Calling All .22 Shooters

[giggitygiggity]

A friend of mine recently received this rifle from the widow of one of his friends. It is in poor condition and he can't read anything that might have once been written on the barrel or stock. He sent me these pictures to assist him in identifying the make and model so that we can refurbish it.

If anyone knows or can at least make an educated guess as to what make and model this .22 rimfire is, please let me know.

Please note that it is magazine fed, but does not have a magazine release, has a simple forward/backward thumb safety not connected to the bolt. I have included pictures of the receiver area, trigger, bolt, and magazine well. Please help me and my buddy identify this rifle so we can refurbish it. Thanks.

 

[giggitygiggity]

More pictures.

 

[22-rimfire]

You might try RimfireCentral.

 

[SeekHer]

Looks like a standard, made by some company for some other company to put their name on and sell from their hardware store like Sears, J.C. Penny, Montgomery Ward etc...

Value wise, for insurance purposes $200 actual value probably very little ($20) except as a heirloom...

 

[mgkdrgn]

with no readable markings on it, it could be -anything-, including something that someone cobbled together from spare parts.

 

[gunsmithandy]

with no readable markings on it, it could be -anything-, including something that someone cobbled together from spare parts.

this could be true cause im going for gunsmithing in pine city, MN and one of the perks of taking these classes is that i get to custom build my own gun. so this one could be custom made as well. and im also talking about from scratch. so yeah it could be this. or like what mgkdrgn said, it could be spare parts thrown/cobbled together.

 

[SeekHer]

Remember that before 1964 firearms didn't have to have serial numbers, by law, only by mfg. for record keeping...Nor did they have to have makers name/address, not even calibre or bore or even proof house stamps...

From the 1900s to the 1930s there were hundreds of little companies, making one or two designs, usually rip-offs from a big name, that they sold to the stores with either their name of the stores name on the gun...Sears Ted Williams made by Winchester and shotguns and .22s by Mossberg etc. or Red Ryder by Daisy,

The Canadian Cooey line which were mostly Winchester designs under license and the Springfield 1903 rifle had so many Mauser parts that they had to pay royalties to Mauserwerkes to keep manufacturing the rifle as did Holland and Holland, J. Rigby, J. Purdey etc. of the British makers for their bolt actions…

Read about Rigby and the 7x57 Mauser, now called a .276 Rigby and them telling Mauser to stuff their royalties as it was no longer their design (by English Patent Laws of the time)...

Also there were lots of jobbers who would take parts from different makers and cobble together something for their customers like Abercrombie & Fitch...

Then of course there were the military or cadet trainers from just about every country with an army...

Monetary value, very poor, Intrinsic value medium, emotional value high if handed down from a relative...

But I sure as Hell, wouldn't refinish the gun...Give it a good cleaning and someone has already stripped the stock of its shellac coat to reveal that pretty wood which now, just needs an oil coat--I prefer natural Tung Oil and 5 to 7 coats, sanding with 4Zero steel wool between coats...Just make sure it’s safe to shoot, which it should be, and if you don’t have the proper clip (magazine) for it you could still use it as a single shot!

 

[M2HB M240]

I could be wrong, but I think that serial numbers were required by the GCA (Gun Control Act) of 1968. As I remember history it was a political reaction to the assassination of RFK and MLK.

 

[rangerruck]

because of the trigger guard, and the left side rear of the wood, it is either an old marlin, or savage/springfield. does the bolt cock, only when pulling out the rear knob? usually this is found only on a single shot, and that is mag fed. but with that massive front screw, going down into the metal plate of the magazine well, if that is the origional screw, then that is what makes me think savage/springfield; that and if it cocks when pulling the rear knob out. Also is that screw knurled around it's outer edge? if so, then it is proly origional, for finger loosening/tightening.
I don't believe marlin ever made a rear pull knob, on any of their old 80's or 81 models.
either one should shoot lights out. also look at the lands/grooves- is there a ton of them, like 12 or 16? if so, and they are shallow, it is deff a marlin. if not, then i still say savage/springfield; is that paint for the front tip of the stock? does it appear to be origional paint, like it is a painted ebony fore end on the stock? if so, and it looks origional, then I still say savage/springfield, but now with the possiblility of it being a revelation/ High Standard as well.

 

[jim147]

Reminds me of a J. C. Higgins. But so many of the old ones look alike.

jim

 

[RIATAC45]

It is an old Marlin model 80 or 81. I just rebarreled one that belonged to my Great, great grandfather. Here is a place to get parts for it http://www.e-gunparts.com/productschem.asp?chrMasterModel=082Zz80

 

[giggitygiggity]

Are you certain it is a Marlin? Another THR member on another one of my threads said that it looked like his Wards .22. Are Wards and Marlin parts interchangeable? Could it have been that the Marlin 80/81 and Wards were made by the same company, but sold under different manufacturers? Thanks.

