Remington Nylon 66
Remington Arms · Rifle · Discontinued · 1959
Also known as: Nylon 66, Gun of Tomorrow
Overview
The Remington Nylon 66 is a .22 Long Rifle blowback-operated, semi-automatic rifle produced by Remington Arms from 1959 to 1991. It was one of the first mass-produced firearms to use a structural synthetic stock, molded from DuPont Zytel-101 nylon, which doubled as the rifle's frame and required no lubrication to function. Fed by a 14-round tubular magazine loaded through the buttplate, it became one of the most popular and durable .22 plinking rifles ever made, with more than one million produced.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2041 g (72.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 978 mm (38.50") |
| Barrel Length | 495 mm (19.49") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 14 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Tubular |
| Muzzle Velocity | 330 m/s (1083 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 141 J (104 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 90 m (98 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Polymer |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .22 Long Rifle · primary — also known as .22 LR, 22 LR, 5.6x15mmR
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Tubular Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Nylon Zytel Stock, Self Lubricating Action, Buttstock Tubular Magazine, Open Sights
Variants
- Remington Nylon 66MB Mohawk Brown - Color
- Remington Nylon 66AB Apache Black - Color
- Remington Nylon 66SG Seneca Green - Color
- Remington Nylon 66BD Black Diamond - Color
Service history
Operators
- Civilian sport shooters · adopted 1959
Production
Estimated total produced: 1,050,000 · Production years: 1959-1991
More than 1,000,000 units produced across color variants including Mohawk Brown (66MB), Apache Black (66AB, ~221,000), Seneca Green (66SG, ~42,500) and Black Diamond (66BD, ~56,000).
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Wayne E. Leek
Discontinued: 1991
Notes
The two halves of the Zytel nylon stock were bonded together over a steel receiver cover. Remington offered a lifetime stock warranty against warping, cracking and fading. A famous 1959 promotional demonstration saw Remington exhibition shooter Tom Frye hit 100,004 of 100,010 hand-thrown wooden blocks over 13 days.
Background
Developed jointly by Remington and DuPont chemical engineers, the Nylon 66 was marketed as the 'Gun of Tomorrow.' A prototype reportedly fired 75,000 rounds with a malfunction rate of only 0.005 percent during testing.