I’m pretty sure everyone remembers their first gun, or at least the first one they ever shot. For me, it was a Ruger Blackhawk .357 Magnum, when I was about five years old, shooting at a stump across a dried-up pond. For most, it was some sort of .22 caliber pistol or rifle. I don’t have that particular .357 Magnum, but I have something even better: my Dad’s first gun – a Winchester Model 62A in .22LR. He died when I was four years old, but I still have all of his guns.
The Winchester Model 62A
My dad’s Winchester Model 62A was made in 1940, their first year of production. The 62A is a pump action rifle and sports a 23-inch barrel, so it’s longer than many of today’s modern .22LR rifles. The 62A is easily recognizable by its external hammer and takedown screw on the left side of the frame. This allows you to break it down into two parts for easy carry in a backpack or smaller case that doesn’t necessarily look like a gun case. The sights are standard sliding rear and post front sight. This particular 62A has the longer 8-inch forend version with 17 grooves. That forend design makes the 62A distinct from the original Winchester Model 62, which featured a 5 ¾” forend with 10 grooves.
The Winchester 62A is capable of shooting .22 Short, Long, or Long Rifle. The rifle holds 20 rounds of .22 Short, 16 rounds of .22 Long, or 14 rounds of .22 Long Rifle cartridges. When the Model 62A first came out, the .22 Short was the most popular version of the .22 rimfire cartridge family. I bet having a gun that held 20 of them made for a lot of fun.
In fact, the .22 Short is much friendlier to the ears than other .22 rimfire offerings. Even the most recoil and noise-sensitive individual can shoot the Short with no issues. Today, the .22 Long Rifle is the most popular cartridge in America. In today’s environment, it’s a good thing to have a rifle with the ability to fire multiple types of rounds. While a lot of .22 caliber firearms won’t chamber and fire more than one type of .22 rimfire, this pump gun handles them all with ease.
The Winchester Model 62A in Film
I’m always interested in guns used on the big screen. Frankly, I would have expected to see the Model 62A in an older movie. Who’d have thought it would be one of the primary guns in a zombie movie? In 2009’s Zombieland, along with the usual assortment of shotguns and full auto weaponry, we see actress Abigail Breslin, as the character “Little Rock,” toting a Taurus 62C. The 62C is a carbine copy of the Winchester 62A. I’m not sure if I’d take a .22 rifle for killing zombies, but it does show that good guns never go out of style.
The 62A on the Range
I took my 62A out on a warm Missouri day and shot several different .22 Long Rifle loads through it. After spending a lot of time shooting large caliber rifles, it was nice to shoot a .22 for awhile. I forgot how much fun .22 rimfire rifles really are! I shot .22 ammo that ranged from inexpensive plinking loads to higher end varmint and competition ammo. To my surprise, the more expensive ammo didn’t do nearly as well as the less expensive brands.
The best groups came from what most of us would consider plinking ammo: the Remington Thunderbolt round nose bullet and the Remington Golden Bullet with brass-plated hollow point. With better eyes, or the addition of a Lyman or Marbles tang sight, the groups might have been tighter. However, my experience once again proves that .22 caliber firearms are very finicky and individually unique in what they will shoot well. On a side note, the 62A has no provision for mounting optics. The factory sight or an aftermarket tang sight are your only options.
Added Benefits of Being a Takedown
Takedown rifles have gained in popularity over the last few years as people look at having gear to bug out during a disaster, or to ‘Get Out of Dodge.’ One of the more popular rifles today is the Ruger 10/22 Takedown. It has its own backpack style carrying case and can hold several magazines and other survival gear. One issue that crops up with the 10/22 is the need for spare magazines. If magazines get lost or damaged, you’re stuck with a single-shot rifle.
With the Winchester, the tube magazines makes everything self-contained. Of course, the argument can be made that if the tube is damaged, you’re also stuck with a single-shot rifle. Regardless, the big advantage to the Winchester is the ability to shoot a wider variety of .22 ammo. Since it’s a tube-fed pump action, you can use any variety of .22 ammo that you can find. That can come in handy!
This rifle fits nicely in the old 3-day assault pack I used while in the Army. Packed full with some survival supplies, a box or two of CCI Mini Mags, and a heavy caliber pistol; someone who knew what they were doing could comfortably stay outside for a long time. If we go back to the bugging out scenario, we don’t “bug out” to get into running gunfights. It’s to stay alive and make it home or wherever it is we need to go. In that light, the old Winchester will work just fine.
A good .22 rifle is one of the great joys in life, and the Winchester Model 62A is a joy in itself. There were a lot of them made and, if you have one, take it out and enjoy it. You’ll be glad you did!
