Hello and welcome back to another edition of The Rimfire Report! This ongoing series is all about the rimfire firearm world and its various types of guns, gear, ammunition, and history. Last week we talked about the Volquartsen Summit straight-pull rifle. This nifty yet expensive rifle is “near perfect” when described by those who own it but I think what holds a lot of us back from purchasing one is just the sheer upfront cost of one. The Volquartsen Summit is already $600 or more for just a completed receiver. However, I’ve seen people spend way more money on far less refined products within this industry so don’t let me influence your purchasing habits, I’d probably have one too if I had the money! This week, we’re diving back into a bit of both history and affordably priced firearms – the Romanian M69 full-sized 22LR military trainer rifle. Military trainer rifles chambered in 22LR are nothing new but I’ve often heard examples of some of these fairly old and fairly simple rifles outperforming a lot of modern dedicated 22LR designs. While I was out in Finland, I got to talking with my buddy Calvin who runs the YouTube Channel Firepower United. Some of you who’ve been here for a while will remember him from his collaborations with TFBTV’s Alex C in the early days. Calvin and I got to talking about gun collections and it turns out he has a litany of 22LR military trainers and this week he’s graciously allowed me to use one of his as an example for this edition of The Rimfire Report. Be sure to check out his YouTube channel and Instagram if you like humourous takes on some of gun culture’s biggest jokes and tropes.

More Rimfire Report Articles @ TFB:

• The Rimfire Report: Volquartsen Summit Straight-Pull Rifle Review
• The Rimfire Report: Tactical Solutions Owyhee Takedown Bolt Action .22 Review
• The Rimfire Report: 3 Rare Rimfire Rifles from August 2023 Rock Island Premier Firearms Auction

The Rimfire Report: The Romanian M69 – Full-Sized 22LR Military Trainer

While it’s now extremely rare to find these on the open market, years back it was possible to find these at gun shows for anywhere between $100 and $300 depending on the condition and specific time you were buying one. As with similar military trainers used during this time period (the 1970s and 1980s), these rifles feature robust designs, full-size stocks, and controls, as well as nearly identical weight to the full-sized rifle they were meant to stand in for.

The inspiration for this rifle came about during the late 60s during the Soviet Invasion of Czechoslovakia. Wanting to oppose the Soviet regime, the Romanian government encouraged citizens to join the Patriotic Guards unit, which was an all-inclusive public security organization that not only functioned as a people’s militia but also could serve as auxiliary police, and firefighters and operated as guerrilla fighters if the need arose. At its peak, the Patriotic Guard had roughly 700,000 staff members both men and women, all of which were expected to know how to use small arms effectively.

This is where the Romanian M69 comes into play. Although the Patriotic Guards were equipped with WWII weapons, those still being trained in the cadet phase, needed rifles that were similar in size and heft to what they’d wind up with during their service, but didn’t cost nearly as much to train with or produce.

Romanian M69 – Facts and Features

• Country of Origin: Romania
• Action: Bolt Action
• Caliber: 22LR
• Capacity: 5 Rounds, Removeable Box Magazine
• Price: ~$150 (in today’s dollars)

Calvin’s example that he sent to me looks to be in great condition with the wood stock having a nice luster to it. I’ve seen lots of other photos of these rifles and the color of the stock can vary just about as wildly as the condition you’ll find them in. Many people say that the Romanian M69 is a particularly “ugly” rifle but to me, everything from the shrouded front sight to the gripping groves in the forend of the stock to the Mauser-style bolt makes this rifle look quite sleek and stylish.

The rear sight is quite interesting and features two sight leaves that can be folded up and down to increase or decrease the range at which you’re engaging targets. The first graduation is 25 meters, the second is 50 meters, and a final flip of the rear sights will get you out to 100 yards. Most online reports say that the rifles are fairly accurate at about 25 yards producing consistent quarter-sized groups with factory ammo while others say that their accuracy is either abysmal or unbelievably great.

The truth probably lies all over the place because let’s face it, these rifles were made to be cheap, and made by a country that not only didn’t have a of dough to throw around but were made for the lowest ranks of the military who were using them for non-combat functions. Many online forums discussing the Romanian M69 will also talk of consistent ejection and extraction issues as well which could be an inherent design flaw or just something that is common with old, worn-out USSR-era training rifles.

The Spirit Lives On

While these rifles are no longer produced, another Soviet-era rifle that served as a military training rifle still lives on and is produced today – the CZ 452 rifle which can trace its roots back to post-WWII and their production of the Brno Model 1 22LR training rifle. It’s difficult to find these but like we said earlier, it’s not uncommon to find them for around $100-$300 depending on the condition. You can even buy modern polymer magazines for them if it turns out that finding originals is too expensive or too difficult. Overall, based on what I’ve seen and heard of these rifles, they’re either great cheap hunting rifles or simply perfect for the avid collector (like my friend Calvin) who has an appreciation for unique historical rimfire firearms like the Romanian M69. Thanks as always for stopping by to read The Rimfire Report we’ll see you all next week!

A huge thank you to Calvin Truong of Firepower United for allowing TFB to use these photos. Please go check out some of his original content on Instagram or YouTube!