Browning SA-22 Grade I
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 492 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.35 kg
- Introduced
- 1914
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Browning SA-22 Grade I is a takedown semi-automatic rifle chambered in .22 Long Rifle, based on a John Moses Browning patent and first produced in 1914. Recognized as the first mass-produced semi-automatic rifle in .22 rimfire, it feeds from a tubular magazine housed in the buttstock, ejects spent cases through the bottom of the receiver, and breaks down into two compact units without tools. Its slim forged-steel receiver, blued finish, and hand-checkered walnut stock have kept it in continuous production for over a century.
The SA-22's underside ejection and tubular magazine made it an icon of shooting galleries and backyard plinking, and its clean lines inspired the licensed Remington Model 24 and Model 241 rifles.
Originally manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium (1914-1973); production moved to Miroku in Japan from 1974 onward. Marketed in the United States by the Browning Arms Company.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Browning Arms Company
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- Belgium
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1914
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 492 mm
- Overall length
- 940 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.35 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Internal hammer
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 10
- Magazine
- Tubular
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Polished blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 330 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 141 J
- Effective range
- 100 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
- Takedown two-piece construction
Bottom ejection
Tubular buttstock magazine
Hand-checkered walnut stock
Drilled and tapped for scope
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 215 .22 Long Rifle rifles | 2.35 kg | 2.61 kg | Lighter than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 207 .22 Long Rifle rifles | 940 mm | 1016 mm | Shorter than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 228 .22 Long Rifle rifles | 492 mm | 547 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 231 .22 Long Rifle rifles | 10 | 6 | Holds more rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the Browning SA-22 Grade I
How much does the Browning SA-22 Grade I weigh?
The Browning SA-22 Grade I weighs 2.35 kg (5.19 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Browning SA-22 Grade I?
The Browning SA-22 Grade I is chambered in .22 Long Rifle.
How many rounds does the Browning SA-22 Grade I hold?
The Browning SA-22 Grade I holds 10 rounds, fed from a tubular magazine.
How long is the Browning SA-22 Grade I?
The Browning SA-22 Grade I is 940 mm (37.0 in) long overall, with a 492 mm (19.4 in) barrel.
Who makes the Browning SA-22 Grade I?
The Browning SA-22 Grade I is made by Browning Arms Company (United States). It was designed by John Moses Browning.
When was the Browning SA-22 Grade I introduced?
The Browning SA-22 Grade I was introduced in 1914.
How does the Browning SA-22 Grade I operate?
The Browning SA-22 Grade I uses a blowback action, and its firing mechanism is internal hammer.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
90%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/browning-sa-22-grade-i' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "browning-sa-22-grade-i", "name": "Browning SA-22 Grade I", "manufacturer": { "id": "browning", "name": "Browning Arms Company", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1878, "website": "https://www.browning.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-02-11 23:44:38", "updatedAt": "2026-02-18 03:43:43", "version": "5d8cf4fb4b938ebaed9e76da3c57ad4cd9f27d22ee35d8b2265942435fbb875c" }, "category": { "id": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "BE", "year_introduced": 1914, "barrel_length_mm": 492, "weight_empty_g": 2353, "action_type": "blowback"}