Working the .22 Rifle

While I will address .22 Long Rifle firearms specifically in this article, the following information also applies to .22 Magnum and .17 rimfires as well. These guns are often produced from the softest metal possible and are easily "pranged," as one senior gunsmith put it. The most common problems include complete disassembly and working your way through accumulated crud and varnished oil. Lets take a look at the basics of keeping the rimfires working.

Rimfire Construction Few shooters, even the good ones, are adept at much more than running a patch down the bore but you’ll still find the fellow who may take it upon himself to detail strip his rifle. He takes all the screws out, forces the forend off of the barrel and loosens all the screws he can find. Then he turns the rifle upside down and shakes it until something or everything falls out. He may get the parts clean but getting it back together is another matter.

There is a significant difference in the design and manufacture of rimfire rifles that we must take notice when working them. The firing pin and chamber are obviously different from centerfire rifles, but compared to centerfire rifles, .22 caliber rimfire firearms are manufactured from mild steel. Stampings are common. There is little in the way of heat treating in many cases, particularly when dealing with older rifles. Let’s think about this situation logically before tearing into that .22 on your bench.

One warning is that the screw holes will be easy to wallow out. You had best think hard before putting a rimfire rifle in a vise! Cross threading threads is common and can be done with little effort. You have to work a 22 caliber rifles are relatively simple. Often, a simple cleaning will work wonders. This Marlin 39A has roughly five decades of oil inside the action. 22 caliber bolts differ considerably in complexity.

The bolts here are, left to right, a Ruger 722 .22, a Cooey .22, and a Howa .223. little to cross thread a centerfire rifle with its hardened steel but mild steel that isn’t heat treated is another matter. Manufactures like to discuss certain grades of stainless steel but few will discuss metallurgy in .22 rifles. So, proceed with caution. I have examined rifles of soft steel that were a little frightening to work with but the better guns from Winchester and Ruger area different breed with better steel.

A Few Tools You must have the correct tools before you begin. Properly cut, sharp screw drivers are essential. I have used the handy Chapman Gunsmith’s Screwdriver Set with excellent results. I have also used the purpose-built gunsmith screwdrivers from Grace USA. These screwdrivers feature scalloped

Above center: A simple brass hammer and punch of the appropriate size are only tools required to take down the .22 caliber magazine tube. 22 would represent a considerable difficulty. A bent screwdriver fashioned from an Allen wrench works just great. handles that make handling firm and secure. With the proper screw heads and properly dimensioned tools you will be ahead of the game and able to deliver a competent, respectable job.

There are also jobs that are not always done with factory bought tools, so sometimes improvisation is important. For example, the simple stamped metal trigger guard of some .22s can be difficult to address. A number of cost-efficient manufacturing tricks are particular to the .22 such as inverted trigger guard screws. The trigger guard in a .22 rifle is usually rolled-over sheet metal and the screw that holds the trigger guard to the rifle is seldom accessible by normal methods.

You’ll need a special tool like a bent screwdriver or, better still, an Allen wrench with the short end ground into a properly-cut screwdriver. The Allen wrench is already bent and it is plenty hard enough to last awhile. Tightening Take Down Rifles Rimfires are available in all action types including pump, bolt action, lever action, single shot and automatic. All have their quirks. Some require more than simple parts replacement.

As an example I have recently ran across a number of older take down models that had become quite loose. Take down rifles were very popular through the mid Twentieth Century and certainly have a degree of nostalgia. While sales figures indicate this design no longer has the appeal it once did, a number of Marlin, Browning, Winchester and other makes are available as take downs. The Taurus pump action and the Marlin 39 are the most common modern examples.

Most take down rifles are secured by a big knurled bolt or ring and the only means we have to tighten such a rifle once it becomes worn and loose it to peen the parts. To do so, carefully mark the rifle’s mating parts with a permanent marker. Use a brass hammer and punch to peen (raise) the contact points. The Marlin 39A is responsive to such measures. Extractors and Feed Problems Any action that reciprocates will eventually wear and have function and feeding problems. Extractors area common trouble point.

They are pretty soft in the case of older .22 caliber rifles. Quite a few older rifles feature dual extractors. As viewed from above, the left extractor is seldom operative and acts as a simple feed guide instead. The secondary extractor forces the case into the primary extractor and keeps it from slipping. When a rimfire fails and I suspect the extractor, my first thought is to thoroughly scrub the gun. .22s are not cleaned very often and they rarely get the attention a fine centerfire hunting rifle does.

There is a considerable argument they don’t need much cleaning, however, accumulated crud, congealed powder, lead and old lubricant eventually cause problems. If a clean gun with a clean chamber still isn’t extracting, the extractor may not be broken but simply be stuck. Sometimes corrosion forms between the bolt and extractor. Remove the extractor to clean the bolt and rid the piece of rust. Check extractor pressure first by pressing outwards on it.

