doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com My New Shotgun

I picked up a couple of guns for resale the other day and one of them was a single shot 22 that I paid no attention to until I got home. I was far more interested in the 98% condition Pre 64 Model 12 the guy had which,unfortunately, has the collectors "Kiss of Death" a Polychoke installed. Much to my surprise it's a bolt action 22 smoothbore.
It was covered in filth having resided in the former owners garage for God knows how long. I cleaned it off and it's in perfect condition. Of course if this had been an expensive firearm Murphy's Law would have prevailed and it would have rusted a long time ago. I realize it's not a double but I thought everyone would enjoy seeing it. I also have not been able to find another smooth bore like this one which is marked Ranger and was made for Sears by Marlin.
I've also handled several smooth bore 22s by Winchester and Remington over the years but this is the 1st bolt action I've ever seen.
Jim

Great find. Bobby

There was a discussion of Rutledge (Routledge?) bores about 8 years ago on this site. http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=8843&page=1

There was also reference to a Ritz cracker thrower which was marketed by Orvis. Threw the crackers well, but even if you hit them (we used .410's) they rarely broke

Stale crackers...Geo

Excuse my ignorance. It's basically a .22 rifle but with no rifling in the barrel? So one would shoot something like bird shot?

Fin:

The were designed to be used with .22 shot cartridges. I know my father had a few at one point. Don't remember the weight of the shot charge (not much, as you might guess), but it was supposedly No. 12 shot. The ones dad owned were in a case about the same overall length as a .22 cartridge, including the bullet, and were crimped at the mouth of the case. I think he used them to shoot rats in a neighboring farmer's barn.

Rem

F2F,

The cartridges for years came with a pointed crimp on the end, but energy loss was substanial.....CCI now makes theirs as pictured which are much more powerful than a brass point crimped .22 shot shell.....works well for small soft skinned critters......





Best,

Jim, those smoothbores are rarities compared with the rifled bores. I have a Rem. single-shot bolt action (model # escapes me) made in 1939. It is .22 long, rifled. It was also offered in smoothbore and with different sight options. You gotta neat gun. Gil

Thanks everyone. I wouldn't even trust these 22 loads as snake repellent. They are ok as short range Pigeon reducers but that's about it and you have to make a head shot.
I'm going to pattern it just for the heck of it and I'll do so at 15 yds. I know from experience that these shot shells pattern lousy out of a rifled 22.
Jim

I once had a smoothbore Stevens favorite. The barrel was 16�. Always wondered about that