newbie looking for opinions on 22LR semi

CZ 512 is a great autoloader but the trigger is average with no after market parts and very few posts on how to tinker with it( I own one) very accurate
Ruger sucks at quality control, they were drilling their 10/22 receivers 11 degrees off center and when this was pointed out they said it was within quality control. Their American rimfires have poor bolt finishing( sounds like a zipper being pulled)
Dlask 10/22 haven’t heard anything bad about them. When you start costing parts it may be cheaper to buy a ready made quality gun. Since the Smith & Wesson is restricted that means no walking in the woods with it, range only, can’t go to friends farm and shot cans. You can go bolt action and buy a CZ 452, super good gun and still a few around, 455 not as good.
You can buy barreled actions,Dlask ,saves the heating cooling process
 
vtham said:
thank you. is it difficult to build a gun? i'm fairly handy... or is this something to be done by professionals?[/QUO

If you are fairly handy and have the required tools as well like to read and watch videos of tutorials on building and assembling parts for 10/22. Than no. If you are not handy and don’t have patience and like to rush stuff, I would leave it to the professionals. As mentioned above Dlask makes some really good quality parts. You could buy a nice used 10/22 off EE and make your own with you kid!
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Easy to change the trigger group all you need is a punch to knock out 2 pins holding it in place and drop in a new one. The buffer is knocked out with a punch and a new one guided into place. The stock is a screwdriver or hex driver used to replace it . The bolt is a bunch of finger manipulation, and the odd $&$&$ word, nice to have some Scotch rite on hand to polish the inside of the receiver when all the guts are out and a can of dry lube to spray the interior before putting it all together.
 
vtham said:
Hi all,
Been reading the forums for a while and have finally decided to enter my first post as I will be receiving my PAL shortly.
I know this is a great forum full of very experienced and knowledgeable gun owners so i wanted to solicit some opinions on what type of rifle i should buy first.

Couple of my parameters:
- I'm new to this so based upon a bunch of reading, a 22LR would be most appropriate as a starter
- would prefer a semi auto
- my intentions are not to hunt, just target practice
- I would like my 9 year old to learn how to shoot and get him involved in the sport (anything to get him away from his iPad!) so the rifle should be light and easy for him to manage
- something very reliable and frankly won't frustrate the heck out of me with problems!

I would really like the S&W M&P 15 -22 but i know these are restricted in Canada.
So i have been reading about and researching the following:
- GSG 15
- CZ 512 Tactical
- Kel-Tec SU22
- Ruger SR22
- Mossberg 715

There's only so many reviews you can read online but I would love to hear from people that actually shoot these guns and their recommendations.

Thanks
Vay
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Hey Vay~welcome to the shooting sports, and congrats on making a 22 your first! :) I've been fortunate to have shot LOTS of different calibers/actions...but still, nothing pleases me more than a bolt action 22. Period.

To your question, I'd personally echo what someone else posted earlier~I think you owe it to yourself to start with a bolt action, not a semi. As a rule, easier to clean..more accurate..better trigger.."safer" in the sense that you have to cycle the action to chamber a round vs. a returning bolt on a semi chambering it for you, etc. I think semis have their place, but having given LOTS of people their first shooting experience...I can tell you it's the semis that people tend to grow bored of first. (kids AND adults) As fun as flying brass and quick follow-up shots are...it's MORE fun hitting your targets reliably. That is going to happen more often with an unmodified bolt gun than it is with an unmodified semi. What TO get? Depending on budget, I'm a big CZ fan...so if it's a target gun only..I'd suggest a CZ 452 Varmint. If you wanted something better-suited to younger folks, a 452 Scout is a great option you'll enjoy too. For about $200 less (+/-) you could check out the Savage B series guns, Ruger American, Marlin XT, etc. I should add, the CZ 452 series is discontinued, but there are still new ones out there...and they pop-up here in the EE often.

