Re: marlin xt22
last night i was gander mtn, they had 3 models of xt there - xt 17v (heavy barrel 17 hmr with wood), xt22yr (youth) and a xt22. after a decent looking over, i didn't notice anything that would stand out as a defect, but i couldn't take them apart either.
sitting next to their savage counterparts, they seemed to be a better value - the xt17v was priced at $249 (heavy barrel 17 hmr with wood, adj. trigger) and the savage 93r17f also at $249 but with a sporter barrel and syn stock, usually those specs cost less.
they seemed to be of a better looking rifle with the metal work (less "rimfirey" cheap). as with the model 25 and 925, their version of a sporter barrel was much heavier than the savage for the same price on the xt22 models. the blueing was a bit more black, shiney, and seemed more like a paint on the xt barrels as compared to a more satin appearance on the savages. neither of the finishes i found attractive as the xt finish looks somewhat cheap, and the savages finish looks already worn or "faded", if you will. the heavy barreled xt version had a nice rececsed crown, and it appears they kept the dovetailed to the barrel front stock mounting lug as the 925.
the youth xt22yr had a syn stock on it, it looks like marlin / remington addressed the usual checkering found on most rimfire syn stocks by making it more textured and had a sako feel about it. can't wait to see / feel it on a full sized model, and especially the VR model.
the bottom metal and trigger gaurds on the xt looked much nicer than on the savages, as did the flat stock mounting screws (front one had a beefy allen wrench head) extended tang (slightly different than older marlins) on the rear of the receiver, and the rounded ejection port of the marlins of the past. barrel to receiver fit seemed smoother than the savages both on the heavy and sporter barreled models. the xt receiver also carried over the dual dovetail / drilled and tapped for bases option. the 17vr barrel had no open sights - smooth barrel throughout.
there is a recent post from a guy that got one that had a misaligned barrel or dovetail cut in it.
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2716697#Post2716697 it might be one of those things that slip through as we've all seen defects get through the system and hit the market place. i didn't notice any major defects with the 3 in hand.
other than the savage BV and other laminated stocks there the xt plain wood stock seemed to have a nicer uniform finish through it as compared to the savage plain wood stocks. cutouts for the safety, bolt, rear tang and striker head also seem to be not so overdone as the savage (with the mkii you can actually see the bottom of the receiver and trigger mech.). i think a cutout or a bevel for the ejection port would have been a nicer touch on the xt stock, as it doesn't have one, but the stock to receiver fit seemed better overall, along with a nicer recessed bottom metal, and magazine release.
looks as if range reports are few and far betwwen still, obviously as there are still not enough of the xt line in people's hands - yet.
here's about all i can find:
http://rimfireshooting.com/index.php?showtopic=7197
a good look at the trigger group
http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=398551