There is a small spring behind the extractor in most designs supplying pressure. Typically a small pin holds the extractor in and a small punch is One is practically non-functional, serving only as a guide.

this pin out. A few rifles feature a collar similar to Mauser 98. Lastly, is the type just stuck in the bolt pressed in with no pin. These types area tight friction fit. Be certain to soak the bolt in good solvent before you attempt to pry an extractor loose. An overnight soaking is sometimes needed to remove the varnish from years of powder, lead and lubricant congealed on the bolt. Don’t forget to cup your hand over the extractor as you pry it loose to capture the extractor spring.

Sometimes the thorough soaking is all that is needed to restore function. If the extractor has been removed and is well worn, then some attention is needed. It is possible to recut the extractor groove. The original shape of the extractor is usually preserved even in well-worn specimens, even after actual groove that captures the rim of the cartridge case is rubbed away. A bit of needle file work will bring these pieces back up to par.

Mainspring and Firing Pin It is common to see mainsprings left cocked and at the ready for long amounts of times. Some are cocked from the first day they are brought home and remain so for the life of the gun. Some shooters feel it is better not to drop the firing pin on a rimfire chamber and simply leave the firearm cocked when in the safe or at rest. This sometimes leads to the spring weakening and inconsistent firing pin impact.

The mainspring must be strong for proper function and a simple test will often give you a clue as to the strength of the mainspring. If you are able to cock the piece with practically no effort or resistance the mainspring is weak and needs replacing. Brownells should be able to help with these. Firing pins themselves seldom need replacement. Part of the reason is that they area little harder than anything else in the .22 caliber rifle and often damage the chamber if dry fired excessively.

Yes, the firing pin is produced of stronger steel than even the barrel. One reason shooters avoid firing the piece empty to alleviate mainspring pressure is to avoid damage to the chamber when the strike is not deadened by rim in the brass case. Despite this, its been my experience that mainspring problems are more common than chamber problems.

Feed Problems Feed problems are universally the fault of a faulty feed device (magazine.) Until the advent of the Ruger 10/22 and its brilliantly designed With the propensity of which these rifles are likely to be used, the lock plunger at the bottom of the receiver that holds the rifle together is best left alone. Soft steel is easily cross threaded. 22s are broken stocks.

Less expensive rimfires do not have the highest quality stocks, but may be repaired easily. rotary magazine almost all rimfires used tubular magazines. The few repeating rifles with removable magazines were never as popular and the sheet metal used to construct them did not yield good reliability. Rifles using tubular magazines mounted under the barrel or in the buttstock hold plenty of ammunition and can be very reliable.

While tubular magazines sometimes suffer the loss of a tube, it is less common than the loss of a detachable magazine. I have lost count of the .22s I have seen with lost detachable magazines and some magazines are difficult to find replacements for. Gun Parts Corporation is an ideal place to start hunting for the missing magazines of more obscure rifles. The best advice is to replace a detachable magazine if it gives trouble, but a tubular magazine may be repaired.

Weak springs and dents in tubular magazines are common problems. Spring replacement is not difficult. Dents in the body are handled by inserting an appropriately-sized wooden dowel or steel rod into the magazine and tap out dents in the tube with a plastic hammer. I used

The two lower rifles use brass inner magazine tubes, the rifle at the top uses a steel inner rod. The steel rod is less likely to become damaged but more likely to fall victim to corrosion. The spring protrudes from the action and the locking piece features pins that are about equal in length. These lock the magazine in place in the stock of a Browning-type automatic rifle. the Quinetics inertia bullet puller as the hammer on my last project and it worked just fine!

It is easy to handle and it was available in the shop. Note that is type of magazine has both an inner and outer tube. The outer tube remains on the rifle. If the inner tube is removed and the rifle upsets, the fall may bend the outer tube. This is a bit more difficult to repair. After removal, disassembly of the inner tube is easy with a small punch. Find the retaining pin and drive the pin out that holds the cap on the tube. The follower and spring will then slide out of the tube.

Care must be taken in dealing with these parts as they are small and easily damaged. These magazines tubes are commonly of brass construction for the inner tube and steel for the outer tube. However, a very few rifles have a steel inner tube. When steel inner tubes are used, the chances of damage may be lessened but the danger of corrosion is far greater as they may actually rust inside, requiring some effort to remove. There are also a few variations on this design.

As an example, the Browning .22 automatic features a buttstock tube with an exposed cartridge pusher and spring. The magazine tube also features a pin that protrudes on both sides rather than the traditional one side and both are This is the least likely of all take down rifles to actually be taken down and this vintage example appears to have never been. Care must be taken in assembling these rifles. Sometimes a bit of peening is required to tighten them up. needed to properly secure the magazine.

A bit of finesses is needed in working this magazine. Rimfire rifles are an important part of any gunsmithing business. Practically everybody owns one! Be certain you know the ins and outs of these common firearms and your work will be straightforward and profitable. AG