Unusual or old Rimfires [Archive]

Lost River

11-04-2018, 06:00 PM

Friends,

I did not want to muddy up the other thread that was in progress about choosing a new .22 rifle.

That said, it got me thinking about a couple old rimfires I have picked up over the course of time that are not what you typically see.

When most people think .22 rifles, they normally think Ruger 10-22, Marlin Model 60, or even the old (and my favorite ) Marlin Model 39 lever actions.

However, how many guys have old Remington Target Master single shots sitting tucked back, or oddball Mossbergs or Winchesters?

I figured we could start a thread and do an adult "show and tell".

Even Colt made .22s back in the day.

Here is a Remington Model 41 Target Master from the 30s.

Google-Fu says that they made them from 1936 to 1939. It is a single shot, and this one has been totally restored and is a real gem. A bit tough to do any real accuracy work with due to the sights but a fun little gun no matter. Mostly it gets taken out of its protective gun sock every couple of years and fondled, that is really about it.

https://i.imgur.com/9mn3FvB.jpg?1

Lost River

11-04-2018, 06:34 PM

Winchester made Model 190s semi autos which were pretty similar in looks and function to the Marlin Model 60.

The 290 was a pretty fancy upgrade with a walnut stock, complete with a Monte Carlo comb. I found one years back on the rack at a Cabelas that looked like it had never even been fired. It is a gorgeous rifle. In fact for "Just a .22" I am rather impressed.

There is no way you could produce this gun today a decent asking price and expect it to sell, when everyone wants to see how cheap they can make things. In the world of Ruger American Rifles where the name of the game is make things as cheaply as possible, a .22 like this is fun to handle.

Winchester 290:

Sorry for the garbage pics.

https://i.imgur.com/tZH8HMO.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/z0sCdgv.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5OgE6ZD.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/A6Q8rcO.jpg?1

To me that is "Cowboy Cool"!

ASH556

11-04-2018, 06:34 PM

Oh boy! Old .22’s and shotguns are my weakness! I’ve got some old .22 goodness to share. Will try to get some pics in a bit!

SeriousStudent

11-04-2018, 06:38 PM

ACP230

11-04-2018, 06:40 PM

I don't own one but have handled an old Savage pump .22 rifle that
fed from a box magazine. The magazine was missing, unfortunately.

Strange looking setup but one I'd buy if I ran across one and had some
uncommitted gun money.

Joe in PNG

11-04-2018, 06:52 PM

I've got an old U.S. Property marked Mossberg Model 44US.
32026

LOKNLOD

11-04-2018, 06:59 PM

It'll take some work to dig mine out of the back of the safe, for a picture, but I have an old J.C. Higgins Model 30 that is my favorite old gun.

At first glance it's just another old tube-fed .22 rifle. But man is it a good shooting little gun. One of the coolest features is something I've never seen on any other rifle - it has a retractable sling built into the buttstock. A little red nylon strap that pulls out and hooks on a lug on the barrel, and zips back into the stock under spring power. Its better in theory than practice and the lack of wear on the sling itself shows that. Still, that's a neat idea.

It was my grandpa's. It was his constant companion on the farm and running down the creek back in the day. When I was little, dad had a mechanic shop/2-pump full-service gas station. Grandpa worked for him pumping gas. I hung out down there all the time, and he of course regaled me with stories of all manner of shooting tricks. His thing was always to shoot his game in the left eye. He apparently also shot at a bi-plane with it once, too (dick move, I know). As an adult, I know a lot about his faults and he wasn't a great father or grandfather, to be honest. But back then I thought he was pretty awesome and despite being full of crap about a lot of things, he was a damn good shooter back in his day. The gun represents all the good stuff about him to me, and none of the bad. Grandpa is still kicking, though hopefully not for too much longer, as he's a cantankerous old peckerhead and Grandma deserves a moment of peace or two before she dies. December 3rd will mark their 68th wedding anniversary.

vaspence

11-04-2018, 07:10 PM

Winchester Model 75 Sporter made in 1948

32027

Lost River

11-04-2018, 07:56 PM

That is the .22 rifle I grew up shooting - sigh. :(

i was supposed to end up with that rifle and a 1903 Springfield, but a former family member decided to make off with both.

I loved that Remington. When I was a wee lad, it was a challenge to pull the cocking knob on the bolt (I was 5 or 6). But it was really fun to shoot laid over a low fence post.

When I turned 8 I got my own single-shot .22, I think it was a used Stevens?

