September 09, 2016
By Shooting Times Online Editors
In January 1959, Remington introduced a revolutionary new concept in firearms—a .22 rimfire autoloading rifle with a one-piece, integral stock and receiver made of DuPont structural Zytel nylon. It was designed by a team of Wayne E. Leek, Charles H. Morse, and Homer W. Young and was named the Nylon 663.10
The name came from its three-base material, DuPont Zytel (nylon-resin colors, "formulation 66," that produced a grainy brown pattern simulating wood designated Mohawk Brown). Checkering was molded into the stock's pistol grip and forend, and it was decorated with ivory-colored diamond inlays and spacers. The initial selling price was $49.95.
Remington design pioneers Wayne Leek (left) and Crawford C. Loomis (right) examine a prototype Remington Nylon 66 .22 Rimfire autoloading rifle in January 1959.
The Remington announcement for this unique rifle stated that the nylon material "won't fade, warp, shrink, chip, or peel, and is unaffected by the abuse of sunlight, rodents, insects, alkalies, and fungus." Since all moving parts bore against nylon, the gun's action was virtually free of friction, and it needed no lubrication except for protective oiling of steel parts.
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The four-pound Nylon 66 had a 19 9/16-inch barrel and a tubular magazine housed in the buttstock that held fourteen .22 Long Rifle cartridges. It was fitted with blade front and adjustable rear sights, and the receiver was grooved for tip-off scope mounts. The following introductory and subsequent versions were offered:
Nylon 66 MB "Mohawk Brown" Rifle (1959-1987) - This model combined a brown nylon stock and blued receiver plates and barrel (678,473 sold). The Nylon 66 MB was also offered with a Universal MUA 4X scope and mount from 1975 to 1983 (30,113 sold).
The Remington Nylon 77 was a spinoff from the Nylon 66 MB, but it had a five-round clip instead of a tubular magazine.
Nylon 66 SG "Seneca Green" Rifle (1959-1962) - This rifle was the same as the Nylon 66 MB except with a green nylon stock. Remington sold 44,979 of these rifles.
Nylon 66 GS "Gallery Special" Rifle (1961-1981) - This version was chambered for .22 Short only and featured a twenty-shot magazine, spent shell deflector mounted on the right side of the receiver, shooting gallery counter chain retainer, Mohawk Brown nylon stock, and blued barrel and receiver plates.
Model 66 AB "Apache Black" Rifle (1962-1983) - This "presentation-grade" rifle had a black nylon stock and a chrome-plated barrel and receiver cover. Total production was 220,564.
In October of 1959, Remington Field Rep, Tom Frye, used two weeks of his vacation to break a 52-year-old shooting record.
Nylon 66 BD "Black Diamond Rifle" (1978-1987) - The Nylon 66 BD had a black stock with black diamond inlays. It was also offered with a 4X scope from 1978 to 1983.
Nylon 66 150th Anniversary Rifle (1966) - This Mohawk Brown rifle was available only in 1966 to commemorate Remington's 150th Anniversary. A commemorative oval was embossed in gold-tone paint on the left receiver plate. Remington sold 3,792 of these rifles.
Nylon 66 Bicentennial Rifle (1976) - This rifle was produced in 1976 to commemorate America's 200th Anniversary. It utilized the Mohawk Brown stock and featured an American Bicentennial stamping on the left receiver plate and an 18 1/2-inch barrel. It was also available with a 4X scope. A total of 10,279 Nylon 66 Bicentennial Rifles were sold.
