Winchester Model 9422

The Winchester Model 9422 is a lever-action rifle chambered in .22 Long Rifle (with a magnum variant available in .22 WMR), produced by Winchester from 1972 until 2004. Though Winchester had long been synonymous with lever-action firearms thanks to legendary models like the 1873 and 1894, the 9422 was designed specifically as a rimfire companion – a scaled-down lever gun that brought the classic Winchester handling experience to the world of small-caliber shooting. It quickly earned a devoted following among plinkers, small game hunters, and anyone who appreciated the craftsmanship of a well-made lever action.

The 9422 features a forged steel receiver, a tubular magazine housed beneath the barrel, and a traditional walnut stock with a straight grip that echoes the lines of Winchester’s nineteenth-century designs. The action is smooth and crisp, with a short lever throw that makes rapid cycling feel natural and effortless. The rifle feeds from the tubular magazine, which holds fifteen rounds of .22 LR or eleven rounds of .22 WMR depending on the variant. Fit and finish were consistently high throughout the production run, with clean bluing on the metal surfaces and well-figured wood on the stock and forend.

When U.S. Repeating Arms (operating under the Winchester name) closed the New Haven, Connecticut factory in 2006, the Model 9422 became an instant collector’s item. Production had already ceased two years earlier, and the combination of genuine Winchester heritage, excellent build quality, and the universal appeal of a .22 lever-action rifle drove prices steadily upward on the secondary market. The 9422 remains one of the most desirable rimfire rifles ever made, cherished equally by shooters who use it regularly and collectors who recognize it as one of the last true Winchesters built in the New Haven tradition.