The Browning 22 Semi-Auto rifle, also known as the semi automatic 22 or SA-22, is a takedown rifle produced by

FN Herstal , trading as FN Herstal and often referred to as Fabrique Nationale, or simply FN, is a leading firearms manufacturer based in Herstal, Belgium, and former vehicle manufacturer. It was the largest exporter of military small arms in Europe . FN ...

based on a

John Browning John Moses Browning (January 23, 1855 – November 26, 1926) was an American firearm designer who developed many varieties of military and civilian firearms, cartridges, and gun mechanisms, many of which are still in use around the world. He ...

patent. The rifle is currently produced by Browning as the Semi-Auto 22. Production began in 1914 and continued through 1973 in

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

and production continued in 1974 in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

by Miroku. It was first exported by FN for the American market in 1956. Remington manufactured a lighter weight version under license from 1919-1935 as the Remington Model 24 and then replaced it with the Remington Model 241 in 1935. Except for the barrel locking mechanism the Remington Model 241 is very similar to the Browning SA-22. A close copy of the SA-22 was made by the Chinese company

Norinco China North Industries Group Corporation Limited, doing business internationally as Norinco Group (an abbreviation of "North Industries Corporation"), and known within China as China Ordnance Industries Group Corporation Limited (), is a Chinese ...

and imported into the US by Interarms as the Model ATD. The SA-22 was the first production semi-automatic rifle chambered in .22 LR caliber,Shideler, Dan. ''Gun Digest 64''. Krause Publications, 2010. and is regarded as a classic firearm. It has been offered in several "grades" of

engraving Engraving is the practice of incising a design on a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a Burin (engraving), burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or Glass engraving, glass ar ...

and gold inlay, and is a widely collected gun, especially those manufactured in Belgium. The Semi-auto .22 is a made from blued steel and walnut, and ejects spent cases downward. This feature was intended by the designer to keep the user's face "protected from gasses and flying particles while firing", at which it succeeds especially for smaller people. Downward-ejected hot spent cases can become trapped in a shirt sleeve, so care should be taken to avoid this with proper hand placement on the forend. The rifle was intended for a wide age range, and period advertisements recommend the rifle both for adult usage as well as appropriate for youth shooters. The lack of a side-mounted ejection port also leaves a large "canvas" for engraving. Factory engraving was done by hand at FN Herstal, and is done by

laser engraving Laser engraving is the practice of using lasers to engrave an object. The engraving process renders a design by physically cutting into the object to remove material. The technique does not involve the use of inks or tool bits that contact th ...

with hand finishing at Miroku. It has occasionally been sold with a factory fitted hard case, or with scope mounting grooves on the receiver. Initial production models had a small loading port located on the top of the stock in contrast to later models which had the loading port located on the right side of the buttstock. Over half a million SA-22 rifles have been sold since 1914.

References

External links

Browning SA-22 owner's manual (2021, color)
* {{Commons category, Browning 22 Semi-Auto rifle

Takedown gun A takedown gun (typically a takedown rifle or takedown shotgun) is a long gun designed to be taken apart, significantly reducing its length, making it easier to store, pack, transport, and conceal. A variety of barrel, stock, and receiver de ...

.22 LR semi-automatic rifles Firearms_by_John_Browning