"Western Field" .22 pump: durability, parts availability?

[MatthewVanitas]

A local gunshop has a octagonal-barreled "Western Field" .22 pump rifle for $95. I've never owned a .22 pump, and am annoyed that a Mississippi gunshop I passed through wouldn't sell me their $149 Remington Fieldmaster (dang Fed regs).

Western Field guns were made by Savage and Mossberg, right? Would this gun be a Savage pump then? Is it worth $95 if it works? Can spare parts be found if necessary? Was this a good design, or an evolutionary dead-end?

Thanks for any input,

-MV

 

[RevolvingCylinder]

I recently picked up a Western Field 880A semi-auto .22lr that no one seemed to know about. I'm curious too.

 

[mnrivrat]

With the octagon barrel I doubt wether the gun would be a Mossberg. Perhaps Savage and there were a few scattered Western Field guns made by other companies as well.

The 880 for example was made by Colt and was the same as their Colteer semi auto.

Any model markings on the pump ? I would think that any octagon barrel .22 pump that works would be worth $95 or more no matter who made it.

 

[RevolvingCylinder]

Thanks, mnrivrat.

 

[Ash]

Parts should be fairly easy to get as long as you cross-reference the manufacturer's model number. I have a Western Field pump shotgun (the Mossberg 500, not the Savage Browning), two 735 center fire rifles (one in 30-06 and the other in 7mm Rem Mag, based on the Mossberg 810 action), two 785 center fire rifles (one in 308 the other in 243 based on the Mossberg 800). It all started with the .22LR bolt action my father gave me when I was but a wee lad, also a Mossberg-based repeater (a beautiful rifle, far more attractive than any hunting/sporting 22 rifle available in the US for any kind of reasonable price these days).

Savage, Kessler, Noble, Mossberg, Mauser, and Marlin made rifles and shotguns under the Western Field brand name.

Here is the cross-reference of Store Brand to Manucaturer model name.

http://hunting.about.com/gi/dynamic...s=1&zu=http://www.e-gunparts.com/crossref.asp

Ash

 

[RoyG]

Link without the about.com header


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