Mystery rifle, can you help me identify it?

[Hud]

jimmyray,

You're right. They didn't all have them.
Early 6's (no letter), early Sears Rangers, & some two patent 87A's didn't.
If you go to the link that I posted, at the bottom of the first post is a link to a spreadsheet (too big to post directly) where you can see all these different features.

Hud

 

[Maverick223]

Hud, thanks for all the info on these crazy boogers. I positively love mine, and wouldn't mind getting my hands on a clip fed variant if I can find one for a fair price (last one I saw was in poor condition and the guy wanted $200-250.00).

 

[Jim K]

I am glad that so many folks like those guns and have had no problems. I once swore that the next one to come in the door would get tossed out, along with its owner. In my experience they worked OK until they didn't and it was all downhill from there.

Jim

 

[Maverick223]

jbolick055, is that a Savage or a Stevens? I thought the Savages were all model 6's, and Stevens (along with Springfield, J.C. Higgins, Western Fields, et cetera all taking the model designation "87"), though I may be mistaken.

Value is always dependent upon condition, but most of these rifles have had fairly hard lives (in other words: they have been well used) and therefore exhibit a bit of wear. I would estimate that most are worth in the $75-125.00 range, perhaps more if your example happens to be in better condition or a more desirable variant. As far as age, I'm not certain, but the 87A's are an old model probably dating between the late 30's and early 60's if that helps any. I would consult someone more knowledgeable at rimfirecentral.com for additional or more accurate information.

 

[303tom]

..................

 

[bergmen]

Montgomery Wards also marketed this model as a Western Field Model 87.

I learned to shoot with this rifle as a toddler in the 1950s since this was my Dad's rifle he owned for quite a long time. His was a removable 10 round magazine model, not tubular like most others I've seen.

I always thought it was a clever design allowing closed-bolt single shot (action required pulling the charge handle straight out and operating like a straight-pull bolt action). I thought it was cool that the bolt stayed open until the trigger was released when shooting in semi-auto mode.

Later on in life I found it strange that other semi-auto .22 rifles I shot didn't do that thinking they all did like the Western Field.

My Dad always worked the triggers of each rifle he owned wanting to smooth them out. He over-did this one a bit and on occasion it would go full auto and empty the magazine right now. It always caught me off guard and I remember the muzzle rising a bit to this day.

After he retired and my folks moved to Oregon he traded it in on a new 10-22. If I had known he was going to do that I would have bought the Western Field from him for the value of the 10-22.

I've got a lot of fun memories of shooting that rifle.

Dan

 

[Officers'Wife]

The round knob on the back of the bolt reminds me of the Japanese service rifles used in WWII.

 

[Robert]

Moved question new thread in correct forum.