Short, Long, and Long Rifle. To simplify things, I stick with .22 Long Rifle when possible. The length of the cartridge and the quantity will be the measurement of the tubing you need.

The magazine tube can then be removed and then the forend. Visiting the hardware store produced a three foot section of aluminum tube to be cut down to the proper length. The inside diameter of the tube should be large enough for the .22 cartridge rim to fit but small enough that a bullet can’t fit beside a rim and get jammed. Brass tubing will probably be too flexible. Thin-walled aluminum will also be too flexible; thicker walled is better. Steel tubing will be the least flexible.

After cutting the tube, I placed a plastic cap over one end and epoxied it in. After loading the tube, I sealed the end with a cork. At least, that’s my approach until I find a better method. To use, the easiest way is to remove the inner assembly from the magazine tube, line up the tube, and pour the cartridges in. You will probably need to flip the rifle so the cartridges don’t fall out the regular loading port. Replace the inner assembly, chamber around, and shoot.

Possible improvements include turning the tube in a lathe so the loading end fits over the magazine tube. Another is to modify it to use the actual loading port. A potential problem concerning long-term storage is the possibility of two dissimilar metals reacting to each other under certain circumstances. I haven’t done any longterm testing and mainly load my tubes in free time shortly before going to the range.

They are especially nice in the wintertime when .22 rimfire cartridges are hard to pick up while wearing gloves. While it isn’t as fast as changing a magazine, these speedloaders area simple accessory that can speed up loading time at the range, especially on a cold day. With a good cleaning and replacement of worn out parts, the Winchester 190 and similar older rifles can still be a viable rifles and fun plinkers. Speedloaders make them even more enjoyable to shoot. AG