.22 lr rifle buying advice

[cyrixoutside]

hi,

i am planning to buy a .22 lr rifle.

the rifles that i have commonly encountered in gun shops are.

Bolt action

1) Brno
2) Krico

Semi Auto

1) FN (tubaler mag)

Single Shots

1) Stevens
2) BSA

now most of the sigle shots are in very bad condition, and the semi autos are P.B.

so effectivelt that leaves to two bolt actions.

I have also found that on average brnos are atleast 30 % more expensive than krico's

why is this so ? is their that much difference.

anyway i have never ever even fired a .22 lr so i am hoping that the more experienced members will please guide me in selecting a .22 lr rifle.

thanks



rajat

[cauvery-cowboy]

Rajat,

Currently in Hyderabad Brno Mod. 2's in excellent condition are selling for Rs. 1 Lakh. You can get a BSA bolt action with a tubular mag. for about half that price. Remington and Browning pump actions are selling for about Rs. 40-50,000/-

If you can get a Krico in good condition for about 30-40,000/- I would say grab it.

Cheers,

Marc

[cyrixoutside]

hi,

out here in jaipur a krico .22 in very good condition is selling for about Rs 80k.

i really doubt that i will be able to find a krico for under Rs 40k in this part of india.

pump actions are also a bit hard to find around here.

so basically i need to choose between brno and krico.

any advice



rajat

[Mack The Knife]

Cost aside, I would go for a CZ / Brno.

Which Krico model are you refering to?

However, whatever you buy, make sure you first get to thoroughly test it before parting with your cash.

Insist on firing groups at 50 metres with good quality ammo. Groups at 25 yards are no indication of accuracy potential at further ranges. If the bore has just been cleaned, shoot a few fouling shots before trying for groups.

Don't be in a hurry to buy an imported rifle. If necessary fill the vacant slot in your licence with an IOF .22lr until you find yourself a good example.

Mack The Knife

[cyrixoutside]

hi,

i have not seem the krico myself, but its not a target model.

its very unlikely that the seller will even let me fire shots at 25 yards let alone 50 yards, the normal thing usually done is to fire 1 - 2 rounds in to the air just the check if the rifle actually fires !

thats all i'll be able to do.

rajat

p.s - any specific reason you prefer the brno

[Mack The Knife]

its very unlikely that the seller will even let me fire shots at 25 yards let alone 50 yards.

Why? Is that written in stone? Please test it as mentioned above. It may just save you a lot of grief later. Take your own cartridges if need be.

As for firing into the air, only an utter twit would do that.

I prefer the CZ / Brno because they are well put together, dependable, accurate and excellent value for money (but not in India). Basically it's a mini-Mauser.

I have only seen and handled one Krico - 320 something or the other. Very nice rifle but I would still opt for the CZ/Brno. Just personal preference.

Mack The Knife

[cauvery-cowboy]

Hi,

I agree with Mack The Knife - go for the Brno. Also, keep in mind that parts for the Brno are still available in Southeast Asia.

Cheers,
Marc

[cyrixoutside]

hi,

well i agree that one should test fire a weapon properly before buying it. however most people feel that firing 1 -2 rounds into the air is sufficient coz it shows that the weapon works, if i start telling them that i want to try out 10 - 15 rounds and that too on a target at 50 yards and see how they group, they will promptly admit me to a mental aslyum.

but thanks for the advice



rajat

[Mack The Knife]

Good luck then. You may just need it.

For any other prospective buyers out there, insist on a thorough test and don't get fobbed off with any of that "but this is how we do it" bull.

And DO NOT shoot into the air.

Mack The Knife

[Vikram]

Brno are fine rifles if somewhat utilitarian in appearance. If money is a major factor and 10-20 rounds are all you shoot in a year ( not that Krico are any less durable), Krico is a nice choice. They make fine rifles.

But, not to sound pompous, as Mack The Knife says, at least choose a deserted place to discharge the rifle. Rifle rounds travel a lot longer than shotgun pellets.Even the measly .22.

Good shooting- Vikram

[mehulkamdar]

Like all Indians I have considerable experience with the Brno Models 1 and 2 at the Madras Rifle Club and I liked the rifles a lot. They looked crude but shot well and Bronos have always been well made - I had a Walther KK for a while and though it looked flashy and sleek, it didn;t shoot any better than the MRC's Brnos did in the late 70s and early 80s when I was active there.

That said, Kricos were fantastic rifles and the company made the actions that were marketed as the post waar Mauser 201, I think, in 22 lr and 22 magnum, some of the nicest sporters in the 22 calibre until the present Kimber of America (not the older Kimber of Oregon) guns came out. Some of the Brnos on sale in India could be rifle club discards from the old days with tens of thousands of rounds through them, whereas a Krico would, most probably be a personal rifle with much fewer rounds through it. While tens of thousands of rounds are not going to damage a 22 lr rifle due to the very low velocities that the round achieves, if I were offered a Brno and a Krico in India at equal prices, I would take the Krico as long as it shot well.

I agree with Mack The Knife that shooting it in the air is a very dangerous practice and one that should be strongly discouraged, but a three shot group off a rest would be a good way of determining how a rifle shoots, provided you do your bit and put your best effort into it so there is no human error in it. Of course, nothing would be better than shooting a 50 round box, but, as you say, sellers may not allow you to do that.

Maybe Marc could find you a Krico at a good price where he is and you could transfer it to where you are? Just a suggestion - no idea how practical or workable it is...

Cheers,

Mehul

[cyrixoutside]

hi,

well a brno .22 usually sells at atleast 20 % more than a krico .22 in simlar condition.

also as mehul pointed out, most of the brno .22s in india are club imports and have been used a lot, other makes are usually personal rifles.



rajat

[z375]

[quote="cyrixoutside"]hi,

if i start telling them that i want to try out 10 - 15 rounds and that too on a target at 50 yards and see how they group, they will promptly admit me to a mental aslyum.



hmmm...sad...they need to go to the funny farm much before you do!

[brno375]

I'm a little biased as I have a Brno #5 and I love it. I do not have any experience with Krico, but you usually get what you pay for. The Chinese make a copy of the Brno and it sells for less than $200 Can here. A used #2 goes for about $350 and a new CZ 452 is $450 plus tax. I do not know how much a box of .22 cost there, but fire the gun a few times at a target of some sort. Please do not fire it in the air, a .22 can travel a lot farther than you think. High velocity .22 ammo can go 3 km. Good luck with your purchase.

Adam

[cauvery-cowboy]

Hi Rajat,

There is a Brno Mod. 1 that has come up for sale. It belongs to an uncle of a friend of mine. It is supposed to be in excellent condition and not used much. With a scope the owner is quoting Rs. 80,000/-

If you are interested, I will go and have a look at it and give you my opinion - I could even fire it if you want.

Let me know.

Cheers,

Marc