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Springfield Model 2020 Rimfire Review: A Reliable Rimfire Rifle For Everyone
I firmly believe every gun collection should contain at least one rifle chambered in .22 LR. Whether it’s a semi-automatic, lever action, or bolt action rifle, there are many reasons to own a rimfire rifle.
From teaching first-time shooters to feeding your family, there is no shortage of uses for a quality rimfire rifle. And the icing on the cake? The ammo costs a fraction of what your centerfire pistol and rifle calibers do.
Aguila .22LR Hi-Velocity Solid Point 40gr Ammo
10 reviews
Price range: $3.25 through $119.99
Out of stock
Winchester Super-X Hyper Velocity .22 LR 40gr Ammo
3 reviews
Price range: $14.99 through $134.99
Out of stock
A beautiful day and a beautiful rifle.
Ever since Springfield released the first Model 2020, I’ve had my eye on one. However, I just don’t have the type of ranges close by where I can let one stretch its legs out and push its limits. So when I saw Springfield announce the release of the Model 2020 Rimfire last year, I knew it was only a matter of time before I got my hands on one.
On paper, they check a ton of boxes. Accuracy guarantee? You bet. Threaded barrel? Oh, yeah. Aftermarket support? Yes!
I couldn’t wait to get some trigger time with it once it was delivered to see if it met my expectations. Keep reading to see if it did…
A big shoutout to Springfield for making the review possible by sending this 2020 Rimfire! It’s very much appreciated.
Features
I chose the model with an OD green and black webbing synthetic stock, and I love its aesthetics. Choosing between this one and a graded walnut version was a tough choice, but I’m a sucker for ODG.
A clean but unique aesthetic.
Not only does the stock look good, but it is also functional and comfortable. In the rear, you have a sling swivel and rubber recoil pad (not that you’ll need to worry about the recoil), and in the front is another sling swivel. I attached a bipod to the front swivel and had no problem doing so quickly.
A proper home for your scope or LPVO.
Maybe you don’t want to add a bipod, but you do want to add an optic. You’ll find a removable interrupted Picatinny rail that can host most of your favorite scopes or LPVOs. I wish it was an uninterrupted rail, though, as the scope mount I ran was very limited in its positioning. Maybe there is a reason I’m unaware of for it to be interrupted, but I’d still prefer it not to be.
The extended mag release is appreciated
On to the finer details and the driving force behind reliability and accuracy: the Remington 700 pattern trigger, a hard chrome bolt, and a heavy profile threaded barrel. All of these work together to allow Springfield to stand behind its three-shot accuracy guarantee.
Thread protector is included.
What is that guarantee exactly? In the hands of a skilled shooter using quality match-grade factory ammunition, they should be able to maintain 1-inch accuracy for a three-shot group at 50 yards. That’s a guarantee you won’t find with all rifles.
The 2020 Rimfire cycles extremely smoothly.
Attention was even paid to the bolt handle itself. The 60-degree handle is threaded, so you can swap it out for an aftermarket one if you wish—a small but nice detail.
Specifications
| Caliber | .22 LR |
| Magazine Capacity | 10 Rounds |
| Barrel Length | 20 Inches |
| Threaded Barrel? | Yes |
| Twist Rate | 1:16 |
| Overall Length | 38 Inches |
| Weight | 7 Pounds 7 Ounces |
It comes with a 10-round Springfield rotary magazine, but you can also use Ruger 10/22 rotary magazines.
Range Results
My first range trip was to test reliability and various ammo to see if the rifle was picky. I shot three magazines each of the following ammunition: 40-grain Aguila High Velocity SPs, 40-grain CCI Standard Velocity LRNs, and 36-grain Winchester JHPs.
Aguila .22LR Hi-Velocity Solid Point 40gr Ammo
10 reviews
Price range: $3.25 through $119.99
Out of stock
CCI .22LR Standard Velocity 40gr Lead Round Nose Ammo
1 review
Price range: $4.99 through $369.99
Out of stock
The only issue I had was with a single round of the Winchester where it got jammed trying chamber, but after extracting it, I noticed the tip of the bullet had a couple of dings and probably just got snagged.
The 2020 Rimfire was not picky with its ammo.
Aside from that one round during the first range trip, I haven’t had any other issues. All types of various ammo have cycled fine, and the Springfield and Ruger 10-round rotary mags have worked perfectly. While I’ve only put 190 rounds through it so far, I don’t foreshadow any real issues arising. I guess only time will tell.
A four-round group at 20 yards within the first ten rounds through the rifle.
Accuracy was apparent even by the end of the first magazine. Using cheap ammo and still sighting in the optic, I was able to place the last four rounds into a less than 1-inch grouping. I acknowledge that at 20 yards, that is nothing spectacular, but it was off to a good start.
The following weekend, I grabbed some clementines and mini Pepsi cans (I know that’s very random) and headed to a small outdoor range not too far away. While the farthest distance was just shy of 50 yards, none of those grocery items were safe from the mighty rimfire rounds.
It is far from a scientific way to judge accuracy, but it verifies that the accuracy is more than adequate for my normal uses. Could I place my shots under one inch at 50 yards? I’d like to think so, but I’m sure plenty of better shooters with better ammo would have NO problem doing so.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Accuracy guarantee (1” or less at 50 yards)
- Free-floated heavy profile threaded barrel
- Adjustable Remington 700 pattern trigger
- Picatinny rail and sling swivels for attachments
- Hard chrome bolt and threaded bolt handle
- Ruger 10/22 rotary magazine compatible
Cons:
- Interrupted Picatinny rail
Final Thoughts
The Model 2020 Rimfire is one of those rifles that I can see staying in my collection to one day teach my kids on. It’s a smooth-shooting, reliable, and accurate rifle that doesn’t break the bank.
You can always use the hood of your truck as a shooting platform.
Are there cheaper options out there? Of course, but you likely won’t get the quality you will with the 2020. The fact that Springfield kept this specific model under the $500 mark and allowed for aftermarket compatibility with other popular parts and accessories shows that the end user really is at the forefront of its design and development process.
As always, stay safe, train hard, and have fun.
