Mossberg 144

About the Mossberg 144

The Mossberg 144 is an American bolt-action .22 Long Rifle smallbore target rifle produced by O.F. Mossberg & Sons from 1949 until 1985. Developed from the wartime Model 44US military training rifle, the 144 paired a 26-inch heavy barrel with an adjustable trigger, aperture sights, and a wood target stock featuring a beavertail fore-end, cheek rest, and adjustable hand stop. Praised for delivering match-grade accuracy at a fraction of the cost of competing Winchester and Remington target rifles, it became a popular choice among NRA smallbore competitors and marksmanship trainers through the mid-20th century.

The Model 144 traced its lineage to the Model 44US, a rifle Mossberg built to train American military recruits in marksmanship during World War II. Gun writer Elmer Keith reported excellent groups with the 144, roughly 1.5 inches at 100 yards and three-quarter-inch at 50 yards, cementing its reputation as accuracy from a 'good enough' rifle.

Mossberg 144 specifications

Standard 144 fed from a 7-round detachable box magazine; dedicated target variants were typically single-loaded with a magazine cutoff. Later models adopted Mossberg's AC-KRO-GRUV rifling and Lyman target sights. The 144LSB upgraded to a heavier barrel.