I'll ask my sister if we have any saved photos of them.

I grew up shooting an old used Stevens .22 single shot that my dad (or was it my Grandpa, I can't recall now, I was pretty young) got for a whopping $15.00 at a garage sale due to the fact that it was missing the front sight. My grandpa made a front sight out of a thin piece of wire and it is still on there. My dad eventually had it drilled and tapped for a scope, and later threaded for a suppressor. I don't know how many magpies that thing has dropped.

One time my wife was FURIOUS with me, as I had just had a pretty involved back surgery, with a number of disks fused. I was supposed to be in bed, but it was deer season and I did not want to miss out. Long story sort of short, I snuck out and found one, and it took all my effort to even get my heavy .308 target rifle up onto the hood of the truck, and lined up. I almost passed out when I squeezed the trigger. :eek:

Then it took all day to kick the thing down the hill to the truck and loaded into the truck. It was only maybe a 350 yard shot. I was whacked out of my gourd on pain killers and had no business doing any of what I was doing. I ended up calling a detective friend who took care of the deer. Both of our wives were furious with us actually. :)

Anyways, by this time I was so messed up I could not even get out of my chair or bed, so she packed my bags and drove me to my dads and dumped me off there for about a week and a half.

I was pretty messed up, so I would just manage to get myself out to the back porch where I would sit in the sun for hours wrapped in a blanket, with that old Stevens across my lap, hoping for a coyote, fox, or magpie to come strolling by.

Fun times, at least what little I actually remember..

The wife still fumes at me over that. :D

Lost River

11-04-2018, 08:00 PM

Winchester Model 75 Sporter made in 1948

32027

That is like an old Cadillac in a thread talking about the Ford Falcons we drove in high school!

OlongJohnson

11-04-2018, 09:18 PM

I picked up a CZ 455 Shamrock Edition for a red-haired youngun'. I stumbled across them while wasting time over at Rimfire Central, and sent a note to Darrik at Whittaker Guns to see if he would or could get them to do a run for him. Got an answer back that it wasn't going to happen. Then it did.

Originally, 50 were made for the Irish market only. Then they made 150 each in .17 HMR and .22LR for the US market, basically because I knew the right guy to ask and wanted to get one for that little man. So it's like a factory all the way over in Czech Republic fired up and made 300 rifles just so he could have one. I really hope he appreciates that when he's old enough to receive it.

There's more to the story due to timing of major life events that makes it even more poignant, but that gets into things that are more private.

Not mine, but here's a pic of one:

https://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5534335&postcount=24

Palmetto

11-04-2018, 09:38 PM

Oh man, I’m a sucker for rare / odd .22s. Maybe because my first one was so odd. I worked all summer mowing grass, when I was 11, to earn enough money to buy a rifle.

$60 bucks later (yeah I only got $6 to mow neighbor’s yard), I was the proud owner of a Squires-Bingham 20 that was imported by K-Mart.

Lost the front sight on second trip to range, so my Dad put on a Tasco 4x20 scope. That scope is still there and shoots great to around 50 yards.

awp_101

11-04-2018, 09:44 PM

I picked up a CZ 455 Shamrock Edition for a red-haired youngun'...
Not mine, but here's a pic of one:

https://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5534335&postcount=24

That's an awesome looking rifle! I had to quit hanging around RFC a long time ago. I got tired of hearing my wallet whimper...

When I was a kid, around the house and when I was old enough to be unsupervised at the deer lease but not old enough to be unsupervised with a real firearm I had my BB gun. Supervised shooting meant I got to use Dad's Winchester 190. I don't know how many bricks of CCI I put though that thing. I think it might need to get some fresh air the next range day I have.

One of these days I'd like to get a BSA Martini .22 or a similar club rifle compete with target sights and also set up for glass.

Malamute

11-04-2018, 10:19 PM

I visited a friend that lived out of town a ways. He had a nice shooting backstop berm built up behind his place, and a couple plate racks and a bunch of steel plates of various types. One time he says "want to shoot 22s? I have some." He opened the pantry closet in his kitchen, hed taken all the shelves out and it was lined on every wall with 22 rifles, maybe 30 of them. He said he just put the word out at work that he was looking for old 22 rifles, and they started turning up (union carpenter). I grabbed a few interesting ones and we shot them and some he had out already. I missed out when he moved and sold off the 22s.

