Sears 22 single shot lever gun

I suggest searching rimfirecentral.com

Not much to go on but Ithaca made a fair amount of a gun like this, had a Martini like loading block but looked like a old west lever action.

Sears gun is very likely just a repackaged Ithaca 49.

Made by Ithaca for Sears. Same reciever and buttstock as the Ithaca Model 49. The Sears version had a heavy barrel and no fake magazine tube. I've got Ithaca model 49s in .22 and .22mag and the Ithaca/Sears .22 version. They have painted alloy recievers. Cast Zinc IIRC.

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/ithaca49.htm

The Stevens (Model 89) and the Agawam Arms (Model 68) were both direct knockoffs of the Ithaca 49.

Ithaca brought out a Model 49R which was a repeater (Like a Winchester 9422) but was a big piece of crap. They imported Ermas from germany which were rebadged the Ithaca Model 72. You could send your 49R back to Ithaca and they would send you a new Model 72.

The Erma/Ithaca Model 72 is the same gun now days as the Henry .22 lever.

So the Agawams were single shots? Were they marketed by Sears? I saw one once a long time ago. Why did the repeater version of the Ithaca 49 suck?

I heard about the Erma/Henry thing too. I doubt the Henry is as good as a Winchester 9422 but the Henry youth model 22 lever action I had was a pretty nice gun with a smoth action.

The Agawams were single shots. Ithaca was selling alot of their Model 49's so some of the other gun makers got in on the action. Here is an Agawam: http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=35027638

The Ithaca 49R had trouble with jamming and misfeeding. Some of the problems were operator error. People weren't cycling the lever quick enough and the cartridges would jam. (My 9422 does that too if you go too slow).

The 49R was designed in house by Ithaca and the results were less than impressive. I don't know if Erma in Germany already had a lever action repeater in production when Ithaca started importing the Model 72 after the 49R problems. Erma put the Ithaca name on the imports and everyone was happy.

I compared a Henry that I have and a friend's Ithaca/Erma 72 and they look pretty close to the same. If anything the 72 is a nicer gun.

here is some more info on the Agawams

http://www.agawamrevolver.org/sub/agawamarms.htm

Smooth bore?

Does anyone know if any of the Agawam Arms M68 single shots were made with a smooth bore?

Do they have the same issue with bad extractors that the Ithaca does?

Holy Thread Resurrection Batman!

I don't know much about the Agawams, but the barrels can wear out to the point of being a smoothbore. I don't know how good the steel was in the Agawam barrels, but the receivers were basically pot metal same as the Ithacas.

I have one of those little buggers and it is pot metal indeed. I don't shoot it, just keep it around as a curio.

Raising the dead...

WOW! This thread has been idle since April of '08!

Three different guns are mentioned in this thread: Agawam Arms Mdl. 68; Ithaca Mdl. 49, and Savage/Stevens Mdl. 89. As of yesterday I will now have all three in my collection. I won an Agawam which will join the other two already in my herd, as soon as I can get it paid for and shipped to me from the online auction house.

Here are pics of the three guns for comparison.

AGAWAM MDL. 69



ITHACA MDL. 49



SAVAGE/STEVEBS MDL. 89



The Ithica is definitely "pot metal" compared to the Savage, which I think is a very classy piece of iron. Can't speak for the Agawam until it's in hand.

There are a couple of other lever-action .22rf single-shots. I have the Hopkins & Allen No. 822 and a Mossberg Model L. However, neither of these have that popular "Western" look, with the fake tube magazine hanging under their barrels.

Best regards ~ ~ ~ 45Broomhandle

I've always likened department store .22lr rifles and shotguns of that time period to department store stereo systems. Everytime I see a pot metal Ithica or Stevens shotgun from Sears I think of a Montgomery Wards stereo system from about 1982 with a pressed cardboard cabinet and plastic stars on the instrument panels.

I think about the only decent department store .22lr rifle from that time period was the Squire-Bingham sold at Kmart and other fine retail establishments. I used to have one, but I sold it when I could never find 'quality' replacement mags for it anymore.

outerlimit said:

I've always likened department store .22lr rifles and shotguns of that time period to department store stereo systems. Everytime I see a pot metal Ithica or Stevens shotgun from Sears I think of a Montgomery Wards stereo system from about 1982 with a pressed cardboard cabinet and plastic stars on the instrument panels.

I think about the only decent department store .22lr rifle from that time period was the Squire-Bingham sold at Kmart and other fine retail establishments. I used to have one, but I sold it when I could never find 'quality' replacement mags for it anymore.

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I don't know about that. I have a "Ted Williams" 22 semiauto that was imported by Sears that was made by Voere. It still has the factory markings, the only difference is that there is a Sears model # stamped on the barrel. Typical high Voere quality. I bought it used for $99 tagged as a "Sears 22".

I also have a Sears Model 50 in 30-06. It has a commercial FN Mauser action and a chrome lined barrel made by High Standard. It is extremely accurate and you would have to spend 4 figures with Cooper or another semi custom maker to get anything as good today.

But keep spreading the word about how those department store guns are no good. It just keeps the prices low for the rest of us!

But keep spreading the word about how those department store guns are no good. It just keeps the prices low for the rest of us!

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Exactly. Recently picked up a Westernfield model 782 rifle in .243 for $120. Put a good Zeiss scope in that Mossberg model 800 rifle and accuracy was awful: Consistent .75" three shot groups at 100 meters.

I have a Ted Williams my dad got me brand new in 73-74, it was my first 22. Top loading single shot lever shoots S L and LR . More of a carbine than a rifle and kind of a hefty little bugger. There is no way I could account for the number of rounds through it. There are "better" 22s in the collection now but it's still my wife's favorite plinker and gofer killer.

When you only get one shot you tend to get good at it.

Thanks for the great info everyone. I had that same Sears/Ithaca .22 and 76 is right, it's amazingly heavy for a short barrelled .22. My grandfather gave it to me when I was 11, and I wish I still had it. It was not pretentious at all, no fake magazine or anything else, and I know it must have been reasonably priced as my grandfather was a very thrifty guy (being retired military back then, you had to be). But I loved it, and it was a great shooter, and functioned flawlessly. The local turtle population had justifiable fear of it for several years.

second to last post answered a few questions i was looking for.
i recently bought a used Ted williams lever action 22, branded by sears. paid 125 bucks, figured it would a good gun to let my youngins use in the woods for varmints and such, like one of ya'll said, when you only get one shot, you make it count.




Bill