Little .22 bolt action guns are a riot. They’re fun and engaging recreational shooting options for everyone. In some ways theyre easier and less intimidating instructional tools for kids, some female, or new shooters. The Serbian-made Zastava Z5 Youth gun is just such a rifle. Formerly imported by Charles Daley, Interarms, and then marketed by Remington Model Five (version shown and discussed here), this little .22 bolt gun fun and fast. Bolt lift is only 60º and the action is smooth. Trigger out of the box is a bit stagey buy as shown can be easily improved using factory adjustment screws. Current versions wear a press checkered laminated stock but other hardwood versions, like this one, have been issued. This stock is diminuitive for the smaller shooter and features 12 3/8″ length of pull (vs 13 3/8″ for adult Z5 model). Weighing only 5 ½ lbs (6 lbs with laminated stocks), the Rem Five/Z5 is quick into action and won’t weigh down the new shooter (as long as you dont mount a heavy optic!). The bluing in this model is superb: high gloss and smooth. The Z5 comes with a 5 round magazine with is a bit thumb busting but ruggedly built. These magazines are not readily available but currently can be had from USSG Inc directly for around . Having more with make your shooting sessions a bit funner. But the Z5 can also function as a single shot with the included single shot adaptor (may be optional on some models), thus teaching the new shooter ammunition conservation and …
Many things make the Kel-Tec SU-22 cool. First and foremost the weight: this little Tactical .22 only weighs 4 lbs! You will be amazed at the Philosophies of Use that this lightweight will open for you: recreational, tactical training, backpacking, or even survival rifle uses are all appropriate. Moreover the light weight makes shooting and carrying the SU-22 for the female or young shooter more enjoyable. It is a “Tactical .22″ as I have been calling them for some time. It mimicks the centerfire Kel-Tec SU-16 series of rifles (reviewed, rec’d by me at www.youtube.com ) and many of its components are directly interchangeable. Of course you won’t get the recoil, range, ToF, and noise of a the .223 SUs, but the ergonomics and battery of arms are similar. Another big SU-22 attraction is price: about 0 lower than many other tactical .22s. Remember in this category, threaded muzzles, Picatinny rails, polymer furniture, larger capacity magazines, sling attachments, etc are found and they often add cost. But the SU-22 provides most of those features for less. Reliability is good when the gun is kept clean. In my extended firing (without cleaning) that the SU-22 would experience failures to go into battery when dirty (no matter the ammo). When kept clean with appropriate lubrication, the little SU-22 cranked along with few jams, even with affordable bulk Federal .22 ammo (Remington Golden .22 is garbage and choked repeatedly in the tests…not recommended). Kel-Tec wisely uses …
A wicked barrel mod by Nutnfancy. Shown is a legal, non-SBR (short barreled rifle) mod to my TAPCO RNG 10/22. Blind pinned and welded on, the excellent Phantom 5C2 flash suppressor makes a sick addition to the DuraCoated gun. Barrel is now stubby 16 inches, on par with the factory 10/22 Compact (shown in comparison). Also added is a Power Custom extended bolt handle to improve ergonomics and speed. These mods make the gun cooler, shorter, lighter, and even faster in action than before….
Don’t waste your ammo, invest it. The way to do that is doing a Nutnfancy-type “RunNGun” with your friends and family. While benchrest, tin can shooting , and paper punching have their place and are fun, these days I’m a fan of our heart pumping, competitive RunNGuns. With the right folks in attendance, these course are a blast to shoot and provide stress-oriented training that can transfer to other weapon platforms. TNP RunNGun courses are generally 100 yards in length with various stages …