When in Az a number of years ago I was tooling around on Forest Service dirt roads. I was getting closer to a town and paved road when i came upon a group of older geezer-ish dudes out shooting. They met up once a week and shot for a morning. Just rimfire for the most part. I shot with them a bit, I think I went back a time or two, and have wondered if they, or their protege have kept up the habit. They had some pretty nice hardware. I think there were several Winchester model 75s there regularly, among other interesting things.

Jim Watson

11-04-2018, 10:33 PM

I still have my teen years 513T and a prewar Walther single shot, possibly the Mk V, that was my first gunshow purchase.

A friend was showing Grandpa's Gun, a Winchester Model 56 .22 Short bolt action repeater.
I did a little googling and we were amazed to find that it is an uncommon model, made only 1926-1929 and with a rare Stainless Steel barrel to boot.

BillSWPA

11-04-2018, 10:43 PM

Not sure how old or unusual these are, but the first gun I ever shot was a Marlin Glenfield bolt action .22. Another earlier experience was with a Mossberg model 144 bolt action with a rear aperture sight and hooded front sight with various post and aperture inserts. My dad had competed with the Mossberg as a teenager, and I shot the same rifle as a teenager on a local rifle club. My daughter is now learning to shoot the Marlin, and will try out the Mossberg at some point.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

TGS

11-05-2018, 02:46 AM

When I get home I'll try to get a picture of my excellent-to-near mint condition Mauser Es340b. WWII bring back from a late family friend.

I also have a Stevens "Little Scout" rolling block .22 that is unserviceable and falling apart, so that's not likely worthy for pictures.

:p

If anyone has an old Mauser that they need to research, let me know. I have a copy of the highly sought-after "Mauser Smallbores" book by Jon Speed. No, you can't borrow it, but I'm happy to do some reading :)

JRB

11-05-2018, 10:21 AM

For many years as a pre-teen and teenager, I competed in NRA 50ft smallbore with a club-owned Martini-Henry Cadet that had been heavily worked over with a .22LR bull barrel and a wonderful stock and peep sights. Since I was the only left-eyed kid at the time, I got dibs on that rifle while everyone else competed with a mix of Model 52's and similar bolt actions. I coveted that thing and I loved having had the opportunity to put some countless thousands of rounds of Eley through it over many happy years and range trips with my Dad.

Around 10 years ago the club we were members of sold off their old rifles to fund new ones, but we'd found out too late and missed out. We were told that it was the very first rifle that sold and a small bidding war occurred before a deal was made. I didn't find that the least bit surprising. Sadly, we don't have so much as a single picture of me with that rifle, or that rifle itself. But I'd know it on sight and I still troll Gunbroker for Martini Cadets just in case it ever pops up someday.

Totem Polar

11-05-2018, 11:50 AM

Now you're a-speaking my language...

I'll be back again sometime soon, but in the meantime here is a pic of my Remmy 24. Rapidly closing in on being a century old, it still gets no love from WA state's initiative process: total "assault rifle..."

vaspence

11-05-2018, 04:04 PM

A little more Ford Pinto! Winchester 190 with 3/4 inch scope. Belonged to my wife's grandfather. Shoots well but the scope has a wandering zero.

32047

WDR

11-06-2018, 12:42 AM

I don't have a photo, but the first .22 I ever shot was a nice old Winchester 62 pump that was my grandfathers. I believe it was a carbine version. The stock was a bit loose, but otherwise it was in pretty good shape. I killed a jackrabbit on our first trip to the desert to shoot it, and I have been hooked on shooting and hunting since. I recall loading the tube full of CCI .22 Short hollow points and hunting red squirrels with it for the better part of an afternoon without reloading.

This was back when the local grocery store chain still sold ammunition and hunting licensees ... now they cater to granola chomping hippies.

I believe my uncle still has that old rifle, and a Winchester Model 12 in 16 gauge that was my first experience with shotguns and hunting birds. I should contact him, and see if I could take them out for a spin again. Maybe snag some photos.

awp_101

11-06-2018, 08:59 AM

Dang it, this thread has me scanning GB for reasonably priced older .22s that aren't a total basket case. Just when I'd gotten that old rimfire monkey off my back...

Mntneer357

11-06-2018, 10:16 AM

When my Dad passed last year, I inherited a rifle Dad was given when my Mom's father passed away. I've been told it was supposed to get passed to me on my 18th bday, but who knows. Turns out, Granddad had a Winchester Model 63 .22LR. Serial number tells me it was made in 1955. Mint condition, as if it just came out of the box.

