The Rimfire Series

By Joe Berk

I liked good buddy Jose’s blog about his Marlin Glenfield .22 rifle, and we thought it would be a good idea to include a Rimfire Series category here on ExNotes.  When the idea first surfaced, I thought we might have done a blog or two on .22 rimfire firearms.  When I searched through our blogs, I found that we’ve already posted six .22 blogs.  For your quick reference, here they are:

A Tale of Two .22s (a CZ Model 452 and a Remington Model 504)

A .22 Colt Trooper Mk III

¡Siluetas Metálicas!

First Person Shooter

A 200th Year Ruger .22

A Tale of Two Springfields

We’ll be including a category for these on our Tales of the Gun page, too.


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Watch for upcoming rimfire stories in this series, including a blog or two on the GSG .22 1911, the Ruger Single Six, the Smith and Wesson Model 41, a Mannlicher CZ Model 455, a Trainer CZ Model 452 , a Winchester Model, a Remington Custom Shop Model 504, a Ruger Mannlicher 10/22, a 200th year Ruger 10/22, a target grade Ruger Mark III, a vintage Winchester Model 62, and more.  Yep, we like our rimfires.  Big time.  Stay tuned, Amigos!


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The CZ 2075 9mm Rami

As concealed carry powerhouses go, it doesn’t get much better than the CZ 25 Rami.  One of my good buddies owns one and I had an opportunity to play with it.  I was impressed.  On the plus side, it is an all-metal gun with a flat black finish, a hammer (greatly preferred by yours truly over a striker-fired pistol), great sights, and a marvelous trigger.    My bud had a trigger job on his, and it was awesome (light and crisp, with zero creep, just like it should be).

The three-dot sights on the CZ are crisp and non-gimmicky.  There’s no glow-in-the-dark nonsense and they stand out.  In the photo below, the sight picture is just the opposite of what it’s supposed to be (you want the front sight to be in sharp focus, and the rear sight to be a bit fuzzy, but I couldn’t get my iPhone camera to cooperate when I shot these photos).

I liked the feel of the CZ.  I didn’t get to fire it, but I think I might have an opportunity at some point.  The one you see here is chambered in 9mm.  The Rami was also available in .40 S&W, which I think might be a bit much for a gun this small.

The Rami was discontinued in 202o with the introduction of newer CZ models.  I haven’t seen the new handguns, but I can’t see how they can be any better than the CZ 2075.  This pistol just feels right.


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The Rimfire Series: A Tale of Two .22s

Rimfire rifles are cool.   The ammo is inexpensive (when you can find it), there’s no recoil to speak of, they are accurate, and they usually cost less than centerfire rifles.  Usually.  Unless you go for fancy wood and high end rifles.  Both the rimfires you see above fit that description.

The one on the left is a CZ452 Varmint model and it is a stunning rifle.  I bought it used and came to it in a unusual way.  I’d never owned a CZ before I bought this one.   I heard they were accurate and I’m a sucker for a pretty piece of walnut.  I saw this one on an Internet rimfire forum, and I knew the chances of finding one like it in a store were slim.  So I wrote to the owner through the board’s messaging system and asked if he’d be interested in selling it.  “No way,” came the quick response.  I forgot about it and then one day about a year later came the email.  The guy needed cash and I needed that rifle.  It was a match made in heaven, and I bought it as you see it here, complete with the Mueller scope.  It’s as accurate as I hoped it would be (it’s the most accurate .22 rifle I own).   Patience pays big sometimes.


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The one on the right I came to own in a different manner.  About 15 years ago Susie and I were in Rapid City, South Dakota.   Rapid City is a cool little town and it has a very cool gun store.  First Stop Gun is a dream come true:  A real gun shop, with an eye for high end guns, blue steel, and good wood. I didn’t buy anything on that visit, but having learned about the gun store I watched for their listings on Gunbroker.com.  One day, they posted an ad for a Remington Custom Shop Model 504.

I pounced on the 504 and I’m glad I did. Remington (as we knew it) is no more, the Custom Shop (as we knew it) is no more, and the Model 504 is no more.  This one checked all the boxes for me…great wood, a Custom Shop rifle, and a rimfire.  Yeah, you might say I paid too much for it, but the value is only going one way (and that’s up).   I’d say I didn’t pay too much; maybe I just bought it too soon.  And no, it’s not for sale.  It shoots well and the Model 504 has the feel of a full size centerfire (check out the recoil pad on this rifle).  It doesn’t feel dinky like many .22s do.  It’s just a fun gun to shoot and it’s a fun gun to look at.  I do both a lot.


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