.22lr semi auto - avoid?

[JTO]

I'm quite tempted to get a semi auto .22lr but just wondering what issues come with them and which ones to avoid and why? Don't want to spend a whole pile of money on one. Prob a good 2nd hand. Just want it for paper and mainly rabbit control.

Years ago, sub-sonic ammo would not get some semi-autos to cycle, but things might be better now-a-days.

 

[old keeper]

I think that over the years I've used pretty well every 22 semi auto available, including some extremely expensive ones. The most accurate and trouble free was without a doubt my CZ 512. The worst by a country mile was a "customised" 10/22.

 

[Shootist]

All semi auto .22s have their issues, but here's my take. Avoid the Anschutz semi autos, they're cheap for a reason. Pigs to strip and reassemble too, with accuracy little better than minute of barn. No doubt someone somewhere has one that is bench rest accurate and never gets dirty, but he's pretty much on his own. I owned 2 of the damned things and they were rubbish.

The Derby Open gallery rifle competition, held in June, has about 100 competitors shooting multiple events over 2 days. Nearly all of those competitors, and particularly the high scorers, use Ruger 10/22s. A rifle made in such huge numbers at such a low price is bound to have a percentage of lemons, but most will shoot adequately, and most custom versions will shoot very well. What's more, every single part can be changed, customised, or replaced with ease. Most will cycle subsonics with ease. They're easy to strip and clean too.

The best alternative for a standard looking rifle is without a doubt the CZ range. If you put a sound moderator on a semi auto the cleaning regime becomes a regular necessity as the back pressure clags up the action in short order.

 

[1066]

I have a Voere which can be used as a Semi Auto or a single shot bolt action so I can have the best of both worlds. Accuracy isn't an issue for me and I rarely if ever get any jams.
Much of these jams on semi autos can be cured by a good cleaning regime but as has been said semi autos can be ammo fussy!

I'll ditto that exactly - I've had my Voere for more than forty years, excellent accuracy and reliability. Ok, it's not quite as accurate as my Sako Finnfire with Lilja match barrel but certainly very good, the trigger is a bit "mushy" and it's unfashionably long, but it's taken countless rabbits and seen off many tricked out 10/22's in gallery comps over the years and still going strong.

 

[Harry mac]

Go down your local gun shop and ask if they've got a BSA Armatic sitting in the back (NOT a BSA Ralock), usually neglected, unloved and over-looked, make sure it's got a magazine with it, and if it's possible to test fire it, have a quick cabby on it. If you pay more than £50 for it, I'll eat my hat. If you like, you can also take a punt on one in an auction (again, MAKE SURE IT HAS A MAG WITH IT), this option's a bit more risky, but you'll probably get a good one for not much more than £20. Same goes for most semis.

 

[bluesako]

22lr

all semi auto,s will jam its the nature of the things but if you keep the action and the chamber clean and choose the right ammo there fine I ran nearly 3 thousand through my spike,s st 22 and never had a jam View attachment 91106 dave.

 

[sir-lamp-alot]

had a 10/22 for a while but went back to a brno due to its acuracy over the 10/22, had a good laugh with it though burning my way through ammo and even manged to get a couple of kills at stuff running including a fox which lets be honest is the reason why most people buy one thinking your john wayne or the likes of but after youve gone that fad and realised your really not that good you will sell it

 

[Ray7756]

had a 10/22 for a while but went back to a brno due to its acuracy over the 10/22, had a good laugh with it though burning my way through ammo and even manged to get a couple of kills at stuff running including a fox which lets be honest is the reason why most people buy one thinking your john wayne or the likes of but after youve gone that fad and realised your really not that good you will sell it

I go out bunny bashing with 2 mates, both have bolt action, and I am still as acurate as them, but the amount of times they have been on a bunny only to say " sh**" then quickly reload ,,,, ooops bunny has gone, is laughable, will stick to my 10/22 and spare mags, 10 shot mags 8 shots and change mags
Cheers
Ray

 

[Colonel]

I have had many 22’s including a 10/22 that I used for pest control but my all time favourite is my Winchester 9422 that I still have, I can load 17 rounds including one in the chamber and head shoot rabbits out to 150yds with Eley standard. The Winchester lever action will give you fast follow up shots without taking the rifle out of the shoulder and it’s ambidextrous.

