A Look at Springfield's Revolutionary Bolt Action .22 Long Rifles

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Alittle over four years ago, Shooting Times writer Layne Simpson penned an opus entitled “Bolt-Action Beauties” in which he described several of his favorite bolt-action rimfire rifles. Now, Layne has been shooting rimfires for a long time and is well versed in classic rifles and handguns chambered for the .22 LR as well as other rimfire cartridges. His opinions on such guns are well respected by many, including me. I would never speak for him, but I suspect that if Springfield had introduced the new Model 2020 Rimfire back then, Layne would have included it in his article. I enjoy rimfire guns, myself, so I exercised my “editor’s prerogative” and decided to report on the new rifle instead of asking Layne to do it.

As I write this, the Model 2020 Rimfire is offered in six configurations. The two Target versions come with synthetic stocks (black and sage colors) and heavy barrels, whereas the Classic versions come with sporter-weight barrels and walnut stocks. The walnut stocks are offered in Select Satin, Grade A, Grade AA, and Grade AAA versions. Shooting Times received the black Target Model 2020 Rimfire and the Grade AAA Classic Model 2020 Rimfire.

If the name Model 2020 sounds familiar, that’s because Springfield also builds the Model 2020 Waypoint and Model 2020 Redline centerfire bolt-action rifles that were introduced in 2021 and 2023, respectively. The rimfire model joins the Model 2020 family because, as Springfield Vice President of Marketing Steve Kramer put it, “The appeal of a well-made rimfire rifle speaks to practically every shooting enthusiast. The new bolt-action Model 2020 Rimfire line chambered in .22 LR provides just that, with a wide selection of models….” Before I get to how the Model 2020 Rimfires performed during my shooting sessions, let’s take a good look at the main features, starting with the action.

Action & Bolt

The Model 2020 Rimfire has dual cocking cams, a 60-degree bolt throw, and an interrupted Picatinny rail on top of the receiver. The bolt is constructed of 4140 steel, and it has twin extractors and a high-polish white chrome coating. The bolt handle is threaded 5/16-24, which offers shooters the opportunity to customize their rifles with aftermarket bolt knobs. The bolt release is located on the left side of the action. The interrupted Picatinny rail has a total of nine cross-slots, it’s held in place by four 8-40 screws, and it makes installing a scope a cinch. A nice detail that might get overlooked by some is a small American flag molded into the underneath surface of the Target rifle’s trigger guard.

Speaking of installing a scope, I used Riton’s new 5 Tactix 1-10X 24mm scope with the Model 2020 Rimfire Classic (you can read all about it in the Quick Shot report on page 60 of this magazine) and Leupold’s proven VX 5HD 3-15X 44mm with the Model 2020 Rimfire Target.

For those who care about such things, the round action has a length of 7.5 inches, including the tang, and a diameter of 1.14 inches. For the record, the bolts of our samples cycled smoothly and functioned perfectly throughout my shooting sessions.

Safety & Trigger

The rifle’s safety is a two-position toggle setup located on the right side of the action. When the safety is forward in the “Fire” position, a red dot is visible, and when it’s on “Safe,” a white dot shows. The bolt can be cycled when the safety is engaged.

Interestingly, the Model 2020 Rimfire features a Model 700-pattern trigger that is adjustable for pull weight from 4.0 to 5.5 pounds. As such, the gun was designed to accept aftermarket 700-pattern triggers, thereby allowing the shooter to customize it. The factory-installed trigger’s fingerpiece is 0.36 inch wide, and it is striated.

Springfield’s operator’s manual says the trigger pull is factory-set at 4.0 pounds of pull, but our samples had 5.5-pound and 4.75-pound pulls, respectively. Both triggers consistently broke cleanly and crisply, and while I would prefer a lighter trigger pull for precision target shooting, say somewhere around 3.0 pounds, both rifles shot really well with their factory-set trigger pulls.

I didn’t adjust the trigger pulls for this report, but for those who want to know how it can be done, here’s the procedure. Remove the barreled action from the stock. Insert the supplied hex wrench in the adjustment screw located on the front vertical surface of the trigger housing and rotate it—clockwise to increase the trigger pull, counterclockwise to decrease the trigger pull. Once that has been accomplished, be sure to check the trigger safety and function without ammunition before using the rifle.

Magazine, Barrel & Stock

Another interesting feature of the Model 2020 Rimfire rifles is they utilize a 10-round polymer rotary magazine that looks very much like the reliable Ruger 10/22 rotary magazine. In fact, Springfield says the rifle and magazine are “cross compatible” with Ruger 10/22-pattern magazines of the same capacity. I must point out that the Model 2020 Rimfire magazines wear Springfield’s crossed cannons logo on their bottom sides.

The magazines were easy to load, and they functioned 100 percent. Not a single round failed to feed into the chamber. I should mention that the magazine release is located under the action just ahead of the trigger guard. On the Classic rifle, it is flush with the bottom of the action and very unobtrusive, but the Target rifle has a large lever built into the release, which enables fast and fumble-free operation. I must admit that I preferred the levered release as it made dropping the magazine so much easier.

The Model 2020 Rimfire barrels are 20 inches long and free-floated. They have 1:16 twist rates and recessed and crowned muzzles. But here’s where the Target and Classic versions differ. The Target model’s muzzle is threaded 1/2-28 so that it can accept suppressors and muzzle devices (a thread protector is included), and the barrel has a heavy profile, straight taper contour and measures 0.72 inch in diameter near the muzzle right before where the threads begin. In contrast, the Classic’s #1 sporter-profile barrel measures 0.56 inch at the muzzle, and it is not threaded.

