Designed by John Moses Browning the SA-22 went into production in 1914 and after a stint of manufacturing in Belgium production moved to Miroku in Japan in the mid 1970's.
Despite over 500,000 units being produced these are quite thin on the ground over here when new and are usually on special order so I was very pleased when I found one with same week delivery for a customer and it eventually arrived yesterday.
First impression was weight, the rifle feels solid and well built, the wood well figured for the standard Grade 1 finished with a glossy varnish/lacquer. I recently handled a Ruger 10/22 take down and I wanted to compare the Browning as it is also a take down design meaning the barrel is easily removed from the action and stock for transport and storage. The Ruger is broken down by pulling the cocking lever back, operating a lever underneath and rotating the barrel approximately 45 degrees across the longitudinal axis. The Ruger operation is OK however finish is general average and there is quite a gap between the forend and receiver.
This is not the case with the Browning, from a distance it looks like a conventional rifle and even close up the fit is superb. To break the rifle down, slide the small catch just in front of the receiver on the underside, pull the cocking lever back a bit and rotate the barrel, a quarter turn is all that is needed and the rifle is in two parts. The Browning uses the interrupted thread system for attaching the barrel to the receiver and everything about it is very well manufactured and finished.
Both the Browning and the Ruger have a threaded spacer to adjust barrel to receiver fit however once this is set it should not need to be adjusted for many years.
One very nice feature of the Browning is bottom cock and eject which means it is truly ambidextrous. One thought is what happens to the cases when you are shooting prone on a warm day, I would hate to get a hot .22LR case in the crook of my elbow...
The open sights are acceptable and will work for most people however the barrel is also drilled to accept a one piece rail to allow a 'scope to be fitted. The rail cantilevers back so no fear of loss of zero. I also like the magazine loading which is via a port on the left hand side of the butt. To load disengage the spring plunger from the butt, pull the plunger back, drop 10 rounds into the hole, close and engage the plunger and you are ready to shoot.
I have been looking for a .22LR take down rifle for a while and the Ruger had always been my primary choice, having now had my hands on the Browning I know exactly which one I prefer and I will be on the lookout for an earlier model over the next few weeks.