 

[bhodge]

Just a few months ago I had the same thought as you, - I wanted a cheap semi-auto 22lr. I only had two in mind, those were either a Ruger 10-22 or a CZ511 (Brno581). I went for the CZ, no regrets whatsoever. No mis-fires, no complaints as regards accuracy etc. My only concern was the lack of spares (should I ever need them). I solved that one by buying a donor rifle, so I've now got a spare "everything" , everything apart from the action and the barrel. The original rifle cost me £95, and the donor rifle was £50.

 

[d0nni]

See I've a bolt action .17 cz 452 which I was tempted to trade for a swap. One on one off but couldn't bring myself to do it. Will prob get a ruger 10/22 as sounds like the go to gun for 22 s/a. It really is just for close range bunny bashing with the follow up. And it looks like good craic lol.Just couldn't bring myself to trade my .17hmr

 

[Deker72]

I seem to have had the same experience as most of the others, Ruger 10/22, great when it worked but really pick with ammo, loved CCI and Federal but hated Winchester (don't even try eley), ended up selling and bought a bolt action Browning A-bolt .22rf about 20 years ago and it's never let me down, every now and then I think about getting a semi auto for a blast on the range but that's all it'd be used for, can't beat the bolt action for guaranteed round in the chamber.

 

[kennyc]

my first .22LR was a winchester 190, tube fed, shot anything powerful enough to work the action (anything more powerful than a .22 short) never had a misfire or FTF although I did have a couple of FTE with really cheap subs, racked up a few bunnies along the way as well, all for a tenner sold it for more than I paid and bought a Sig522, so far that has also been faultless (and easier to reload)

 

[smokey]

get a cz or anchutz 2 semi auto they are really cheap sh and work perfect in the anchutz you have to change a spring if you want to use sub sonic

 

[Erik Hamburger]

I recently purchased a Browning Buckmark Carbine semi-auto with fully integrated moderator.
A lovely looking and handling light and short little rifle but with the benefit of hind-sight I should have gone for a bolt-action .22Lr and I am now thinking of selling it and exchanging it for a bolt/a .22Lr.
The 'blow-back' action is very noisy - which makes using subsonic amo and the integrated moderator quite pointless.
You need to use .22Lr amo specially designed for s/a rifles, otherwise you'll soon get lots of dirt building up, and jamming issues if you use subsonics.
So if you want to use if for hunting: Go for a bolt-action rifle and use subsonic hunting amo.
If you want to use it for a bit of fun shooting/plinking: A semi-auto will be fun to have, but realisticly you're limited to supersonic amo which is designed for use in a s/a.
In my experience, you can't have it both ways.

 

[Kalahari]

The only semi I have any experience of is the Browning SA22. Always very reliable in sandy conditions. No experience in the UK.

David.

 

[d0nni]

Think im convinced. Got talking to the fella who previously owned the ruger and cleared up a few points. 1) Accuracy. He was using a nikon stirling scope with Hawke mounts. 2) jamming. Turns out his cleaning regime wasn't of the highest orders back then (since learnt his lesson) and also that he was using sub sonic a lot of the time. Go figure! Ruger 10/22 is what I'll go for. Anyone one going they fancy giving up?

 

[69chris]

i wanted another semi auto but wanted something short as its mainly a truck gun, had a 10/22 before, maybe i had a bad one but it put me off getting another,
found a cheap an cheerful g22, tried a few different makes of ammo and since i found some its happy with its been faultless..........it is a bit fiddly to strip/clean tho

 

[alberta boy]

I have a gevarm semi auto .22rf that uses the open bolt system. It has had 1000s of rounds through it. Rarely cleaned and very very few miss fires. As far as accuracy is concerned i rarely missed head shot on rabbits up to 75yards and quite a few taken at 100yards plus. The option for a quick second shot is great when at longer ranges and i would hold off a little too high. The second shot dropped an inch or two could often hit the mark. It is my first and only .22 and i have had it over 35 years now

The Gevarm's are great rifles . It wouldn't be a concern in the UK , but here they have a very good reputation for operating reliably in extreme cold . I used mine for Snow Shoe Hares in January and -30 C . It chugged along perfectly when other semi's froze up , and even bolt guns got sluggish . They still command a premium here when they , rarely , come up for sale .

AB

 

[pete65]

Think im convinced. Got talking to the fella who previously owned the ruger and cleared up a few points. 1) Accuracy. He was using a nikon stirling scope with Hawke mounts. 2) jamming. Turns out his cleaning regime wasn't of the highest orders back then (since learnt his lesson) and also that he was using sub sonic a lot of the time. Go figure! Ruger 10/22 is what I'll go for. Anyone one going they fancy giving up?

I have one listed, it’s a 10/22 by tactical solutions. Very light and very accurate