Unusual or old Rimfires

[Lost River]

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]

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:



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.









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]

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]

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.

[BN]

Rummaged around and found some more old cool stuff.

[Chuck Whitlock]

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]

Rummaged around and found some more old cool stuff.

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



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BN]

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]

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]

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: