Browning Buck Mark Sporter 22 rifle - advises ?

[josh19]

Hello everyone,

I already own a ruger 10/22 and is shopping for another 22LR rifle. I decided on the buck mark sporter (http://www.browning.com/products/firearms/rifles/buckmark-rifles/buck-mark-sporter-rifle.html)

Here is my rationale, I appreciate you can weigh in on this rifle. Much thanks.

The plus:

1. Buck Mark sporter rifle essentially is a buck mark pistol with a buttstock and an 18 inches tapered barrel. I own the pistol (7" hunter) and really like it, very reliable and solidly built. No problem whatsoever. So I figure the rifle will be perform just as good.
2. Parts and magazine interchangeable with my buck mark hunter.
3. Disassembly and maintenance is manageable, even take a few more tool.
4. Magazine is reliable (one big complaint I have with Ruger 10/22 is the 25 round BX-25 magazine. I brought 6 of these and only 1 perform OK, rounds jam or other issues. The 10 rounds rotary type is ok). Buck mark magazine is easy to load, very reliable and works like a charm.

The minus
1. Slide back - need to be mindful that it will not hit you
2. Blowback - absolutely need to wear eye protection
3. Rifle looks a bit odd (than conventional rifle)

Last question - best price I see for the Buck Mark sporter rifle is from online Budsgun shop for around $600. Can I just buy it and ship to a MD FFL ?

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/36_58_127/products_id/32687

 

[dontpanic]

I have a sporter. It os a vety nice addition to my Buck Mark pistols.

I think it is much quicker than a 10/22. The fiber optic sights are very good. Currently I am using a Burris Fastfire on mine and yhat works great also. I used a 3x9 scope for a while but it is difficult to operate the slide. There are side rackers available to make this easier.

The grip feels much clunkier than the pistol. It can be difficult to operate the slide release with your grip hand and impossible to operate the magazine release.

These rifles have always been hard to find. I got mine off Gunbroker many years ago. I have seen a lot on there lately mostly in the $550 range. I would go to myvLGS and see if they could order one. The price difference is rarely worth the hassle.

Good luck

 

[dontpanic]

Wow. I just checked Gunbroker. The price on these has really gone up in the last year or so.

 

[josh19]

Thanks Dontpanic,

I brought from budsgunshop couple times including the BM hunter. Price seems quite good as compare to local MD gunshops. I found this FFL in rt.40 Baltimore that charge only $40 for long gun.

So total cost will be around $630 take home price.

Question: is this BM sporter unregulated firearm I can just order from Budsgunshop and ship to this FFL ?

I browsed through the MDSP roster list and saw only handgun. Always make me nervous from buying firearm online. Want to make sure everything is legal and proper.

BTW: a little nuisances with BM pistol

- the last screw in the slide always come loose after 100+ shot. I replace the manufacturer's star washer with another regular washer (one with broken end and one end raised, not sure what you call this kind of washer)

- that little clamp holding the return spring on the slide rod always flies off when I take the pistol down. I simply just not using it and keep just the white plastic block as cushion. The pistol seems to work fine without the clamp.

 

[tatoocrab]

I bought a target one out of a local paper for $300. with a red dot.
Told myself I wasn't going to buy another 22. At that price I had to have it. Only shot 3 times
mags work great. I like the pistol grip wish the stock was a little longer.

 

[dontpanic]

The Buck Mark Sporter is not regulated. It is a Cash and Carry gun. It is also a rifle so it is not on the handgun roster.

I use a little of the lowest strength loctite on that slide screw. Still easy to remove, but I never had another issue with it. I have never had a problem with the other oart. Just be carefull. I only take my Buck Marks apart about once a year, they are very easy to clean whole fully assembled.

Not sure where you are located, but if you are near Baltimore I recommend Blue Fin's in Dudalk. $35 transfer for long guns. Also discount for MDS members.

http://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=176322

 

[josh19]

Dontpanic, I really appreciate the info. $35 FFL fee is really good. I will keep this for future reference. I went ahead to order the BM sporter this morning with a local gun shop. It is more expensive than online. I feel good that I am supporting the local gun shop. I look forward to the sporter. I know it will work very well since my BM hunter has been an excellent pistol with no loading issue.

I like my Ruger 10 22 but 10 round mag compare to 10 round mag, BM mag definitely is far more reliable.

 

[microstar22]

I got to test drive this around 2004? I put some of the best groupings down range that I have ever done.

 

[rico903]

I came across one of the heavy barrel models with a Bushnell red dot on it in an LGS a few years ago and grabbed it. Slightly used I paid $689 OTD with the factory hard case. It was the first one I had seen in years. I like it a lot . Probably would like the sporter barrel more for the iron sites option. Fighting the urge to have it threaded. The price you have worked up is a good deal IMO.

 

[josh19]

Now I have to look into the optics for the sporter. Never use a red dot before, may be time to try one. Any good recommendation ? so many models out there.

Question - what are your take on the Ruger 10/22 BX-25 magazine ? Must be my luck, only 1 out 6 I brought (from 2 different buy over the span of 1 year) is acceptable. I researched and try to take it apart, clean it. Did not help much. The ammo jammed at the feed lips of the BX-25 (brand new off the box). I called and the tech said I can return all the BX-25 for the 10 round rotary mag.