I've only shot it twice in my life. It's amazing to shoot but I have no plans to shoot it anymore. The gun is in perfect condition but I shudder to think how much parts for it might run (if they're even available).

ASH556

11-06-2018, 11:35 AM

Alright, here we go! At the risk of sounding like a Johnny Cash song, dad left when I was five, and being from upstate New York (and technically a Canadian citizen before that) he wasn't much of a gun guy. My mom's side of the family is as Southern as it comes. Unfortunately, not gentrified southern, though. More white trash (but not all the way to trailers and meth). Anyhow, dad left me a Marlin 60 that he got at Kmart and it came with a 4x Tasco and a sleeve of Minimags. That's not what this thread is about.

From my great grandfather on my Mom's side I inherited a Remington 511. 6 round magazine-fed bolt action. This is one of the earlier guns before they started grooving the receivers. At age 8 I killed my first squirrel with this rifle. As I grew, started working at a shop, and learned more about guns in general I became curious to it's accuracy potential. I have fired a one-hole group benched at 25yds using CCI Green Tag. Speaking of ammo, I have some old NIB Remington stuff I should take some pictures of to put with this. I'll see if I can grab that tonight. Anyhow, here's the 511:

https://i.imgur.com/HiVAL1q.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/asjYeT5.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/mNaq6Xp.jpg

Next is a Winchester 270. This is like the slide-action cousin of the 190 posted by Lost River earlier. This was a Christmas Gift from my best childhood friend and is precious to me. I keep it with a tube full of Colibri's and have popped many a squirrel and other backyard pest with it.

https://i.imgur.com/dOj4W9I.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/poMtiZR.jpg

Finally is a Remington 121 Fieldmaster. I REALLY like this gun and maybe part of it is because of the time I've invested in it. It came to me from my aunt after my uncle passed. She seemed convinced that it belonged to my grandfather, but I have no recollection of him ever owning this gun or even a gun like this ( I have his Winchester 94 30/30 and spend a fair amount of time with the man and can recall every gun of his I ever laid eyes on). Anyway, it was given to me with the following in the bore. From what I can tell it's a brush wrapped with a patch, broken off rod, another piece of a different rod broken off (presumably trying to free the first one) and 3 or 4 slugs:

http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/ASH556/D8C5BF99-E139-477C-B4CF-402222A6A719.jpg

Unfortunately, the barrel is slightly bulged, presumably from the rounds fired into the obstructed bore, but the gun still shoots decently well. It came to me with an old Weaver straight tube (3x if memory serves) in a garbled mount with a hack job of tapping and re-tapping the barrel. The value of the gun is pretty well destroyed by this mod, unfortunately. I took of the un-usable scope and purchased what was supposed to be the correct rear sight from a guy on Ebay and it turns out the hole spacing was wrong. I modified the sight and installed it anyway. Another issue was that the blade was too tall/the notch was too shallow such that POI was 4-6in high. I used a small round file to deepen the notch and got it where I can at least keep them in the 10 ring of a B8 offhand at 25yds. I don't intend to use this gun often. It's still missing a couple screws on one side of the forend. However, I would like to bag a couple squirrels with it just to pay homage. It is a factory takedown gun, which I think is super cool. I check the SN with Remington and they told me it's a '37 model.

http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/ASH556/FF9AC8E9-2B31-4488-9739-836EB5CAD0B4.jpg
http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/ASH556/0E27E980-92CC-4681-8133-FABAAA05BAF1.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/lztFODf.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/H1m5vq7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/sTTleqn.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/xsAwsoz.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/0jWruI3.jpg

One thing I notice about these older guns is the longer barrels. I believe they're 24in and it seems to quiet the report, which makes for a more pleasant field experience.

That's all I've got for now. Somewhere on my bucket/pawn shop list is a Stevens favorite, Browning Auto 22, and any other old walnut/iron smallbore that strikes my fancy.

Guerrero

11-06-2018, 11:51 AM

I taught my kids to shoot this summer using a 1935 Winchester model 69

32074

.22 short, .22 long, and. 22 long rifle. I should have taken more pictures of the rifle itself.

WDR

11-06-2018, 12:39 PM

I taught my kids to shoot this summer using a 1935 Winchester model 69

.22 short, .22 long, and. 22 long rifle. I should have taken more pictures of the rifle itself.

What is the BFH for?

Guerrero

11-06-2018, 01:12 PM

What is the BFH for?

Pounding the target into the ground

...and enforcing trigger discipline.

WDR

11-06-2018, 01:42 PM

...and enforcing trigger discipline.

Harsh, but fair. :D

11-06-2018, 05:17 PM

32079 32080

Westpoint Model 121.

I bought this some time in the mid to late 1970's. I was working repair for the telephone company. I had just finished repairing a phone and as the homeowner and I walked back to my van, I noticed a rifle in two pieces hanging in the garage by the sling. When I asked what the story was, he told me it was his racoon hunting gun. His dog was chasing deer and he hit the dog to stop it. It was broken completely in two at the pistol grip. I asked if he wanted to sell it and when he said yes I offered $5 and he accepted. ;) I took it home and with some wood putty and a long screw it was sort of OK. :) I had kids to teach how to shoot, so I took a hacksaw and cut some off the butt. Not pretty but the kids (second generation) still love to shoot it.

ragnar_d

11-06-2018, 10:01 PM

No photos, but the first .22 I shot was my grandfather's old 552 Speedmaster. I didn't know what it was at the time, but remember the weird looking shell deflector over the ejection port to this day.

Family things being family things, I doubt that I'll ever see the guns I was promised (I was supposed to inherit a Jetfire, the Speedmaster, a pre-64 Model 70 .243, and a 60's vintage Browning Auto-5). I still want one for reasons and may stumble my way into Gunbroker at some point.

Lost River

11-07-2018, 12:42 AM

Dang it, this thread has me scanning GB for reasonably priced older .22s that aren't a total basket case. Just when I'd gotten that old rimfire monkey off my back...

Old rimfires are like old pocket knives. They usually don't cost too much money, and they can bring an inordinate amount of joy to a man. A pocket full of .22s and a walk through the mountains, woods, desert, whatever is always a good time, even if you don't shoot much. Heck just sitting back in a lawn chair and popping empty shotgun hulls is pretty cheap entertainment. It is far cheaper than going to the movies and a much better way to spend time with friends and family. Better memories for sure.

Lost River

11-07-2018, 01:02 AM

Finally is a Remington 121 Fieldmaster. I REALLY like this gun and maybe part of it is because of the time I've invested in it. It came to me from my aunt after my uncle passed. She seemed convinced that it belonged to my grandfather, but I have no recollection of him ever owning this gun or even a gun like this ( I have his Winchester 94 30/30 and spend a fair amount of time with the man and can recall every gun of his I ever laid eyes on). Anyway, it was given to me with the following in the bore. From what I can tell it's a brush wrapped with a patch, broken off rod, another piece of a different rod broken off (presumably trying to free the first one) and 3 or 4 slugs:

http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/ASH556/D8C5BF99-E139-477C-B4CF-402222A6A719.jpg

Unfortunately, the barrel is slightly bulged, presumably from the rounds fired into the obstructed bore, but the gun still shoots decently well. It came to me with an old Weaver straight tube (3x if memory serves) in a garbled mount with a hack job of tapping and re-tapping the barrel. The value of the gun is pretty well destroyed by this mod, unfortunately. I took of the un-usable scope and purchased what was supposed to be the correct rear sight from a guy on Ebay and it turns out the hole spacing was wrong. I modified the sight and installed it anyway. Another issue was that the blade was too tall/the notch was too shallow such that POI was 4-6in high. I used a small round file to deepen the notch and got it where I can at least keep them in the 10 ring of a B8 offhand at 25yds. I don't intend to use this gun often. It's still missing a couple screws on one side of the forend. However, I would like to bag a couple squirrels with it just to pay homage. It is a factory takedown gun, which I think is super cool. I check the SN with Remington and they told me it's a '37 model.

http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/ASH556/FF9AC8E9-2B31-4488-9739-836EB5CAD0B4.jpg
http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/ASH556/0E27E980-92CC-4681-8133-FABAAA05BAF1.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/lztFODf.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/H1m5vq7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/sTTleqn.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/xsAwsoz.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/0jWruI3.jpg

One thing I notice about these older guns is the longer barrels. I believe they're 24in and it seems to quiet the report, which makes for a more pleasant field experience.

That's all I've got for now. Somewhere on my bucket/pawn shop list is a Stevens favorite, Browning Auto 22, and any other old walnut/iron smallbore that strikes my fancy.

Have you considered having the barrel relined?

A good smith should be able to reline it and if it is possible for that model (and I don't know why it would not be) you could turn it into a tack driving machine once again.

Here is a Midway video of a Rolling Block being relined. Totally different design, but it will give you an idea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ7sQya7tyk

CHEERS!

