Well it was a cold Tuesday night in Michigan and I'm searching the interwebs for more information on a rifle I purchased, and low and behold, there is a picture of the rifle in some forum thread I found! Howdy everyone! Interesting to stumble upon this forum and this thread
I'm the guy who purchased this rifle at the end of last week. I have always loved the 22 Hornet, I have always loved the 1903, and I have always loved the Weaver K4, especially with a post reticle. I have a 1903a4 with a K4 on top. Super fun rifle, but I cringe when I take it out in the woods. I am(was) in the market for a varmint and range shooting rifle. I have always had my eye on the Winchester 70 featherweight, but a pre 64 is too spendy for me. So for a modern rifle, I was looking at the Tikka T3 Hunter (has to be a wood stock). I have a Tikka in 308 and it's one light and smooth rifle. So I narrowed it down to the cheap to shoot .223 cartridge and then I check the web one day and see this Sedgley listed.
"WHAT?!? A 1903 based 22 hornet rifle!! I must have it!" But it sold in minutes. So I started to do some lite research on Sedgley. I see Michael's article that he wrote a decade ago, and realize that Sedgley is something I should look out for in the future. Then, I think it was Jan 1 or Jan 2, I see that the rifle has been re-listed. Someone must have bought it back before Christmas and returned it. So I think on it, but forget about it after a while. Unfortunately(or not), I remembered again last week while talking to a friend about 22 hornet. I broke down and purchased it. In talking to the sales guy, the person who originally bought it returned it with only the comment:
"He did not like the wood" That makes more sense after reading this thread as the wood may/probably not be Sedgley wood. But this rifle is priced no where near Sedgley collectors value, so it's all the same to me.
Onto the rifle. Hopefully this can help with some questions and or observations that were made using just the one picture in this thread. I'll add pics in future posts. The following are observations from a guy who is going to use this rifle in the woods and use it alot (as long as it turns out to be accurate). This most likely will be my January to August rifle. Afterwards I switch to a combo gun for the fall, and then a Savage 1899 in 303 Savage for rifle season.
Brief observations: - The barrel is marked with a one line Sedgley stamp and there is the proof mark that looks like (S).
- The receiver has the markings from the military on it. I will be removing the scope mount this weekend and see exactly what it says, but I'm pretty sure it says Rock Island Arsenal 1903. The Serial number is 18xx or something around there.
- The front site is just like any other Sedgley I have seen in my brief research
- The action is very smooth and delightful to cycle
- Cartridges feed and eject smoothly
- Nice crisp two stage 1903 trigger
- Interesting quasi detachable magazine. Kind of a cross between a hinged floorplate and a detachable magazine
At little more in-depth on the scope mount, bolt alterations, and stock. The mounting of the scope, either having been done by Sedgley or not, is very well thought out. The scope is very low on the rifle and I can center my eye with a good cheek weld without needing a comb riser. How this was done was by some interesting bolt handle modifications and modifications to the standard 1903 safety. I'll get into pics on this later. The stock is also very well done. I have seen some "Bubba" jobs in my time, but this is not one of them. The stock removal for conversion to a scope was done also with thought. As far as I can tell the stock removal for the bolt was done at the same time as the removal for the magazine ON/OFF selector tab. The whole job seems to be well thought out and done by someone who has done this type of thing before. Based on brief research of other Sedgley rifles and my observations of the actual rifle, my overall impression is that the stock and scope alterations were done at a later time after this rifle's original conversion to 22 Hornet. I cannot say if this is an altered Sedgley stock, or a stock that was included as a part of the addition of the scope.
Indicators that the stock is new since the scope mount: - forend cap. Shouldn't all Sedgley's have a Schanble forend? (Man I would have loved it if it had one).
- Magazine On/Off wood relief seems the same age and tooling process as the bolt handle relief
Indicator that the stock is a Sedgley - Very similar if not identical checkering and stock profile
- Retained receiver aperture site base. It would not be possible and/or would skin the shooter's knuckles if the receiver sight was still in place while cycling the bolt. Using a receiver sight with the scope rail in place would
So there you have it... long winded, but hopefully helpful. I'm going to do a strip down and cleaning this weekend and I will take more pics as I see anything interesting.
Initial pics to follow this post.