The stocks of the Model 2020 Rimfire versions also differ. As mentioned earlier, the Target model has a target-style synthetic stock (Springfield says it’s “reinforced polymer” to be exact). It has a high comb and a relatively straight pistol grip (with slight palmswells and texturing on both sides), and the fore-end is flat and fairly wide. Two colors are offered—black and sage with black webbing.

As its name implies, the Classic model has a classic-style, checkered Turkish walnut stock with a satin finish, and four grades of wood are offered—Select Satin, Grade A, Grade AA, and Grade AAA. Our sample is Grade AAA, and it is made of the finest Turkish walnut with very nice figure. Grade AA stocks are made of premium Turkish walnut and are fully figured. Grade A stocks are lightly figured, and Select Satin stocks are pretty plain in figure by comparison. Of course, the MSRPs reflect the grade of walnut, with Grade AAA retailing at $1,099; Grade AA retailing at $839, Grade A retailing at $690, and Select Satin retailing at $529. The black Target model retails for $434, and the sage with black webbing Target model retails at $499. All stocks come with rubber buttpads and sling-swivel studs. And lengths of pull measure 13.45 inches.

The Classic model weighs 6.2 pounds unloaded and without an optic, and it is 38.25 inches long overall. The Target rifle weighs 7.4 pounds unloaded and without an optic, and it is 38 inches long overall. Both of our rifles came with padlock-style cable locks and black, zippered soft cases with two interior pockets (one is for the cable lock) that have Velcroed flaps and “Springfield Armory” embroidered on the outside.

Accuracy & Velocity

Springfield offers an accuracy guarantee with the new Model 2020 Rimfire. It states, “Springfield Armory stands behind all Model 2020 Rimfire rifles and promises rock-solid performance and accuracy. Every configuration is guaranteed to shoot 1 inch or less three-shot groups at 50 yards with quality match-grade factory ammunition, in the hands of a skilled shooter.” As you can see from the accompanying chart, I was able to meet that with all eight loads with the Classic rifle and all eight loads with the Target rifle. Please take into consideration that several of the loads I fired were more than 30 years old, and, as I have said many times before in print, I am an average shooter at best.

Overall, the new Model 2020 Rimfire rifles produced very good accuracy at 50 yards. Group averages for eight loads ranged from 0.41 inch to 0.99 inch. The results shown in the chart are the averages of three, five-shot groups fired from a benchrest. Note that seven of the loads I fired had 40-grain bullets. The overall average accuracy for all loadings in the Classic rifle was 0.77 inch. The Target rifle was even better with an overall average accuracy for all loadings of 0.66 inch.

My best accuracy average for the Classic rifle came with the SK Rifle Match ammo. That loading produced an average accuracy of 0.43 inch and an average velocity of 1,025 fps measured 12 feet from the gun’s muzzle with a Competition Electronics ProChrono Digital chronograph. The extreme spread was 52 fps, and the standard deviation was 21 fps.

With averages of 0.55 and 0.66 inch, the Winchester T22 Target and the Federal Rifle & Pistol Match #805 loadings were the second place and third place holders in the Classic rifle. Both of those were some of the oldest .22 LR ammo in my cache. The Norma TAC-22 Match and the PMC Match Rifle loadings also came in well under the 1.0-inch mark in the Classic rifle, averaging 0.73 and 0.86 inch, respectively.

My best accuracy average for the Target rifle also came with the SK Rifle Match ammo. It produced an average accuracy of 0.41 inch and an average velocity of 1,010 fps, an extreme spread of 16 fps, and a standard deviation of 6 fps.

Unlike the Classic rifle, second place in the Target rifle went to the Eley Match load, which averaged 0.51 inch. Third place went to the Winchester T22 Target loading, and it averaged 0.56 inch. The Federal Rifle & Pistol Match and the Norma TAC-22 Target loadings also shot well in the Target rifle, averaging 0.62 and 0.64 inch, respectively.

I’d like to call out one other loading, and it is the ECO SPEED-22 from Norma. It’s the only load I fired that is not a match or target load, and it is the only one I fired that did not have a 40-grain bullet, but I included it because it is so unusual. It is loaded with a 24-grain, lead-free, Zink Copper Layer (ZCL) flat-point bullet. Norma claims it has “up to 58 percent increased speed,” with a factory-rated muzzle velocity of 1,706 fps. I didn’t achieve that high of a velocity in either Springfield rifle, but the loading did produce the highest velocity of the eight loadings I tested. This load averaged 0.99 inch in the Classic rifle and 0.89 inch in the Target rifle. Norma says it’s appropriate for hunting and plinking.

With all the attention given to its design and details, the new Springfield Model 2020 Rimfire rifle is certainly sophisticated. And after spending a considerable amount of time on the range with both the Classic and the Target versions, I can tell you they are undeniably well made. I can confidently report that these rimfire rifles are both rugged and refined. 

MODEL 2020 RIMFIRE SPECS

• MANUFACTURER: Springfield Armory springfield-armory.com
• TYPE: Bolt-action repeater
• CALIBER: .22 LR
• MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 10 rounds
• BARREL: 20 in.
• OVERALL LENGTH: 38 in. (Target), 38.25 in. (Classic)
• WEIGHT, EMPTY: 7.4 lbs. (Target), 6.2 lbs. (Classic)
• STOCK: Reinforced polymer (Target), Turkish walnut (Classic)
• LENGTH OF PULL: 13.45 in.
• FINISH: Matte blued barrel and action; black synthetic stock (Target); Grade AAA walnut stock (Classic)
• SIGHTS: None, interrupted Picatinny optics rail
• TRIGGER: 4.75-lb. pull (Target), 5.5-lb. pull (Classic) (as tested)
• SAFETY: Two position
• MSRP: $434 (Target, black stock), $1,099 (Classic, Grade AAA stock)

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