Nylon 66

Schlitz 45 · April 17, 2020, 02:30 PM

Picked up a rifle from my youth yesterday. I was to slow & the one I went to buy had sold but he did have a very clean Nylon 66, just like the one I used to shoot the hell out of at Boy Scout camp. Wasn't going to let this very reasonably priced one pass so I brought it home and upon closer inspection began to realize how little this gun had been used. Serial number & date codes show it to be manufactured in January 1968. I remember these being OK accuracy wise but I don't believe there's a more reliable 22 on the planet. Happy to have this very innovative(in its day) rifle in the collection.

BarryLee · April 17, 2020, 03:57 PM

I got one for Christmas when I was 12 and still have it. I love that little gun and will always remember going squirrel hunting or just shooting cans with my Father.

Scorch · April 17, 2020, 04:07 PM

I hunted jack rabbits for years with one just like that. Accuracy of the Nylon 66 sucked, but it was good for a full day of shooting jacks. They are more accurate if you don't scope them.

I got it for free when I was 17, it was all jammed up with carbon. I took it apart, dug all the crud out of it, and got it running again. On paper at 25 yds it shot about 3", absolutely terrible, but I liked it because it weighed just about nothing compared with a Ruger 10/22 or Winchester 290. Finally sold it about 15 years ago for $400, turned around and bought a 77/22 to replace it.

GarandTd · April 17, 2020, 09:08 PM

I have the later model with the removable magazine, the Apache 77. Mines pretty accurate.

cecILL · April 18, 2020, 06:37 AM

My first rifle. Think it was $69.95 at a Gibson's general store.

44caliberkid · April 18, 2020, 08:03 AM

It's one of those guns I wish had never sold. Now I see them for $500 at gun shows.

Schlitz 45 · April 18, 2020, 05:31 PM

Got her out to the range today & was not disappointed. 1st 15 rounds at 15 yards were a bit left, tweaked the rear sight & 2nd 15 shots off the bed of the truck had her dialed in, from there out we hit everything we shot out to 50 yards. What a fun gun!

bn12gg · April 30, 2020, 07:54 PM

When I was a young man my father refused to let me have a nylon Remmington. As you know the nylons come in several colors. I lusted over these 22 lr rifles. But, NO !

To this day, I blame my Dad for the 60 or so firearms I own, shoot and all around enjoy.

My Dad loved me and was an all around wonderful father, but NO to firearms in our home.

Interesting enough, Dad was involved in TRW producing the M16 for the Vietnam adventure.

Just thoughts from the past.

David

langenc · April 30, 2020, 09:43 PM

I guess I have one around somewhere. I bet it hasnt been fired 30 times.

I obtained it in probably 72 at about 100 bucks or less?? really dont remember when or how much.

1953greg · May 1, 2020, 12:01 AM

my older sister bought me an apache black/chrome for my 14th birthday in 1967 at western auto store. im perty sure the price was 55.95!!!!!! it has no serial number and lived a perty hard life. never cleaned it....jus sprayed it out with wd40 and keep shooting. i still have it today!!!! still shoots quiet well.
acquired a like new one in apache black/black jus a few yrs ago.
they are sweet shooting/handling rifles
kudos to the nylon 66!!!!!

HiBC · May 1, 2020, 12:17 AM

A buddy of mine took one apart and it stayed a basket case under his bed for a while.
I was building molds then,and I saved lengths of cut off mold ejector pins.

These are made of hardened,nitrided H-13 tool steel,OD ground for 0004 to 0007 in clearance on a standard size reamed hole.So a 1/8 in ejector pin would measure .1243 to .1246. You grind a point on them,they make great slave pins
for reassembly.

Slave pins put that basket case Nylon 66 back together. It was in the 70's,but still good to know

dgludwig · May 2, 2020, 07:40 PM

Quote:

1st 15 rounds at 15 yards

Good shooting. However, I'm curious to see how accurate the little Model 66 is at the more "conventional" fifty yard distance (shot off a bench, of course).

ed308 · May 3, 2020, 07:57 AM

I owned one at one time. Maybe I sold it or traded it off for something then got a Marlin MI .22 (tube feed). More accurate. Killed a lot of rabbits, squirrels and turtles with that .22. Haven't shot it in years after buying a Ruger 10/22.

April 17, 2020, 02:30 PM	#1
Schlitz 45 Senior Member Join Date: January 14, 2018 Location: Colorado Posts: 385	Nylon 66 Picked up a rifle from my youth yesterday. I was to slow & the one I went to buy had sold but he did have a very clean Nylon 66, just like the one I used to shoot the hell out of at Boy Scout camp. Wasn't going to let this very reasonably priced one pass so I brought it home and upon closer inspection began to realize how little this gun had been used. Serial number & date codes show it to be manufactured in January 1968. I remember these being OK accuracy wise but I don't believe there's a more reliable 22 on the planet. Happy to have this very innovative(in its day) rifle in the collection.