If it has to be a semi~I'd suggest a Marlin 795. Great combination of accuracy/price/features. The iron sights are crappy, but the ones I got on my Ruger 10/22 were too...so that's a wash when comparing. The difference was, my Marlin 795 (At the time) cost about 1/2 what the 10/22 did, and could shoot circles around it. I might add, there is an interesting 22 semi coming down the pipe, a Thompson/Center T/CR22. From what I've seen/read, it appears to be an improved Ruger 10/22..and there is no questioning T/C have a good reputation. Unless you're in a rush to buy, I'd want to get a look at a T/CR22 before buying any semi.
 
I went with an Anschutz MSR RX22. Basically the ISSC, but with better components, adjustable trigger, better barrel etc. Have yet to test it out though :(
 
Marlin 795 seems to be a far better value than the 10/22. I have one with Tech Sights and it has been running bulk ammo without missing a beat.

I wish I had gotten the stainless model but they don't seem to make it anymore.
 
Semi's have their place and dumping mags is fun for a while but gets boring quick (been there done that). I'm down to 4 rimfires now....all bolts. 3 scoped (3x-9, 4x-12, 4x fixed) and one with peep sights. I have my needs met but I'm always eyeing a lever for something different.

Bolts are easier to clean and more reliable. I prefer making each round "count" vs blasting away. Besides, less casings to pick up when done.....
 
Life is short buy what you want. Go to various shops and actually hold the guns. Go from there for reviews
I have a couple semis couple bolts and pump and a lever
Face the fact youll end up with more than one rimfire

If i were to buy a semi auto today it would be a marlin 795 or said sw even though its restricted but i believe for everyone purchased and enjoyed a liberals head explodes
 
I am going to chime in on the side of bolt action guns as a number of others have. I can go to the range with my CZ 452 Varmint, a bit too heavy for most 9 year olds and put a lot of lead down range. As an aside I use my own printed targets as well as clays and soft plastic sports cones, 50/$25 at CT*. This really can make things interesting, especially for your son, you just need a range that allows it. Some of the junior rifles are quite reasonably priced so you could get one for him and another different one for you if you can cover the cost. Eventually anything can be sold if you move up! Good luck when you start!
 
The CZ 512 Tactical would get my vote from that group. Action is smooth, feels bigger than a .22, and a semi auto with the accuracy of a bolt gun. Only downside is they’re a pain in the #%% to take apart to clean because of that tactical stock. Oh and their 25rd magazine is expensive. CZ has it in a .22 magnum as well but no 25rd mag.
 
Another vote for the 10/22. With that being said don't forget if you buy something and you don't like it you can always sell it and get something else. Or just buy another rifle!
 
My Remington 597 HB 16” has been flawless using CCI blazer .22 ammo. I have not had a signal failure in over 2000 rounds. It also is a tac driver out of the box. I have in in a Rhineland arms para stock..

I did tons of research prior to buying, being in Canada, I believe the 597 is best value (especially on sale). Good luck! In the states the 10/22 is a good value but the CAD$ is weak.. also, it takes a lot of extra money to get theb10/22 as accurate as the 597 (in my personal opinion).
 
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A semi auto is great for plinking tin cans and other kinetic targets. Also excellent for hunting/shooting gophers due to follow up shots. They are pretty good for target shooting, but typically the trigger feel is where you pay for that semi auto. For example, a stock 10/22 trigger is about 10x worse than any decent bolt action for trigger pull. Spend a $100 plus on the trigger for new parts and it becomes more decent, spend $300 for a new trigger group and the 10/22 trigger is excellent.
If you like placing accurate shots at the range, bottom line is that the bolt actions will pretty much always have a better trigger than a 10/22. So considering the gun may cost you $350, and you have another few hundred into the trigger and you're talking a pile of money.

Also, that Marlin semi auto in my opinion has a pretty crappy trigger too. Just sayin....

