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Posted: 10/12/2010 7:26:33 AM EDT
| Has anyone had a chance to play with one yet?? I just ordered one for a fun plinker..any input before it gets here. I will put my .02 in when it gets here and after I take it out shooting. http://cdn5.thefirearmsblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/tactical_22_press_release_image-tfb.jpg |
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Its a Mossburg 702 (I think that is correct) with an AR look-alike shell.
Its cheap to buy, like $229 from Bud's, it will last forever, it will shoot straight. Great rifle for the kids or the kid inside us. I wish they had made it as a flat top without that carry handle. Right now there are only 10 round magazines for it. Maybe someone knows where they can get hi-caps for it. |
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It is simply a 702 Plinkster in a cosmetic shell. Here is my review of the 702 Plinkster...
I’ve been in the market for an inexpensive, light, handy .22 LR carbine for a little while. I wanted a fun little plinker that I could keep in the ol’ Toyota or bug-out-bag and pull out every once and a while for some fun. My first attempt at procuring one ended in disaster after purchasing a Henry AR-7 Survival Rifle… what an absolute piece of excrement. I firmly believe that it was “machined” by retarded monkeys utilizing a dull rock. Also, even though it was labeled for use with .22 LR ammo, there must have been a mistake, since the rifle (I use the term loosely) would not even chamber any of 5 different types of ammo… Oh, well. You live and you learn. Thank you to the guys at the Arms Room for taking that abomination off my hands and sending it back. After this mishap, I went to Academy to fondle the plethora of .22 that they stock. First I went to the 10/22. Of course this is a known quantity, but it really was just too bulky and heavy for what I wanted. The Remington 597 also fell into that category, plus no irons. Next came the Marlin model 60 “Glennfield”. Nice little rifle. But, the overall length and girth with the wooden stock was still a little larger than I wanted. I quickly came to the Marlin Model 70 (the magazine fed version of the 60) and an unknown (to me) the Mossberg 702 Plinkster. From 5 paces, they look identical. I fondled both and due to several reasons listed below, I chose the Mossberg. I asked, “how much?” “$109” was the reply. So I took it home. Come to find out, this rifle is made in Brazil by the CBC ammo company and imported by Mossberg International (the same group that brings us the US/ Mexican made Maverick 88 Shotgun). It was originally imported and marketed directly by the manufacturer, but has recently changed hands to Mossberg. NOTE: This sucker was SLAP FULL of sticky yellow preservative oil. You will definitely need to strip ‘er down and give her a good bath before taking her out for your first range session. Here are my experiences with the rifle to date… GOOD 1.)The rifle is LIGHT. Like 3 lbs light. It is quick and lively and points excellently. 2.)The fit and finish. The receiver and trigger assembly are coated in what appears to be a heavy black powder coating. So far it is tough, it was applied quite evenly on all the visible portions, and unlike other “paint” finishes I’ve seen on inexpensive firearms, it holds up well to solvents, even aggressive ones. Also, the barreled receiver fits surprisingly nice and snug in its injection molded stock. Finally, the barrel bluing is well done. Very well done. A nice, deep, even blue. I truly was surprised at the level of fit and finish on this $109 rifle. 3.)The trigger housing is aluminum, not plastic like on other rifles of its ilk (notably the Model 70 Marlin). 4.)The rifle has a last shot bolt hold-open feature (follower stops the bolt), and the bolt handle has a recess where the bolt can easily be locked back. 5.)I thought disassembly/ assembly was very straight forward and easy. 6.)Finally, the biggest plus for this rifle was the sights. In addition to a receiver grooved for .22 rings, the Plinkster has an excellent set of semi-buckhorn sights. The front sight is hooded, and the rear sight is a fully screw adjustable, for both windage and elevation, aluminum piece with hash marks. It also folds out of the way if needed. These sights are much nicer than many factory setups on centerfire rifles (Marlin 336 comes to mind), and they totally blow away the “piece of sheet