Review: Browning Semi-Auto 22; Grade I

As far as rifles go, the rimfire .22 is the runt of the litter. Often dismissed as a "first gun" for adolescents, they don't get a lot of respect from some more serious rifle aficionados. I think that's a shame because the .22 is a very versatile rifle, whether it will be used for plinking soda cans or for shooting varmints and upland game. It may not have the knockdown power of a .30 cal carbine, but they are small, light, quick, and accurate.

Browning's Semi-Auto 22 Grade I is a handsome, reliable rimfire rifle. It is roughly 5 pounds and 38 inches long with a 19.25 inch barrel. The beautiful, tight-grained walnut stock and forend are lacquered to a ultra-high gloss, and have finely detailed checkering. The receiver has an intricately engraved design right above the trigger housing and safety.

The blue-finished barrel has adjustable rear sights with a gold-beaded front sight, and is drilled and tapped to accept the optional scope. The automatic front-loaded, tubular magazine holds eleven rounds, which are ejected at the bottom of the receiver. The safety is located just before the trigger assembly on the right. The barrel release, just ahead of the trigger housing, easily releases the barrel without tools so it can be broken down for easy cleaning.

The SA-22 is very comfortable to hold and shoot. The walnut stock is contoured to fit comfortably against the shoulder and the grip in the right hand. The trigger pull is is rather light, and can be pulled quickly and repeatedly. It is an extremely accurate rifle; I can easily hit a bullseye with it from 10 yards without a scope, and the rifle never jammed on me once, even after a rapid-fire session made it very hot.

This isn't an ordinary .22; it retails for about $557.00. This is a hunter's rifle, mostly for small game and varmints. My only complaint about it is the smaller magazine capacity (most .22 semi-autos hold 17 rounds or more). It's feels great and is deadly accurate, but the Browning SA-22 Grade I is, in my opinion, rather expensive for a .22 rimfire rifle. My old Marlin and Springfield M-187N rifles are just as accurate, even if they sometimes jam after running semi-auto for extended periods.

Personally, I consider this rifle to be for the more serious collector (there are even higher grades of this rifle available from Browning, with such superfluous details as gold inlays and exquisitely detailed artwork. These .22 rifles can cost upwards of a thousand dollars easy!). I don't recommend this as a starter rifle for youth, only because there are much more inexpensive .22's on the market that are plenty safe and accurate enough for the young novice marksman. It would be like buying Junior a brand new Corvette as his first car!

In the end, if you have the money and do a lot of small game and target shooting with rifles, the Browning SA-22 is a good investment. Otherwise, there are many other rim-fire semi-automatic .22's out there, which are every bit as accurate, ranging from $150 to $300. It pays to shop around and actually put any firearm to the test before you buy!