When a gun has been in production for more than 100 years like the SA-22, labeling its design as a ‘success’ is a massive understatement.
Why this semi-auto rimfire is one slick shooter:
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- The svelte little .22 rifle has been in production for more than a century.
- It was designed by John Browning.
- It was also the first semi-auto chambered for the .22 rimfire cartridge.
- Spent casing are ejected downward.
- The cocking button is on the underside of the receiver.
- The Browning .22 Auto Rifle is a takedown.
- Top examples of certain Belgium-made versions of the rifle can fetch $3,250.
The svelte little .22 rifle, known by Browning variously as the SA-22, .22 Semi-Auto or just Auto Rifle, has been in production for more than a century. The John M. Browning design was the first semi-auto rifle made for the .22 rimfire cartridge. It has been called a rifle that was appropriately designed for its cartridge — slim, light and easy handling. It was manufactured by Fabrique Nationale in Belgium beginning from 1914, but it wasn’t imported to the United States until 1956. Production continued at FN until 1974, when it was moved to Miroku in Japan, where most Browning rifles and shotguns have been made ever since.
This Limited Edition SA-22 commemorates the 100th anniversary of the rifle. A similar rifle was made by Remington from 1919 to 1949 as the Model 24 and 241, under license from Browning. The main difference in the Browning and Remington versions had to do with a slight variation in the take-down system for removing the barrel. The Brownings were also cosmetically a bit nicer, with attractive checkering, wood, fit and finish.
I recall as a youngster seeing my first Browning .22 Semi-Auto at a gun store in downtown Austin, Texas, and being quite impressed. This was in the late ‘50s, and I recall the price being about $85. I was especially impressed with the .22 Short model. - My experiences with Texas fox squirrels taught me that .22 Short hollow-points were a fine choice for bushy-tails at reasonable ranges. Over the years I kept telling myself that I really needed one of the Short models, but somehow I never got around to buying it. They have been discontinued for several years, and these days the used ones are going for $1,000 or more. Lesson here for younger shooters — don’t wait too long for something you really “need.”
The Unique Browning .22 Auto Rifle
The .22 Auto Rifle design has several unique features that many shooters find appealing. The most noticeable is the downward ejection of empties. I’ve heard that this was to avoid ejecting the shells into the face of a person standing next to the shooter — the downside is that a hot shell can drop down into the sleeve of the shooter’s shirt.
- Another distinctive feature is the cocking button on the underside of the receiver. This design, coupled with the ejection port on the bottom, gives the SA-22 a nice, flat surface on both the right and left sides of the receiver. Previously mentioned is the take-down feature, allowing the barrel to be easily removed without tools by way of the knurled ring at the rear of the barrel that can be turned with the fingers.
- Operation of the Browning .22 Auto is simple: Turn the loading tube in the buttplate to the left and pull it out far enough to expose the port on the right side of the buttstock, insert up to 10 .22 LR cartridges or 16 shorts (if you have a shorts-only model), reach under the receiver in front of the trigger guard, and pull back and release the cocking lever.
Make sure to use the button-operated safety in the front part of the trigger guard. Some of the early models have the loading port on top of the buttstock, directly behind where the stock meets the receiver. I believe these models are made in Belgium and marked “Fabrique Nationale” and not “Browning.”What To Look For In A Browning .22 Auto Rifle
There have been several high-grade models with varying levels of engraving and wood. Some SA-22s I’ve seen had very nicely figured walnut stocks. The chart shows some current values, courtesy of the 2017 edition of Standard Catalog of Firearms.
Many collectors, as is often the case, are mainly interested in older models, especially those made in Belgium. The Miroku rifles, however, are very high quality and will likely show increases in value in the future. For small-game hunting or casual plinking, there isn’t a nicer .22 to take on a stroll in the woods than the Browning SA-22.
Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2018 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
The Czech-based parent company of CZ and Connecticut’s Colt have come to an agreement, leaving the European gunmaker increasingly American.
Announced on Thursday, the Česká zbrojovka Group, or CZG, will acquire a 100-percent stake in the historic Colt’s Manufacturing Company as well as its Canadian subsidiary, the Colt Canada Corporation. CZG has agreed to a cash and stock deal that includes $220 million upfront and the issue of just over 1 million shares of newly issued common stock. The combined group will have annual projected revenues of over $500 million.
The heads of both companies painted the merger as a strategic step in which both stand to make great gains as brands.
“The acquisition of Colt, an iconic brand and a benchmark for the military, law enforcement, and commercial markets globally, fits perfectly in our strategy to become the leader in the firearms manufacturing industry and a key partner for the armed forces,” said Lubomír Kovařík, president and chairman of CZG.
Colt in recent years emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy after the loss of its key military M4 contract in 2013, emerging from restructuring in January 2016. Since then, it has gained several new military contracts, so many that it had to briefly suspend commercial AR-15 sales, and has re-entered the revolver market with a bang.
“We are very pleased with the prospect of such a strategic combination,” said Dennis Veilleux, president and CEO of Colt. “Having completed a historic turn-around of the operations and financial performance at Colt over the past five years, this important next step with CZG positions the company to take advantage of significant growth opportunities. We are excited to join forces with CZG which will be a powerful combination for both brands and for our customers.”
According to figures from federal regulators, Colt in 2019, the latest year that data is available, produced 29,022 pistols, 21,049 revolvers, and 10,091 rifles. Colt’s sole U.S. factory is in West Hartford, Connecticut. Colt Canada is in Kitchener, Ontario, and produces M4-style carbines and FN MAG general-purpose machine guns for not only the Canadian military but also for several other NATO countries.
As for CZG, the company’s CZ-USA and Dan Wesson subsidiaries have locations in Kansas City, Kansas, and Norwich, New York. They produced 20,315 pistols, 10,565 rifles, and 58 revolvers in 2019 domestically. Two years ago, CZ-USA announced an important $90 million expansion in Arkansas, namely a 65,000-square-foot manufacturing facility to be completed on approximately 73 acres at the Port of Little Rock.
While some purists may bemoan the acquisition of an iconic American firearms brand by an overseas concern, it should be pointed out that this is not a first in history. Smith & Wesson at one time was owned by Tompkins, a British engineering firm, and the Herstal Group of Belgium – owners of FN – has long held control of both the Browning Arms Company and Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Likewise, some companies traditionally seen as European have largely transferred operations to the U.S., for example, Sig-Sauer, who shuttered its German factory last year, while its American offshoot is booming and expanding.