BobM

11-07-2018, 06:10 AM

This thread reminds me that I’ve long wanted a Remington pump, a 572 I think. Back in the 80s I wanted one of the left handed bolt action 581s

ASH556

11-07-2018, 01:28 PM

Have you considered having the barrel relined?

A good smith should be able to reline it and if it is possible for that model (and I don't know why it would not be) you could turn it into a tack driving machine once again.

Here is a Midway video of a Rolling Block being relined. Totally different design, but it will give you an idea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ7sQya7tyk

CHEERS!

I've considered it, but it's pretty far down the list. Getting a proper rear sight and replacing all the missing screws would take precedence. Honestly I have so many other .22's I'd pick first for actual use, that it'll probably never happen. Thanks for the info, though.

11-07-2018, 03:38 PM

Rummaged around and found some more old cool stuff. :)

32127

Chuck Whitlock

11-07-2018, 04:23 PM

I had gotten the single-shot .22 bolt gun that rode around behind the seat of my grandfather's truck. I believe it was from Mongomery Ward. The outside of the barrel had rough rusty patches, and the front sight was broken off. Since the receiver did have a rail, I put a 3x turkey scope on it and that is what my kids..the ones who were interested...learned to shoot with.

No pictures, as my oldest son has it now.

BillSWPA

11-07-2018, 09:50 PM

Rummaged around and found some more old cool stuff. :)

32127

Is that a Nylon 66? If so, how has it been to shoot?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

11-08-2018, 06:30 AM

Is that a Nylon 66? If so, how has it been to shoot?

Yes, it's a Nylon 66 and it's been great to shoot. I got it used, probably around the mid 1970's. I walked into the local Western Auto, which had a nice gun counter. I asked the guy behind the counter about it and he handed it to me and told me to go shoot it and see if I liked it. ;) I brought it back a few days later. I had a piece of 38 Special brass that had a dead center hole through it. I showed it to Jim and said I'll take it. Gave him my $35 and I've had it ever since. He had the brass sitting on a shelf behind the counter until the store closed. It shoots great. I put a length of lead telephone cable in the fore end to give it some weight. :) I can't remember ever cleaning it. The action dust cover is grooved for a scope, but it won't hold zero.

The pistols are a LLama and a Bernardelli, both 22's.

The magazines were published in 1972, 1978 and 1981. They are special publications about 22 rimfire.

deputyG23

11-08-2018, 08:04 PM

32177
Got these two last year thrown into a deal to buy revolvers from a local PD retiree downsizing for a move. Springfield 187S and Marlin 49-DL. The original scopes were trashed so I pulled them off and have been shooting them with the irons.
This 187 has an occasional tendency to fire multiple rounds with one trigger pull. I researched the issue and this seems to happen with this particular design when certain parts get worn. It has an unusual trait of keeping the bolt out of battery after firing a round until the trigger is released for the next shot. I thought something was wrong with the gun the first time I took it out.
The 49-DL is merely a two piece stock/forend version of the M60, with walnut wood and engraved receiver. Made from late ‘60s to early ‘70s if I remember correctly.
I used to get Marlin catalogs as a teen in the ‘70s and this rifle was on my wish list. Finally got it 45 years later.

Totem Polar

11-09-2018, 01:59 PM

Here's two more. The model 61 pump that I shot a lot when I was a kid. This thread needed more "gallery gun." The other one is a neat and interesting rifle: the Marlin 56 "levermatic." That gun is full-size, heavy (almost 6.5 lbs), and a tack driver in good hands. The whole "levermatic" nickname came from the incredibly short throw of the lever; perhaps a bit over 1 and a half inches to fully open up the action. Fast: flick-flick. It takes detachable box magazines full of .22lr, in either 7 or 10 round iterations (there were 12-round mags made too, but I don't have any, as they're hard to find). Pics:

Dorsai

11-18-2018, 11:26 PM

I taught my kids to shoot this summer using a 1935 Winchester model 69

32074

.22 short, .22 long, and. 22 long rifle. I should have taken more pictures of the rifle itself.

I have a model 69a, manufactured after WWII since it has a swept bolt handle and scope mount grooves on the receiver. Since none of them were ever manufactured with serial numbers, making it impossible to date when they were made with any great specificity, I have applied Schrodinger's princple and decided that it's date of manufacture is what I decide it is and it just so happens to be my birthday. Prove me wrong.

Lost River

01-26-2019, 08:03 PM

The old rimfire below is one from Colt.