April 17, 2020, 03:57 PM	#2
BarryLee Senior Member Join Date: July 29, 2010 Location: The ATL (OTP) Posts: 3,946	I got one for Christmas when I was 12 and still have it. I love that little gun and will always remember going squirrel hunting or just shooting cans with my Father. __________________ A major source of objection to a free economy is precisely that it ... gives people what they want instead of what a particular group thinks they ought to want. Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. - Milton Friedman

April 17, 2020, 04:07 PM	#3
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	I hunted jack rabbits for years with one just like that. Accuracy of the Nylon 66 sucked, but it was good for a full day of shooting jacks. They are more accurate if you don't scope them. I got it for free when I was 17, it was all jammed up with carbon. I took it apart, dug all the crud out of it, and got it running again. On paper at 25 yds it shot about 3", absolutely terrible, but I liked it because it weighed just about nothing compared with a Ruger 10/22 or Winchester 290. Finally sold it about 15 years ago for $400, turned around and bought a 77/22 to replace it. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

April 17, 2020, 09:08 PM	#4
GarandTd Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2016 Location: Rural PA Posts: 1,639	I have the later model with the removable magazine, the Apache 77. Mines pretty accurate. __________________ 22lr, 20 gauge, 8mm Mauser, 35 Remington, 30-06, 5.56x45/223, 9mm, 380acp

May 1, 2020, 12:01 AM	#10
1953greg Junior Member Join Date: March 31, 2010 Posts: 4	my older sister bought me an apache black/chrome for my 14th birthday in 1967 at western auto store. im perty sure the price was 55.95!!!!!! it has no serial number and lived a perty hard life. never cleaned it....jus sprayed it out with wd40 and keep shooting. i still have it today!!!! still shoots quiet well. acquired a like new one in apache black/black jus a few yrs ago. they are sweet shooting/handling rifles kudos to the nylon 66!!!!! Last edited by 1953greg; May 1, 2020 at 09:46 PM.

April 18, 2020, 06:37 AM	#5
cecILL Senior Member Join Date: August 13, 2001 Location: central IL Posts: 769	My first rifle. Think it was $69.95 at a Gibson's general store.

April 18, 2020, 08:03 AM	#6
44caliberkid Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2017 Location: Iowa Posts: 1,104	It's one of those guns I wish had never sold. Now I see them for $500 at gun shows.

April 18, 2020, 05:31 PM	#7
Schlitz 45 Senior Member Join Date: January 14, 2018 Location: Colorado Posts: 385	Got her out to the range today & was not disappointed. 1st 15 rounds at 15 yards were a bit left, tweaked the rear sight & 2nd 15 shots off the bed of the truck had her dialed in, from there out we hit everything we shot out to 50 yards. What a fun gun!

April 30, 2020, 07:54 PM	#8
bn12gg Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2011 Location: Winter Park, Florida Posts: 470	When I was a young man my father refused to let me have a nylon Remmington. As you know the nylons come in several colors. I lusted over these 22 lr rifles. But, NO ! To this day, I blame my Dad for the 60 or so firearms I own, shoot and all around enjoy. My Dad loved me and was an all around wonderful father, but NO to firearms in our home. Interesting enough, Dad was involved in TRW producing the M16 for the Vietnam adventure. Just thoughts from the past. David

April 30, 2020, 09:43 PM	#9
langenc Senior Member Join Date: August 19, 2007 Location: Montmorency Co, MI Posts: 1,551	I guess I have one around somewhere. I bet it hasnt been fired 30 times. I obtained it in probably 72 at about 100 bucks or less?? really dont remember when or how much.

May 1, 2020, 12:17 AM	#11
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,286	A buddy of mine took one apart and it stayed a basket case under his bed for a while. I was building molds then,and I saved lengths of cut off mold ejector pins. These are made of hardened,nitrided H-13 tool steel,OD ground for 0004 to 0007 in clearance on a standard size reamed hole.So a 1/8 in ejector pin would measure .1243 to .1246. You grind a point on them,they make great slave pins for reassembly. Slave pins put that basket case Nylon 66 back together. It was in the 70's,but still good to know

May 3, 2020, 07:57 AM	#13
ed308 Senior Member Join Date: November 5, 2016 Location: DFW, TX Posts: 1,147	I owned one at one time. Maybe I sold it or traded it off for something then got a Marlin MI .22 (tube feed). More accurate. Killed a lot of rabbits, squirrels and turtles with that .22. Haven't shot it in years after buying a Ruger 10/22.