 

[smdub]

The plus:
4. Magazine is reliable (one big complaint I have with Ruger 10/22 is the 25 round BX-25 magazine. I brought 6 of these and only 1 perform OK, rounds jam or other issues. The 10 rounds rotary type is ok). Buck mark magazine is easy to load, very reliable and works like a charm.

I don't understand this one. Does the Buckmark come w/ >10rd mags? (if it does, Im all ears as I want some for my pistol!) So isn't comparing a reliable 10-rd mag to a reliable 10-rd mag the apples-to-apples comparison? There are speed loaders for both types.

 

[smdub]

Now that I've seen a pic of the Buckmark 'rifle' (didn't know they existed) I'm tempted to make a 16" bbl for my pistol and machine the frame to accept a dovetail-type stock like a hipower/artillery luger Browning missed the mark in not making that stock removable. An integrally suppressed 16" bbl 'rifle' that packs down small would be good stuff! Would be pretty close to a 10/22 takedown w/ the option to use it unassembled (hey, I can rest a 16" bbl pistol on something like a tree branch and still hit things pretty accurately in a hurry.)

 

[josh19]

I don't understand this one. Does the Buckmark come w/ >10rd mags? (if it does, Im all ears as I want some for my pistol!) So isn't comparing a reliable 10-rd mag to a reliable 10-rd mag the apples-to-apples comparison? There are speed loaders for both types.

Sorry for my poor hand writing. As far as I know, BM (pistol or rifle) only come with 10 rounds magazine, interchangeable. I would love to see Browning make higher capacity mag like Ruger 10 22. But to me Ruger 10 22's BX-25 is disappointing. The 10 rd one is ok.

 

[dontpanic]

Not sure why you got the dud BX-25s. I have 4 of them and have never had a problem. I have not even heard of people having problems. Some of the other aftermarket mags can be real POS though.

I too wish the BM had a >10 rd mag. I superglued the floorplates of 2 of mine together. I just have to flip it. Not as good as a 25 rounder, but it is something.

 

[photoracer]

As someone who has shot both Ruger and Browning .22 firearms in competition for years I have to say there is close to zero reliability differences between the pistols and rifles if you build them with the right parts and maintain them correctly. Also neither can be considered unreliable until you have shot at least 500 rounds of HV ammo thru them. While I like the Buckmark rifle its a little heavy for competition considering how light you can build a 10/22 with aftermarket parts. Have not gotten around to buying the BM rifle but I do have a Browning BL-22 lever gun. As for the BX-25 mags the jury is still out for me on those. Any mag you buy you should first thing fill them to capacity and let them sit for 24-48 hours. The rotary mags seem to be totally reliable for me (seen others with issues, usually ammo related)
Also note the barrel of the BM rifle does not have the same breech configuration as the pistol so you can't swap barrels between the two.

 

[josh19]

Hi, I finally have the chance to try out the BM sporter rifle. I ran around 600 rounds through it. No surprise, the BM rifle perform beautifully. Only 1 FTL, and I think it is just that particular 22LR round. Handle extremely well. I love the rifle. It is my favorite rifle besides the AR15.

I shot with iron sight only. As show in the pics at 8 yards I group OK. But at 25 yards it starts to rise and move to the left. I figure it may be just my poor eye sight at longer distance of 25 yards. What do you think ? Is there something I did wrong. Or what I can do to improve ?

I tried to shift the windage to the right by adjusting the rear sight. see pics # 3loosen only the rear screw, but the optics hardly move a hair and stuck. I also loosen the middle screw. But this screw seems to control the elevation only.

Is there something wrong with my windage control ?

 

[dontpanic]

That back screw is not windage. It is just a simple blade sight with light tubes. That screw holds the light tubes on.

The screw you marked elevation is elevation.

I just pulled mine out to look at it. I put a Bushnell TRS-25 on mine about a year ago. I have also had a scope on it. The red dot definitely helps with my old eyes.

 

[josh19]

http://www.browning.com/content/dam/browning/support/owners-manuals/bmrifle-99611-om-s.pdf

I read the manual (on page 13 - actual page # and page 14 on pdf document). It did say the rear screw is to adjust the windage that once loosen, you can hand pull the twin fiber optics left or right. I did that but the optics does not budge.

 

[dontpanic]

http://www.browning.com/content/dam/browning/support/owners-manuals/bmrifle-99611-om-s.pdf

I read the manual (on page 13 - actual page # and page 14 on pdf document). It did say the rear screw is to adjust the windage that once loosen, you can hand pull the twin fiber optics left or right. I did that but the optics does not budge.

You read a manual? Never heard of that. I broke my rear sight taking off a scope cap. I got the replacement fron Numrich. When I replaced it there was no slot eoe way to move the rear of that sight. At least not on mine.

 

[josh19]

Hi Dontpanic, I posted another thread under rifle - http://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=193937

I am new to optics and learn pretty much everything through the web. I am perplexed by the Nikon prostaff 4-12 scope as explained in the thread why I ran out of range in both elevation and windage to line up the laserlyte red dot and the cross hair. I did center the scope using the mirror as well as counting the click (# clicks from end to end divide by 2). But still I can not turn the elevation/windage knob any further, it max out.