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Work order — Browning SA-22

Taking the firearm apart for a job such as refinishing, and putting it back together to specification. Generated from the Pew-Takedown entry last updated 2026-10-29. Confidence: medium.

Shop difficulty: Tier 2 of 3

55 listed parts in a takedown, bottom-ejecting blowback with a fitted interrupted-thread barrel joint and adjusting collar, and several parts Browning says must be fitted by its service department. Owners do not describe it as notably hard, so mid Tier 2. 55 parts (Browning 22 Semi-Auto parts list, Grade I standard models, 22 LR only). Pew-Takedown's rating, not the manufacturer's.

Bench time: strip ~45 min, rebuild ~70 min (estimate). Actual: strip ______ rebuild ______

Special tools:

• Punch set — Trigger group pins
• Sight pusher or brass drift — Dovetail sights

Watch for:

• Owners recall the SA-22 as not especially hard to work on, but heavy trigger pulls tempt people to file the sear, which ruins it. (reassembly; Canadian Gun Nutz)

1. Clear and make safe

1. Point the muzzle in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger.
2. Engage the safety.
3. Withdraw the inner magazine tube from the buttstock and open the loading port.
   Warning: The magazine spring is compressed inside.
4. Tip the rifle so any remaining cartridges roll out of the buttstock tube, and count them out.
5. Cycle the bolt several times to eject any chambered round through the bottom port.
6. Hold the bolt open and inspect the chamber through the bottom ejection port with a light.
   Warning: There is no side port. Use a light.
7. Physically confirm the chamber is empty and remove all live ammunition from the work area.

2. Disassemble

Field Strip

1. Complete the Clear and Make Safe procedure.
2. Loosen the takedown locking collar at the barrel-to-receiver joint.
3. Rotate the barrel relative to the receiver to disengage the interrupted threads, and separate the two halves.
   Warning: Do not force the rotation. The joint is a fitted interrupted thread.
4. Clean the bore from the breech end of the separated barrel, and clean the bolt face and chamber.
5. Stop here for routine maintenance. The fire control is not owner-serviceable in any casual sense.

3. Refinish

The components the procedures above separate. Coating, masking and cure are outside this database; follow your coating system's instructions. A part the manufacturer marks "factory fit" should not be swapped or reworked.

The manufacturer's full parts list (55 parts) is on the reference page.

4. Reassemble

Reassembly

1. Engage the barrel and receiver halves and rotate them together until the interrupted threads seat.
2. Tighten the locking collar until the two halves are snug with no perceptible play.
   Warning: If the rifle rattles at the joint, adjust the collar. A loose takedown joint hurts accuracy and eventually wears the threads.
3. Reinstall the inner magazine tube.
4. Cycle the bolt several times and perform the function check.

5. Torque

No manufacturer torque values are recorded for this firearm.

Notes: The manufacturer's documents give no torque value. They say: "Tighten the screws snugly, but do not overtighten." (Browning SA-22 Rifle Owner's Manual (web)) "Should you overtighten the barrel, (indicated by inability to assemble the barrel to the receiver), reverse the operation by turning the adjustment ring in a clockwise direction." (Browning SA-22 Rifle Owner's Manual (web))

Fit or check on rebuild

• Barrel joint adjusting collar — The collar must be set so the joint does not rattle; a loose joint hurts accuracy and wears the threads.
• Trigger/sear not filed — Heavy pulls tempt filing the sear, which owners warn ruins it.
• Function check: safety, trigger/sear release, disconnector and feeding with dummy rounds — Standard after any detail strip; a mis-assembled sear or disconnector can double or fail to fire.

6. Function check

• Verify the rifle is unloaded — chamber and magazine — before each step.
• Cycle the bolt by hand and confirm it travels smoothly and returns fully into battery.
• Cock the action, engage the safety, and press the trigger. The hammer must not fall.
• Disengage the safety and press the trigger. The hammer should fall.
• Confirm the magazine seats, locks, and releases cleanly.
• Confirm the takedown joint is snug with no perceptible play.
• Confirm the inner magazine tube latches securely.

If any check fails, the firearm is not safe to fire. Stop and see a licensed gunsmith.

Sources

1. Browning SA-22 Owner’s Manual — Browning Arms Company primary
2. Browning SA-22 Rifle Owner's Manual (web) — Browning Arms Company primary
   https://www.browning.com/support/owners-manuals/sa-22-rifle.html
3. Owner's Manual, Browning 22 Semi-Auto 22 Caliber Rifle — Browning primary
   https://archive.org/download/gunmanual_Browning_22_Semiauto/Browning%2022%20Semiauto.pdf
4. Semi-Auto 22, Grade I — Specifications — Browning primary
   https://www.browning.com/products/firearms/rifles/sa-22/semi-auto-22-grade-1.html
5. Browning SA 22 — Canadian Gun Nutz anecdotal
   https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/threads/browning-sa-22.2468403

Educational guide only. Some information comes from non-authoritative sources. Always consult your manufacturer's manual and a licensed gunsmith. Verify your firearm is unloaded before every procedure. Full disclaimer: https://github.com/Fundamental-build-LLC/Pew-Takedown

Legal notice: this material is third-party information compiled from sources of varying reliability and is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not gunsmithing, technical, safety or legal advice, it is not verified or endorsed by any manufacturer, and it must not be taken as fact. Any work on a firearm beyond the routine field stripping described in its own owner's manual should be performed only by a licensed and insured gunsmith. You use this material entirely at your own risk. Fundamental Build LLC and the project's contributors make no warranty of any kind and accept no liability for death, injury, damage or loss arising from its use. Full terms: LEGAL.md.