The magazine had a 7-round capacity, and a spare magazine was sometimes to be found in a compartment in the butt, accessed via a butt-trap. The Parker-Hale post-war advertisement quotes the 42M rifle as having a barrel length of 23 inches, and a weight of 6 lbs. Incidentally, the 'M' in the rifle's nomenclature is reputed to be for 'Mannlicher', being the style of stocking used, with the pistol-grip wrist. and British destinationsĪre not known at this point, but most production came to the United Kingdom. In March 1942, spares in June, and two more batches of rifles, totalling 8,000,Įarly in 1943. Over the next eighteen months a batch of 8,000 later in 1941, another 20,000 There was, not surprisingly, a delay in the despatch of this early batch due Ran from serial number 2501 to 10,000, and no earlier numbering should be seen. Thus the latter three-quarters of that contract Numbers required by the British Government took time, and the first 2,500 rifles On their production rather than serial numbers. Previous to this date, Mossberg had used only a letter code Production lines the substitution of the three-quarter length stock with aįull-length military style stock being the most significant and obvious.įor 10,000 rifles. Model 42 rifle was a sporting/target based design which offered an excellentīasis on which minor modifications could comparatively easily be made to current 22 rimfire rifles suitable for the purpose. were already supplying much miltary matériel, and a request was Over by the War Office for distribution anywhere they might be of value for Small-bore rifles as were in stock with gunsmiths or manufacturers were taken Were utilising almost anything on which they could lay their hands, and such Local Defence Volunteer units (latterly the Home Guard) Higher priority of Service arms production, there were simply not enough smallĬalibre rifles to go round. With all local manufacturers committed to the far Just two years into the 1939-45 War, Britain was suffering a serious shortage Information on the Model 44 US (d) will soon follow 22RFĪnd the follow-on Post War Mossberg 46 M (b)

Old mossberg 22 rifle parts