With a premium walnut stock and decorative forend tip, the Royal definitely plays the part! Intended for use with a scope, it has a high, flat American-style comb and no sights, while its forend is especially long, giving it an attractive look that harkens back to early rimfire rifles. The Royal can be had with a 16.5″ barrel or a 20.5″ barrel, both threaded 1/2×20 (a European standard).

If we were to pick one thing that our previous rimfire platforms were lacking, it was an American-style push-to-fire safety — something Hunter’s Education instructors and 4-H shooting coaches have begged us to incorporate for years. Though that was the most obvious change, we also took the opportunity to tweak a load of small things at the same time. In addition to the receiver-mounted, push-to-fire safety, we chopped almost an inch of length from the action and slab-sided it to reduce its footprint and weight.

The stamped bottom metal of the 455 is gone, swapped for a classy two-piece interlocking system. To make scope fitment easier, we ditched the 90° bolt rotation in favor of 60°, allowing for larger ocular bell diameters with lower ring heights. To top it all off, the 457 now features a trigger adjustable for weight, creep and over-travel.

With the exact same swappable barrel system as the 455 and the same reliable polymer magazine system, the 457 is without a doubt the best rimfire platform we’ve ever fielded.

Specifications

• Caliber: 22LR
• Twist Rate: 1:16 in
• Capacity: 5
• Stock: Turkish Walnut with Decorative Tip
• Sights: No sights, Integrated 11mm Dovetail
• Barrel: Cold Hammer Forged
• Barrel Length: 16.5"
• Overall Length: 32"
• Weight: 6.17 lbs
• Trigger Mech: Adjustable
• Safety: Two-Position, Push-To-Fire