The Brownings

[DocMatthew]

Hey All!

Been a while since I've contributed to the community but I figured I'd give y'all some updates. Owned zero guns prior to moving to this here free state and I've bought about one a month since moving here (2 years later and I wonder what my bank account COULD be). Its an awesome hobby, but a bit spendy...

Anyway among the first of my purchases were a Browning SA-22 rifle and a Browning Buckmark. Many thousands of hard-to-find rounds later and I feel I made good choices!

I did the spring-flip trick to the Buckmark and now it has the nicest trigger I think a man (or woman) could ask for. Feels phenomenal in the hand. She's a bit picky about ammo, really likes the expensive stuff. I've stocked up on CCI products whenever I can find them because I can cover a 30rd group with a dime at 10yd all day long with standard velocity stuff. She's not a fan of federal products AT ALL and can be picky about winchester. At least its good to know what to feed it! Also I picked up one of those little speed loader dealies for .22 magazines and its a peach (should work with Ruger mags too). I have a fair few boxes of the subsonic stuff but they don't cycle reliably in the Buckmark. Speaking of subsonic, my Buckmark does not have a threaded barrel (and I suspect SV will be subsonic in a 5.5in barrel). Anybody have any recommendations on aftermarket threaded barrels for the Buckmark? Considering a sparrow can at some point in the future but my heart is not set..

The SA-22 is a sweet little takedown. It will eat any ammo I throw at it and ask for more. The subsonic CCI ammo cycles perfectly without any issues also which is real nice to know. A bit of a surprise to be honest but a pleasant one. I went ahead and put a lefty trigger and safety on it so I can say it is definitely my rifle... For this one I think a threaded barrel would be cool but maybe over the top for a classic like this. Anybody know of somebody reliable in OKC who can thread my barrel and set the front sight back a touch if needed? Also while my eyes still work reasonably well, the buckhorn sights leave a bit to be desired. Has anybody mounted the skinner peep sights to a SA-22? The rear sight is dovetailed onto the posterior aspect of the barrel, not the receiver so its still a fair distance from eye to sight and I'm not sure the difference will be worth it. Any of y'all seasoned shooters have input for me?


To summarize: Browning rimfire things are fun and stuff. CCI ammo seems to work always and everywhere. Suppressors could be fun but I'm not set up for it and am open to suggestions. Also my dimes may be closer to nickel sized...

Thanks for any ideas you might have (assuming anybody managed to read through all that nonsense...)

-Doc

 

[Raoul Duke]

I'll vouch for the factory off the shelf SA-22 cycling the CCI quiets reliably and oh so silently. Skip the suppressors and just run the quiets when you want to go silent with the SA-22. The segmented quiets make for a good get the job done small game critter getter at ranges up to about 40 to 50 yards or so. No need to thread the barrel.







Too bad Tech Sights hasn't come up with anything for the SA-22.

 

[Vamoose]

I'd love to have a SA-22. I think they're the most elegant semi-auto .22 made. They're beautiful. I hope I end up with one someday. If I had one I think I probably wouldn't do anything to modify it permanently. I do have a BL-22 and there's no way I'd do anything to change it structurally. It's good to know the SA cycles CCI Quiet. It's another reason to have one.

 

[DocMatthew]

Mr. Duke, those are some excellent videos! I can always trust a journalist of your caliber to truly write objectively instead of just talking about it. To be honest I didn't even know they made a subsonic segmented round; how is that priced compared to the standard LRN subsonic? That standard segmented HP going 1640fps (!) was dramatic to say the least. Excellent vid, now I have to find some of that ammo!

Vamoose: i started on my father's belgian SA-22 and I shoot a new manufacture miroku SA-22. They're all beautifully made, shoot like dreams. Like I said I replaced my trigger with a lefty version (browning has always been so accommodating to lefties) so it may need another 1k rounds or so to break in nicely. Also be careful with the takedown and only torque the metal receiver and the barrel - torque the buttstock and you'll be buying a new buttstock...

Tech sights are clearly popular for peep sights. Has anybody had luck with skinner sights? Looks like they've got a beautiful set for Vamoose's BL-22 and some that might work as forward mounted sights on the SA-22 barrel. I wonder if I may just have to buy them to see...

-doc

 

[Raoul Duke]

The segmented CCI quiets are about as unobtainium as CCI .22 WMR Game points. The gold standard of .22 WMR, in my opinion.

 

[Vamoose]

Also be careful with the takedown and only torque the metal receiver and the barrel - torque the buttstock and you'll be buying a new buttstock...

Thanks Doc.