Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Single Shots........

Last weekend I pulled out an old Stevens 15A that was stuffed behind my safe for god knows how long (20+ years at least), thought man I ought to clean that up and shoot it. So I did just that - cleaned out the cobwebs and got it ready to go. Sunday, after obsessing over little tiny groups with my CZ 455 for an hour or so, I decided to fire a few through the Stevens. I pinned up a target with 2" black circle out at 25 yards - went back to the truck (tailgate rest) and popped off 5 rounds. Humm should be able to see any holes that were not black? Walked up and wow nice little group of about 3/4". "Dang, not bad maybe I'll bear down and see if I can beat that" - next group was right about 1/2". Could not cover it with a dime but all holes easily touched the dime. Not only had it been a looong time since I fired a rifle with open sights but I now can't hardly see the rear sight due to my near vision fading away as I get older. But, it did not seem to matter - I just made a nice snowcone with the front sight and the 2" black dot, squeezed that crappy trigger and wow. After that I proceeded to empty my Federal Target Match 325 Round Bulk box one by one in that little .22, launching shotgun hulls, clay pigeon chips, and anything else that caught my fancy from 15-50 yards. All the time smiling like a little kid with is first .22. Dang that was fun. I'm going to see if I can work the trigger over a little and try it again. What a hoot, and to think I'd totally forgotten about it for 20 years - ugh.

Savage made very good barrels. My Model 4C will do under a half inch at 50 benched.

Sounds like you had some fun too.

Here she is - not sure if anyone has ever built a more simple and plain Jane rifle.

I had one of those. Gave it to my youngest brother for his first .22 about 35 years ago. He still has it and it still shoots fine. They used to sell them at the hardware store in town for 29.95 when I was a teenager.

Sweet.
I have a falling block Savage 72 I rechambered to .22WMR that will do MOA at 100 yards and a Remington #4 rolling block that will do 1/2" groups at 50 yards all day. Very fun little rifles to take to the range.

This one was given to the family while cleaning out a neighbors garage. Older Widowed lady did not even know it was in there. Seems a 1950's version of the RAR. I need to take it apart and show the trigger mech. I has 2 pieces - only screw is a post that mounts the mech to the barrel and is also threaded to accept the stock screw. Simple as can be.

I learned how to shoot a 22 on one of those. it has a very light stock, similar to shown, so we called it the 'blond' .22 as kids.

The cocking mechanism was a little sketchy, and it had a really light 'hair' trigger.

As a kid my dad used to carry it down Paterson Plank Road and shoot rats in the meadowlands way back before such things would get you arrested.

As a kid we'd use it to slay every last beer can, cracker, gold ball, shotgun shell, and ...

I guess we never really shot it for group size, but out of the couple of .22's we had back then and those of friends it was widely held as the most accurate.

I dont know how, because you could feel the bolt play when taking up the slack in the trigger. Doesnt seem conducive. But it could shoot. Great barrel?


Shot a lot of stuff with that thing.

I have 3 single shot 22's. A Savage 72, Remington Model 33, and a Remington 514 with a Lyman 55 peep. The 33 is the coolest for me. I take the old girl out for a stroll in the woods just so she can remember the old days....

The old rimfires are not appreciated, especially by younger shooters.

A lot of the old rimfires had long barrels and shot very well.

I shoot new iron and love the old rifles also. Have a lot of both.

I'm kinda short, as people were around the early 1900's. The ergonomics of the old firearms work well for me. That little 33, made in 1933, just melts into place. Had a Remington model 14 in 35 Remington, that felt the same way. I don't think a computer designed firearm gets it right. They don't feel as good.

I've got the Model 67 Winchester single shot .22 that my dad picked up used circa 1938 or so. The accuracy off a good rest, even with my aging eyes and those iron sights still amazes me sometimes. Some of those old rimfires are true examples of great craftsmanship even though they were never even close to being anything "high end". The darn things also seem to last forever with no loss of accuracy. My mod. 67, since the latter 1930's has had the sear spring? (leaf spring beneath the bolt assembly) only replaced twice, (they're still available) and the sear itself has enough wear on it that the gun now has a 1 lb. 13 oz. trigger pull on a Lyman digital gauge, (already have a spare sear also). The bore,though, has no visible wear whatsoever (typical with old .22's). This summer I plan to shoot it and my CZ 455 laminated thumbhole fluted varmint in 22LR side by side at 25 yds. (cause the 455 has a 2-7x Vortex and the 67 just the irons) just for grins. That should be interesting; my oldest and newest .22's side by side.

22250rem;

I also have a Winchester 67. Not the 67A.

It has a grooved forearm. They were made in the early 30's long before the GCA of '68 required serial numbers.

I remember my Dad having one of these with the grooved forearm when I was a young boy.

I found mine in a pawn shop years ago.

GREAT little rifles!

Virgil B.

A cousin of mine has a 67A Youth rifle. Until he stumbled and fell, breaking a chip out of the heel of the stock, it was cherry, too.


It is, as I recall from our youth, a pretty good shooter, too.

IIRC the grooved forearm was only used on the earlier ones. The 67 came out in 1934 and was made until 1963. Off the top of my head I think the 67A appeared in the late 30's (?). I've seen a couple articles on them in gun magazines that I have someplace in a stack of magazines that I've saved. If you google Winchester Model 67, Wikipedia has a nice run -down on them including stuff like what was changed when. They're sweet little guns and mine is also the best thing I have for using 22 shorts.

I have a Page-Lewis Olympian. I love it. Wish they were still around.

Stevens, Springfield, JC Higgins and a Savage Whippet.

Most of them are bolt guns that you have to pull back the cocking piece after you chamber a round. Probably have about 10 single shots and not one cost over $100.