A Colteer. I can't recall if I have shown this before. My dad picked it up somewhere and it showed up on one of our high desert Jackrabbit safaris. It was such a nice handling and balancing little carbines, that I insisted that he not get rid of it. Finally he just left it one day and said, "give it to the girls" (his grandkids).

It wears an older Burris 6X rimfire that is perfect for it. Fun little thing. :cool:

https://i.imgur.com/RGex7Lf.jpg

NickA

01-27-2019, 12:46 AM

I only have this one crappy photo, but it's a Savage-imported Anschutz 64. I had it for a few years when I played around with local Schuetzen Verein matches. The kludgy looking bar is a half-assed brace for the standing rest position (matches were shot offhand or standing rest). I only participated to hang out with a friend who was into it. I eventually couldn't handle the leisurely pace of the matches and dropped out. But if you want to get stomped by some 65 year old lady drilling an 1-1/2" bull at 100 yards with iron sights, I recommend it [emoji41]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190127/747bb38cb747e1b74797a023d994c7d9.jpg

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critter

01-27-2019, 12:34 PM

Dad's Winchester model 75 dating to 1948.

34643

BillSWPA

01-27-2019, 02:30 PM

Dad's Winchester model 75 dating to 1948.

34643

I have never seen a scope that long! Interested in any details.

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CleverNickname

01-27-2019, 02:52 PM

I had this MAC SSSW (Single Shot Survival Weapon) about 10 years ago. They're AOWs.

https://i.imgur.com/aO3rsE6l.jpg
In the carrying strap.
https://i.imgur.com/HtV6wg1l.jpg
.22LR 1" smoothbore barrel. It was terribly inaccurate, like two foot groups at six feet inaccurate. From info what I was able to gather from the internet, it was designed as a contact weapon. The whole thing seemed a bit pointless though, because if it's at contact distance, then at best all you have is a loud one-time-use close quarters stabbing implement.
https://i.imgur.com/Lcw30YOl.jpg
Cocked:
https://i.imgur.com/8CkymWAl.jpg
The lever on the top is the trigger; there's a notch on the barrel that would allow the front part of the lever to clear if rotated to the correct position. If not, that was the safety.
https://i.imgur.com/DKDzzm6l.jpg

TGS

01-27-2019, 03:16 PM

I have never seen a scope that long! Interested in any details.

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That's a Unertl scope, likely 8x. It was the marksman scope of choice for the USMC sniper rifle program up until the 60s when they started buying off-the-shelf Redfields, and were unusually powerful when "sniper" scopes were typically low power....other scopes used by the US were 2.2x, 2.5x, and 4x, Russian PU scope for the Mosin 91/30 was 3.5, Swiss K31/55 was 3.5x, Germans were 1.5x up to 4x, British were 3x and 4x.

The reticle is fixed and adjustments are made by physically shifting the entire scope body within the mounts. Due to technical limitations of the days in making robust scopes, it was designed to slide back and forth within the mounts in order to handle the recoil. Without the spring, the scope would have to be pushed back into place with each shot.

That's a piece of real American history right there.....

critter

01-27-2019, 03:33 PM

I have never seen a scope that long! Interested in any details.

I don't know many details. Markings are: R.A. Litschert Spot-Shot. Eye relief is adjustable by almost two inches. The markings on the objective are 0-20x .. with 0 being about a 1.3 and 20 being a pretty serious zoom.

In zero wind, Dad could have 5 shots of quality and matched weight ammo touching at 200 yds. Pretty amazing to witness. My best group at that distance was about 3 inches. Most were far larger.

BillSWPA

01-27-2019, 03:43 PM

Thank you both for the information!

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LtDave

01-28-2019, 03:38 PM

Here’s one:
34701

LtDave

01-28-2019, 03:41 PM

Very light & handy:
34703

Bigghoss

01-28-2019, 06:52 PM

I'm just glad that there was a .22 shortage back in my accumulation phase that made me disinterested in random old .22 rifles because I probably would have 30 of the dang things otherwise.