 

[VeggieH]

looks like a marlin i trained with 25 years ago,and it was old then.Is it top feed 7 rounds?The ymca camp I shot at had 12 of these from 1959,which would explain no #s.I believe these were bought thru sears and roebock and ALOT were rebarreled because the barrels sucked (heat warp after 1000 rounds )............................hope this helps your research...........H

 

[giggitygiggity]

Thanks for the input. If anyone finds any websites about older Marlin .22 rifles, please let me know. I am not sure what you mean by top feed, but it does have a magazine well. We do not have a magazine for it though. There is no magazine release on the rifle. Is this consistant with the Marlins you shot at your YMCA camp? Thanks.

 

[rangerruck]

it could be an old 80 or 81, but I am not down, with that rear knurled bob on the end of the bolt. my 81 is a dl, and is about 37 or 38 year made, and does not have that. allthough the bolt does look similar elsewise, and is drilled and tapped, like yours in the picture, for a rear left side peepsite. if you are going to keep this, look for a factory old marlin peep site, and get it. if it fits, then you will know. It will also cost as much as the rifle.
and then go over to rimfirecentral, and Look up a dude named JRH; he makes the most perfect disc peep site replacements for those, with smaller apertures, and it will turn yours into a 1 hole shot shooting machine.

also I've never seen a marlin 80 or 81, ever, with what appears to be a painted, 'ebony tipped' front
stock area. unless this was done by one of the owners.

 

[VeggieH]

You had to feed the ammo one by one down thru chamber into the mag due to the fact mag doesn't come off(think loading a sks 10 rounder).I still remember getting covered in lead and gun residue from all the good times we had.All of ours had orange paint on the barrels......for safety.Perhaps the ebony is covering such a "MOD".Also is there a lanyard on it? Ours were chained to firing station during use to prevent "horse play".I know these were a bulk buy item,5 to a box with makers markings on wood crate.Hope this helps..............H

 

[giggitygiggity]

Rangerruck and others,
-What are you referring to when you talk of land/grooves?

-The rifle appears to have a regular detachable box magazine although we do not have one for it.

-The painting was done by the owner.

-The knob on the back of the bolt does not pull out. The rifle cocks and fires like modern rifles by simply working the bolt.

-Another detail that I forgot to mention was that the bolt has two claws.

Hopefully these details help with determining for sure what model the rifle is. Thanks.

 

[rangerruck]

if painted by owner, and knob does not pull out, then now I am leaning towards a old marlin 81, or is it 80? whichever uses a mag, I think that is the 80.
lands and grooves are inside the bbl, and what the bullet ' rides' in, and gives it a grip, twist, and a ability to keep the gas behind the bullet, as it goes down the tube. Like this.
http://www.geletka.com/j/
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl..._fSmCw&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=3&ct=image

 

[giggitygiggity]

I do not think it is a Marlin 80 (detachable box magazine model). I found some pictures of a Marlin 80. The open part on the top of the receiver through which the bolt handle moves is canted to the right of the rifle's receiver in the case of the Marlin 80. With my friend's rifle, that same slot is centered directly on top of the receiver. Also, my buddy's stock does not have any space carved out for the bolt handle whereas all the Marlin 80 stocks that I have seen have a small piece of the wood out for when the bolt is closed. I agree that they look deceptively close to one another. Any other ideas? Thanks.

 

[boricua9mm]

The Marlin (or Glenfield) model 25, chambered for .22short, Long, & Long Rifle uses a magazine but has no apparent magazine release b/c the magazine latch is built into the mag itself. I have an old Marlin Model 25, and the rifle pictured looks very close to it. I would guess that we are looking at a Glenfield 25.

Here is my $35 Marlin Model 25 Pawn Shop Special wearing a $40 Simmons in $15 Leupold rimfire rings:





That's my semi-educated guess!

B9

 

[RIATAC45]

I am 100% sure that it is a Marlin or derivative. If you click the exploded diagram from my link above you can see that there are several styles of bolts, cocking knobs, and trigger guards. This is what I am basing my observation on.

 

[giggitygiggity]

RIATAC45,
What do you mean by a "derivative"?

Everyone,
Thanks for all the posts thus far. I really, really appreciate it. If you have any further insights or pictures that might be of help, please launch them my way. Thanks.

 

[Bill B.]

Take a look at this link to gunparts:

http://www.e-gunparts.com/productschem.asp?chrMasterModel=082Zz80
http://www.e-gunparts.com/schemzoom.asp?schem=082Zz80

You will see it shows several "derivatives"! It also shows the peep sight which the rifle you show does not have but the screw holes are in the side of the receiver. I think the responders have you on the right track.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Fairly certain it's a Mossberg, looks like a model 40

 

[rangerruck]

I still say the giant screw through the bottom plate, is either a j.c. higgins , made by savage/springfield, or a savage or springfield, or a high standard.