Smith and Wesson Third Model 22 Target Single Shot - what's comparable?

Sheridan Knockabout. If you can find one it shouldnt be more than a couple hundred- unless the seller thinks its a rare collectible now, lol.

With some searching, you might be able to find a Stevens Favorite in that budget too, but they are a bit dainty and often worn out and abused.

Never even seen one in person, just in books. Saw a Camp Perry Colt once. IIRC, the seller wanted $5G for it......

Ruger actually made something similiar and interesting- the Hawkeye, though it was a .256 Win Mag, not a .22. Dont know what they go for now, but they are rare and $$$$ too, Im sure.

Savage also made a single shot 22 pistol in the 1950's and/or 60's. It was called the Model 101, and was styled to look like a Colt Single Action Army, although I think it was more the size of a Ruger Bearcat. I think they made more of them more of them than Sheridan did "Knocabouts". (That is the way Sheridan spelled it. I am sorry.)

There is an article about the Knocabout (wince) here: https://www.guns.com/news/2013/08/10/sheridan-knocabout-the-lost-22-pistol

And one about the Savage 101 here: https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2010/5/27/savage-model-101-revolver/

As I understand it, there used to be an organization called the US Revolver Association which held important competitive shooting matches. Despite being a revolver association, some of the matches were for single-shot pistols. This led to the development of high-grade single shot pistols, like the S&W revolver conversions, the S&W Straight Line, the H&R USRA Single Shot, and maybe the Colt Camp Perry. When those matches ended, the demand for such guns dwindled away until it was so small only custom makers bothered with it. Immediately after World War 2, a number of makers tried out cheap single shot 22s as kind of beginners pistols for young people. I don't think any of them were made by established pistol makers. I think the Savage lasted the longest of all of them.

So I guess to answer the question asked in the title of this thread, nothing made now is comparable to the old 22 single shot target pistols. The demand went away. There are plenty of single shot pistols, and you can probably get 22 rimfire barrels for some of them, but they are mainly intended for hunting or long range target shooting with centerfire cartridges that range from .221 Fireball to handcannon stuff I don't even want to think about firing.

I wrote all the above just off the top of my head, and I look forward to the errors being pointed out.

Oh, I should add that Hopkins & Allen also made a single-shot 22 based on their 38 Safety Police frame back before 1917. It is probably even scarcer than the Smiths now. IIRC, Iver Johnson did not have a horse in this race.

Monac said:

Sheridan did "Knocabouts". (That is the way Sheridan spelled it. I am sorry.)

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Abercrombie and Fitch had a high quality, plain finish shotgun trademarked "Knockabout" so Sheridan had to misspell it.

The Hammerli Model 120 was kind of an intermediate between the old revolver frame single shots, the hunting pistols like Contender and the true Olympic Free Pistol. I saw one advertised for $945 which seems reasonable versus the antiques.

Jim Watson said:

Abercrombie and Fitch had a high quality, plain finish shotgun trademarked "Knockabout" so Sheridan had to misspell it.

The Hammerli Model 120 was kind of an intermediate between the old revolver frame single shots, the hunting pistols like Contender and the true Olympic Free Pistol. I saw one advertised for $945 which seems reasonable versus the antiques.

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Well, it's nice to know Sheridan didn't think "Knocabout" was a swell idea. And I completely forgot about the Olympic type pistols. Are many of them single shot? All I can think of are the automatics now.

ISSF still has what was Free Pistol (They changed the name, I don't know the current term.)
50 meter very slow fire with very elaborate single shots.

Thompson center contender with a 10" .22lr barrel.
It's going to set you back about $500 if you look carefully for a used one.

IF you truly want a Smith & Wesson Single Shot Perfected Third Model pistol, you should be able to find one in the mid 3 figure range in decent shape provided you locate one with serial numbers on the frame, barrel, and barrel latch that are not all matching, which is more common than you might expect. The trick is convincing the seller that the gun is mis matched and having him price it accordingly. Also, major auction houses are a possible source, but you can only snag one rather cheaply that is non matching provided all other bidders realize that it is non matching and don't run up the bids.

If you get one, standard velocity ammunition only!

I have a few of these and was convinced this was the best Single Shot pistol ever manufactured--until I got a Colt Camp Perry.

98s1lightning said:

Orpington care to expand on how good that camp Perry is??? What's the low side of spending on one of those???

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Well...

I should state that the Colt Camp Perry I have, when handled, seems better than the Smith & Wesson Third Model Perfected Single Shot. And I did not think that would be possible.

I have never fired the Camp Perry. It may be unfired and was purchased by a US Senator about the time he was elected to the Senate. It was in his family until very recently. I need to find a second lightly used one to fire someday.

Cost? With an original advertising flyer announcing its release, it cost me about $2350 as shipped to my FFL. For what it is an with condition, I considered this to be rather cheap.

Another nod toward the Thompson Center Contender in 22 LR.

CajunBass said:

Another nod toward the Thompson Center Contender in 22 LR.

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No, not really. I purchased the Colt Camp Perry as a once in a lifetime gun. I wanted it and it was cheap for what it is. A mixed number Smith & Wesson Third Model Perfected Single Shot allows for superior craftsmanship at a relative bargain basement price.

My friend has a S&W baby Russian that he bought as a complete frame but without barrel or cylinder. A hinge block was easily whittled out of mild steel, and a 4” chunk of 22 rifle barrel was sank into that and chambered with a wire drill bit (I forget the size, but i think it’s May be a #2 wire drill) . He said the hardest thing about it was hand cutting the dovetail for the rear sight. I intend to copy his pistol but I want a much longer barrel, and I will probably skip the sights and just set it up for a modern red dot sight. Now, finding a frame to build from is not the easiest thing. Every time I find a frame it ends up being a revolver, not a custom single.