Hello all,
   I'm thinking about having a .22 rimfire  rifle made. SS of course! What are the preferred actions? I'm kind of leaning toward a Ballard or Hiwall/Low wall. Also what about barrels?
Thanks  Jesse

Jesse,

  Either one of your choices would be good, and I have a few of each.

  But, for plain out & out accuracy in the SS game you'll find the BSA Intl.'s in any of the MK series hard to beat. Plus they can be bought, and equipped, for both bench and offhand, for a 1/3rd the cost of making up, or buying a suitable Ballard, High Wall, or Stevens. The guys in our club who do nothing but shoot the .22 prefer them.

  Of course if your heart is set on making up a .22 on a traditional action I sure don't want to stand in your way, being a traditionalist myself.

  As Joe mentions the Low Wall action originally set up for .22 will have the kicking extractor, but will work nicely without it. Also if you can find a High Wall that was originally set up for .22 it will have the kicking extractor.

  I'd stay away for the High Wall. Not because it's unsuitable but more because the "tunnel" makes getting the empty case out if it doesn't have the kicking extractor.

  Many people like the Ballard, but they don't have the kicking extractor and you want to be careful to get an action that's set up for the "rod" style extractor. The older style is nothing but a pain. Just about all of those will be worn to the point that, with the lever at full extension, the extractor will ride back over the case rim, and if your not careful putting the next shell it will go past the extractor and you won't be able to close the action. I'm told this can be fixed but it will add to the final cost.

  One problem that never seems to be addressed with actions that don't have a kicking extractor is how do you get the empty case out when you have a Unertl type scope mounted on the gun? Big fingers and a small work area can be kinda frustrating! The best way I've found is to get one of those little alligator clips. Works pretty slick.

PETE

I'm with JD on this one, best QPR is in the BSA int'ls - absolute accuracy at a quite decent price, no need to change the barrel.  Those BSA barrels are GOOD!  If you can do without the set trigger, BSA small actions are available relatively cheaply, and are an excellent basis for building a decent .22.  Then of course, BSA already did those as in 12/15's, 15's etc. - and those also shoot verywell, have quite decent sights and are available for a very reasonable price...
Of course, I'm prejudiced - the recent count identified 20 of the breed in the gun safe.  And yes, they do breed like rabbits too!

O Great & Glorious Green One,
I won't argue the point about breakage, although I personally have never had one break. I've seen the stress concentration/wear marks on the flat mainsprings at the point where the spring base ends, and I know this means a weak point. That's why I've always inserted a small leather pad between the mainspring and its base, so that there's no metal-to-metal contact at the end of the little spring base. And as I say, in over 35 years of shooting walls I've never had a mainspring break. I've used leather simply because that's what I had; rubber or similar resilient material would work just as well. BTW I've done the same with my Colt SAs & haven't broken a mainspring in over 40 years of regular shooting & dry-firing.

I prefer the flat spring actions because I like the ease & convenience of disassembly as well as the interchangeability convenience. For instance I can (and do) use a coil spring hammer in a flat spring action, but it's kinda tough to do the opposite! Also there's seldom a week that passes when I'm not swapping parts to experiment in one way or another, & it's a PITA to hafta keep up with the little lever detent coil spring & plunger, seems like they always make a beeline for the deepest darkest corner of the shop.

I'm not saying the flat spring actions are better in any way except in my case for my purposes, but I sure do like 'em. Most folks hardly ever disassemble their rifles or swap parts & so the coil spring actions are fine for almost everyone. And of course the time frame indicates that most original Winchester Schuetzens were probably of the coil spring persuasion, so that's an added inducement. Especially for A True Believer like you!

So, upon reflection, I've concluded it's best that you concentrate all your efforts toward the coil spring elite, the very creme de la creme as it were, of the Winchester wall spectrum. Just don't worry about all that nasty flat spring garbage in your goody box, it might contaminate the good stuff if you let it get too close. You can just send all that pesky flat spring trash down to me and I promise you won't be bothered with it ever again! Why, I might even consider paying the postage if you don't leave any greasy fingerprints for me to clean up!
Regards & coil springs forever, Joe

Wow Joe, you're just too good to me! 

If I had known that you would be so generous, I probably never would have started on the flat spring action with flat (now octagon) top that will be my BPCS rifle in .45-70. 

Yes, I too take apart and shuffle parts of various 'walls as you well know, and I will be the very first to agree that assembly and disassembly of the flat springs is about 2 orders of magnitude easier than the coil spring actions.  That's why I would never be satisfied with a BPC rifle with coil spring.  What I DO contend, however, is that a coil spring .22 rf rifle (like my low-wall musket that has been "customized") is one I can just shoot 'til the cows come home (that's a looong time for you yankee readers!  )  Meanwhile, if I am out shooting my flat spring .45-70 or even the old original .32-40 w/ smokeless, I will probably have a spare mainspring in my kit.   

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!  Froggie

PS As our illustrius left coast ancestor would say, any rifle is fine as long as it's a 'wall!  ttfn!

I also vote for the Martini International MKII or MKIII.
You cannot beat the accuracy acheived for the price you can pick one of these up for. They are extremely reliable and have the most powerful extractor you will ever find on a rimfire. 
They have very good adjustable triggers and I am able to adjust them sensitive enough not to need a set trigger.
Only downside is trying to shoot one of these prone stocks offhand. A good schuetzen stock custom bulit for your Martini makes a great practice Schuetzen rifle for those who get tired of casting bullets.

Ron Smith (aka RKS Barrels - Wimborne, Alberta) also builds fantastic gain twist cut rifle 22 rimfire barrels. He builds them to choke down about 4/10,000 from the chamber to the muzzle.
The finish on the inside of these barels is so god that they never need to be lapped.

greetings all and a mighty hidy ho to..

now i ain't got anything against ballards or martinies except they ain't walls, lo nor hi. and martinies ain't got no hammers. (that you can see anyway)

so if you want to be known far and wide as a swarshbuckler with panache, do as my ilustrioue illigitimate green grandson wanted to say, but, didn't have the nerve. GET A 'WALL' didn't mean to yell, but i wanted to make a point.

if you could find a nice winder musket somewhears, i think you would have a nice rifle that would be competitive for schutzen and it would proudly say to all "i am a winchester owned by a swarshbuckler"..

..ttfn and good luck..grampa..

PS.. don't listen to them other guys unless they say get a wall