Since you have a 9 year old, I'd suggest starting with a simple bolt action and leave the semi's for later.
This will save you a bunch of cash at the outset.
If you are on a budget, I'd suggest the scorpio EM322a from site sponsor SFRC:

https://www.theammosource.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_25_917&products_id=7053&zenid=25ed2195heg61gage9nrtc3s77

This will set you back a whole $200, and you get a very nice ambidextrous thumbhole stock. The quality of this gun is surprisingly high, it's also pretty lightweight and short for kids. And since it's basically a norinco, you can mod anything you want to make it better. like the bedding is pretty poor, so fooling / fixing that will improve the accuracy.
On this model, I strongly suggest getting the rubber tactical bolt knob from ebay..... ( copied the following from a previous post of mine about it)

To get one, Search ebay.ca for Tourbon rifle tactical bolt knob rubber handle etc., Make an offer of 4.25 U$ shipped each (that's the lowest they'll go), its the tourbon HA00057. takes about a month to arrive by snail mail. The knob, btw improves the other CZ's, Marlin bolt action rimfires, and especially the Norinco Scorpio bolt action rimfires (with the too short bolt handle).
Note that there are two sizes of the tourbon knob, and you want the smaller one for these applications (which this one is).

Extra 10 shot mags for Scorpio's can still be found at Durham outdoors, another site sponsor (someday these will be hard to find I'm sure):

https://durhamoutdoors.ca/products/scorpio-em332a-magazine

Honestly, the Scorpio is one of your best bets overall. There are reviews on this site of the gun. Or get a savage rascal that is dedicated to the 9 year old. He will thank you.

And yes, I'm a huge fan of the 10/22, but if I were you, I'd choose a bolt gun. The CZ452 is the next model I'd suggest, but it's only available on the used market. Cost is 3x the scorpio and it'll be harder for the 9 year old to handle (unless you can find a CZ scout).

Good luck with your choice.
 
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^ +1. I agree about bolt action for a kid fwiw, I taught my 5 yr old daughter on a bolt action, it’s very safe and training with iron sights is a good way to go.
 
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vtham said:
thank you. is it difficult to build a gun? i'm fairly handy... or is this something to be done by professionals?
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get familiar with a platform what you are going to build
get one factory built first and see if you comfortable with it
ergonomics, action, parts source and costs, resale value, practical use, resale value of unused parts and other questions to be asked and answered
access to tools, machinery, information for a given project is a must
 
After the pellet gun I went and bought a Marlin 60 for my grandson. Bought the synhetic model and put a cheapo Simmons 22 mag 3-9x32 scope I had kicking around. Light, very reliable and accurate little rifle and he turned into a very good shot with it, consistently hitting empty 20 ga hulls and was even able to hit empty 22 shells about 1 or 2 out of 5 times at 50 yds.
As mentioned in other comments the trigger was absolutely horrible. It has since been upgraded to a mcarbo trigger spring kit (cutting trigger pull by more than half) a mcarbo target trigger, a Boyd's laminate stock, a tasco target 2.5-10x42 scope and a bipod, all of which the grandson picked out.
His rifle now constantly shoots sub m.o.a. groups, averaging under 3/8" 5 shot groups at 50 yds. Unfortunately they moved to the city about 6 years ago and he's totally lost interest, but hopefully he takes it up again.
 
Oh the conflict . . . I want to get a semi-auto but I want to teach my son to shoot.

Start slow and a bolt action will slow things down while "he" learns to shoot and you too.

The numerous times a father has taken his child to the range with a semi-auto and it suddenly goes to spray and pray while learning little and voiding what started out as a learning process.

Start with a bolt action and thank you to the others who supported this learning curve.
 
Remingto 597 HB is my choice. Ruger 10/22 is the Honda Civic of rimfires when it comes to accessories. But when it comes to accuracy, it will take upgrades that will cost money. The new rimfire from DLASK seems to be better option. Fitted with known components and built by a Canadian for Canadians, I would not hesitate to have one in my safe. The bottom line is, you have to consider the wait time.

grimalkin said:
My Remington 597 HB 16” has been flawless using CCI blazer .22 ammo. I have not had a signal failure in over 2000 rounds. It also is a tac driver out of the box. I have in in a Rhineland arms para stock..

I did tons of research prior to buying, being in Canada, I believe the 597 is best value (especially on sale). Good luck! In the states the 10/22 is a good value but the CAD$ is weak.. also, it takes a lot of extra money to get theb10/22 as accurate as the 597 (in my personal opinion).
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