The Rimfire Report: Daisy 2202 .22 LR Rifle – BB to Rimfire
Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! In this ongoing series all about rimfire firearms, ammo and history, we’ve been covering a lot of different types of 22LR ammo. I thought we’d take a break from that this week to check out a recent Gunbroker auction of an extremely rare rimfire firearm that was sent over to me by fellow writer Sam S. This week, we’re talking about a gun that’s a bit of a curveball: the Daisy 2202 .22 LR rifle, a bolt-action with a 19-inch octagonal barrel from a company most well known for producing BB guns. The Daisy Manufacturing Company traded pellets for rimfire rounds in the case of the model 2202 and model 2012 22LR bolt-action rifles, so let’s unpack this BB-to-rimfire detour and see what the 2202’s all about and where you might be able to find one of these rare rifles today.
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The Rimfire Report: Daisy 2202 .22 LR Rifle – BB to Rimfire
Daisy was founded in the late 1800s as the Plymouth Iron Windmill Company in Plymouth, Michigan. Originally in a completely different business (windmills), the company only started making airguns after founder Clarence Hamilton made his own rudimentary BB gun. Less than a decade later, Plymouth Iron Windmill had shifted its entire focus to the manufacturing of various types of airguns and relabeled itself “Daisy” after the company’s first successful air rifle model.
After 100 years of insane success in the late 1980s, they decided to once again venture into an entirely new market. Enter the Daisy 2202, a pint-sized .22 LR bolt-action rifle born between 1988 and 1991, part of a short-lived push into “real” firearms. But why the sudden switch? Maybe Daisy saw a chance to grab some of the budget rifle market, or they figured their knack for simple, kid-friendly shooters could translate to rimfire. Whatever the reason, it’s a radical pivot from their airgun roots.
The 2202 wasn’t a solo act, and Daisy, in fact, rolled out the semi-auto 7-round magazine fed 2203/2213. Similar to the bolt actions, the only difference between the two models was the option for a wood or a synthetic stock. The problem was that Daisy hit a crowded 22LR market in the late 80s. The ‘80s rimfire scene was dominated by extremely popular and value-conscious heavyweights like the Marlin 60 and Ruger 10/22, and Daisy’s rimfire run didn’t last long as a result of the stiff competition. By ‘91, they were back to BBs full-time, leaving the 2202 and its cousins as a cool “what if” in their story, per Blue Book of Gun Values.
The 2202: BB Gun DNA Meets Rimfire
- Manufacturer: Daisy Manufacturing Company
- Model: 2202
- Caliber: .22 Long Rifle
- Action: Bolt-action
- Barrel: 18 inches, octagon flair
- Capacity: 10-round rotary magazine
- Weight: 5 pounds—light as a BB gun
You can see the BB gun influence here. At 5 pounds, it’s featherweight—perfect for the same crowd that hefted Daisy’s airguns. The bolt-action keeps it simple and safe, like a grown-up Red Ryder. The octagon barrel is an interesting addition, but one that I think gives the rifle series a classic vibe you don’t expect from a budget .22. The best way I’ve been able to describe it is it’s like they took their airgun playbook and said, “Let’s make it shoot bullets.”
Live Ammo Struggles?
From all online accounts and available footage, it seems like the 2202 and its ilk were all pretty decent in terms of operational reliability and construction quality. The 2202’s got that Daisy charm—light, easy, affordable—but it landed in a rimfire world already ruled by the likes of CZ and Savage for precision, or Ruger for versatility and countless other contenders that lived and died within the span of a few short years that also clouded the busy rimfire market. Daisy’s BB gun fans didn’t all follow them to rimfire, unfortunately, and their firearm stint fizzled by ‘91, a shift discussed heavily on Daisy Museum forums. Still, the 2202’s a neat bridge between Daisy’s past and a road not taken, and you can’t help but wonder where they’d be now if their firearm line had picked up as much steam as their airgun line initially did.
Worth a Bid in 2025?
So, where can you grab a Daisy 2202 now? Per True Gun Value trends. From what I’ve seen on various auction sites, including GunBroker.com, the bolt-action rifles are typically valued in good condition for around $250 or so. They are more recent in terms of history and manufacturing date, so they kind of fall into a grey zone in terms of value and curiosity. If you’re a Daisy air rifle fan, I’d say $250 is a steal, especially since Numrich Gun Parts makes all the spare parts you’d need to refab a 2202 in rough condition. Beyond that, the rifle doesn’t offer anything particularly novel or special in terms of performance that you can’t also find in a similarly priced 22LR bolt-action today.
The 2202 is an interesting piece as it’s a piece of the BB-to-rimfire puzzle for a company that most people will only know about because of their air rifle products, in particular the Red Ryder BB gun. If you’ve had experience with one of these rare pieces of airgun/rimfire history, let us know how yours shot in the comments. Thanks, as always, for stopping by to read The Rimfire Report, and we’ll see you all again next week!