OlongJohnson

01-30-2019, 09:16 PM

I started with this whole thing back during the Obama shortage. My first pistol was a Buck Mark. Living in Houston, I was able to break the code and buy some .22LR inside two weeks. With a little effort, it was possible to buy quite a bit of it around here, while other parts of the country were still unable to get it. There were people who appeared to be unemployed, making ends meet by waiting in line to buy the store limit and sell it online. Some of them would bring random groups of people with them, whoever they could get to come along. I'm sure that people doing that at stores that were getting their orders filled is the reason it took so long for other stores to get inventory. It sure has been nice buying a couple cases of RWS-made stuff for $0.04/rd lately.

awp_101

01-30-2019, 09:47 PM

I'm just glad that there was a .22 shortage back in my accumulation phase that made me disinterested in random old .22 rifles because I probably would have 30 of the dang things otherwise.
BTDT and it's not pretty. I started in the early 2000s when the guns and ammo were cheap and plentiful. The rimfire monkey may be harder to shake than nicotine. I've quit smoking but I still hanker after and look for old rimfires...

Jaywalker

02-08-2019, 10:35 PM

Here's my Savage-Anschutz 164 Sporter, based on the 64 action, the only survivor of a pretty severe rimfire rifle safe cleansing of a couple of years ago. I told my wife I want to be buried with this on my chest.

35013

Jaywalker

02-08-2019, 10:46 PM

Here was one of the last rimfires to depart during the safe cleansing, an Anschutz 1720D KL 22 Magnum, based on the 54 action.35014

Jaywalker

02-09-2019, 10:41 AM

And a few others, now long gone:

Model 572 Fieldmaster
35021

Premier single shot .22
35022
A few word about this one. First, it was my father's first rifle and dates to around 1925, assuming he was given it new. It was also my first rifle (not counting air rifles), and my son's. My son didn't want to keep it so I gave to a friend for his son's first.

Second, I'm struck by the quality that was in really basic rifles of the time. Look at that fitted steel buttplate, for instance, and of course there was no other way of making barrels at the time, so they were cut-rifled, which would be hugely expensive today. The result was an accurate barrel that cleanied up in two patches, something I don't get these days in other rifles.

OlongJohnson

02-11-2019, 02:26 PM

BarryinIN

02-11-2019, 10:05 PM

I got a .22 this weekend that’s a little unusual, although not too uncommon. A Remington 550 (semiauto that works with S, L, or LR).

I have little justification for it other than the fact I’ve been curious about them for over three decades. Satisfying my curiosity for only $150 was an opportunity I couldn’t let pass by.

awp_101

02-12-2019, 09:23 AM

People who know the answer are likely to follow this thread, so here we go.

Please school me on the Marlin model 57. Short-throw lever action, tube feed, conventional-looking stock. Seems pretty cool.

Could check the boxes of

-another lever action (always room for one more)
-finally scratch the .22WMR itch
-old, obscure, cool

It might be a case of forgotten quality, it might have gone away because it really wasn't that good.

Are they good, or full of suck?
I don't have any experience with them but I see Marlin used the same basic action for the .256 Win Mag (scaled up I would imagine) and the .22 Mag (57M) was in production for about 6 years. Might be worth digging around Rimfire Central to see what they have on them.

Screwball

02-12-2019, 10:11 AM

Winchester 62...

https://i.imgur.com/YdUFCww.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/PUCSq20.jpg

My dad found it when we were cleaning out my uncle’s room after he died (2002 time frame). I cleaned the barrel, but didn’t know how to take it down back then. Sat in my father’s safe until a few weeks back, when he traded it and another long gun for an Ithaca 37 I had. Shortened to like a riot configuration and done in NP3 Plus. I used the original furniture to restock his Ducks Unlimited (what it originally was), and then made it into a home defense gun for my ex... which is why I wanted to get rid of it.

Took a good two weeks to get it apart. I originally thought the magazine tube was welded to the barrel. Removing grime and adding heat/Kroil eventually got it freed. Barrel is nice, and definitely has a lot of life left. Going to hold onto it for sentimental value, but also want to teach my kids (when I have some) on it... and eventually pass it down to them.

Was produced in June of 1931, which is odd because the 62 wasn’t produced until spring of 1932. .22 Short... and likely a Gallery Gun due to the amount of lead I got out of the bolt. While it isn’t pristine, both serial numbers match.

A guy on Rimfire Central suggested that the barrel was replaced, which would explain the 62 mark with an earlier production date... but proof marks suggest it was the same barrel that came with the receiver when it left Winchester. I do have a request in with Cody for a letter on it... which I hope might uncover some more info.

Definitely upped my C&R game the past few months... requested that letter, have one coming for a Colt Vest Pocket, and have another Colt request in for my 1917. Not getting one for my Oswald patterned Victory revolver, as it really isn’t that “historical” in the sense that a letter will be helpful. Planning on getting a S&W 1917 at the March Oaks, PA gun show... which I’ll request one from S&W for that, if I get one.