metal with a slot cut in it or a hole drilled in it” of their competitors. I put a dab of white paint on the front blade, and was able to get excellent sight picture. BAD 1.)The trigger. It has a LOT of take-up. Basically it is like a 2-stage. The final “stage” is also creepy. Luckily it is not overly heavy, but crisp, it is not. I would treat it like a 2-stage, and actually got quite used to it. 2.)The barrel is (semi)permanently pinned to the receiver using two roll pins. Time will tell how well this setup stays tight. Additionally, because of this feature, the barrel cannot be cleaned from the breech end with a rod. 3.)Fuggedabout getting accessories or higher capacity magazines for this one. What you got, is what you get. Luckily, however, extra 10 round magazines from Mossberg are cheap ($12) and seem very sturdy. THE UGLY My first trip to the range with this rifle was a failure. I was getting a minimum of 2-3 rounds per magazine of failures to eject. The barrel extension protruded a good bit into the receiver, and spent casings would get wedged between the extension, the receiver, and the next cartridge getting stripped off the magazine. The whole enchilada would get jammed up good, requiring pliers to extricate. No bueno. This happened with 5 different types of ammo. Heartbroken, and kicking myself for not learning my lesson with that AR-7 POS (dammit AG, should have bought the Ruger) I slunk home. The next day I took the rifle back to Academy. I knew they didn’t take returns, but they will pack up and ship the rifle back to the manufacturer for free. So away she went. Luckily, the service center is here in Texas, so I hoped for a quick turnaround. I sent with it a letter explaining what was happening, and what I thought the root cause might be (barrel extension protruding too far into receiver). Approximately 3 weeks later I received a call from Academy that my rifle was back. I went and picked it up. It was the same rifle, but it was obvious that the barrel extension had been machined down. There was no explanation of the work done with the rifle. Two days ago I took it back to the indoor range, and I’m happy to say that it ran like a champ. I put between 500-600 rounds down the pipe. I would say I had about 1 stoppage per 100 rounds fired, and with its favorite, Federal Wally-World Bulk Pack, it was less than that. I tried the following ammo: 1.Federal Bulk Pack Hi-Vel 36gr plated 2.Federal Champion LRN 40gr hi-vel 3.Federal Spitfire 31gr Ultra hi-vel plated 4.Remington Match Standard velocity 40 gr LRN 5.Remington Yellojacket 33gr Ultra hi-vel plated 6.Remington Viper 36gr ultra hi-vel plated The only one I would say it didn’t like was the Spitfire, with 2 stoppages in 20 rounds. This was probably due to the fact that this is a very short bullet. I wasn’t shooting for accuracy, but at 25 yards, freehand, standing, rapid fire, I was able to keep all shots in a Copenhagen can sized shoot-‘n’-see. I was plenty satisfied. All in, I am (now) satisfied with my purchase. I now have the uber-light, quick, .22 LR carbine with good sights that I wanted. I hope this was helpful. - AG |
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Dino1, how do you like the suppressed 44? Have you compared it to an AR15 in 22 or 10/22 sound wise?
I bought a cheap 144 to do the same thing, havn't gotten around to it yet, and now Savage has a heavy barrel threaded model so I'm on the fence. Who threaded it? would you do it again? Thanks for the info and for posting the pic! |
| well guys i got the mossberg in yesterday and my girlfriend really liked it but i thought it really does look like crappy plastic sooo i really wanted to see what makes this thing tick on the inside. It is a full hard plastic shell from front to back. the adjustable stock works decent but when its completely taken apart it is purely a mossberg 702 plinkster without the rear stock. which actually made me feel alot more comfortable about me or especially my girlfriend shooting it. I will try to load up some pics tonight. but after taking it apart and painting it i feel alot more confident with it. |
heres the pics. i would have to say that my biggest complaint is the stock is just not as solid feeling as my spikes rig. but heres the pics.. ok well i have tried 2 different ways to get pics up on here and it wont attach or copy the pic on here so i have no clue lol.. and i thought this was just a cool icon
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