Springfield Model 15 .22

[Old Grumpy]

I have an old single shot, bolt action 22 that my father purchased long before I was born. It appears to be a Springfield Model 15 but the name stamped on the receiver says Tru-Test. It says .22 short only. I have looked on GunBroker and my rifle matches the Springfield Model 15s they have listed (almost exactly) with the exception of mine saying 22 short only.

Does anyone have any information or any ideas regarding this rifle?

It will never be a collector's item, but I'd never sell it regardless. I would just like to have an idea of how old it might be and if there are others like it out there. My dad told me it cost him $7.50 (quite a sum at the time I'm sure).

I'd love to have a nickle for every pigeon that bit the dust due to this rifle. The shorts did not make enough noise to scare them off for very long. At 25 yards it is very accurate.

Bruce

 

[12Bravo20]

I have never seen one marked 22 short only. Everyone that I have seen is marked 22S, 22l, 22LR. Numrich should have most parts for these rifles. They can be found with the Savage, Stevens, or Springfield name and in different model numbers also. I know of three different model numbers being used: Model 15, Model 120, and Model 125. I am sure that there were plenty of these stamped with store/brand names and model numbers also. Since there has been so many made with different names and model numbers, they are pretty common. I don't know about yours since it is stamped 22S only. Have you checked the chamber to see if a 22L or 22LR will fit?

 

[Old Grumpy]

To be honest since the rifle was stamped .22 Short I have not tried to chamber anything else. I will examine it closely and see if it chambers anything else.

Bruce

 

[highorder]

Here's two pics of mine. The gun is labeled, for short, long, and long rifle.

 

[Old Grumpy]

12Bravo20, I examined the rifle closely and here is what I discovered.

1. It is not stamped or marked anywhere, other than with the pat. numbers and the word Tru-Test.

2. It is not stamped with the caliber and does not say .22 Short or .22 Short Only.

3. It will not chamber anything but .22 Shorts. I tried several different brands of .22LR and all of them would only go into the chamber to about 1/3 to 1/2 of their length. I tried three different brands of .22 Shorts and they all slid into the chamber perfectly.

I can remember my dad warning me to use "Shorts" only. Since I'm old enough to have grown up before the invention of "Timeouts" I did what my dad told me to do. (That way I could sit down without hurting) Since he always said "Shorts" only I guess I assumed it was stamped on the rifle somewhere. I have cleaned the rifle carefully and the bore is nice and bright so I do not think there is a buildup of dirt preventing the long rifles from seating completely. By the way, I removed the bolt and dropped the rounds into the chamber by hand not wanting to use the bolt to "drive them in."

Bruce

 

[Old Grumpy]

highorder, I'm attaching a couple pictures of my rifle. The front sight is different than yours, it is dove-tailed into the barrel. The bolt aslo looks slightly different.

Bruce

 

[eastbank]

the springfield 15 was the second 22 i owned and i wish i still had it. eastbank.

 

[highorder]

Old Grumpy,

Your clue is here:

I tried several different brands of .22LR and all of them would only go into the chamber to about 1/3 to 1/2 of their length. I tried three different brands of .22 Shorts and they all slid into the chamber perfectly.

Your rifle has likely been fed a steady diet of shorts; enough to lead or foul the chamber enough so that you can't chamber 22lr shells.

Get out the brush and give the chamber a good scrub with some solvent. I have a hunch that long rifle will then chamber and fire, but extraction will be a bear because of a ring of pitting at the end of the "short" chamber...

My rifle has a shallow pitting ring; yours may be worse...

...or your rifle is chambered for shorts only. But I doubt it.

 

[highorder]

Also, I reinstalled my rear sight elevator backwards, didn't I?...

 

[Old Grumpy]

highorder, I'll give it a try. I will pick up a good solvent that helps remove lead, give it a good brushing, and see if the LR chamber.

 

[dougw47]

.22

Mine has the cocking knob like the second rifle. All my grandkids have learned to shoot with this rifle. The cocking knob is so strong that I don't have to worry tooooooo much about the little kids...I have to cock it for them. LOL

Keep it simple, keep it safe is my standard.

 

[Old Grumpy]

dougw47,

I completely agree with your assessment regarding this rifle. Deciding what weapon should be the first to teach a "new shooter" all of the details needed to make the sport safe is a task, a pleasant one at that. Bolt action, semi-auto, or single shot. I'm sure this rifle is a few years older than I am but it still performs well. This rifle may or may not be chambered for 'shorts only' but regardless of the origional design it shoots shorts like a tack-driver. The report and recoil are very managable with shorts. The ones I've found on GunBroker are reasonable and I know they will be dependable.

Bruce

 

[Dookie]

It is possible it is a 22 short, you never know what some companies put out, but Savage/Stevens were not big into the 22S only, they made a few really oddballs. If this is one of them it is, IMO, a collectors item.

your rear sight is correct.

Either way, it's a nice gun, I don't think I have ever heard anything bad about them.