Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Questions on a Springfield Model 187 22LR Rifle

I was given a model 187 Series A 22 LR rifle several years ago that was buried in an orange grove for who knows how long.

The bolt and everything else was froze up solid.
I started soaking it in diesel fuel about two or three years ago and forgot about it. Well with the talk about another rifle here at the fire I remembered about my gun and today I got the itch.

I was able to take the barrel off and clean it real good and I was amazed that it was not pitted it is like brand new. I cleaned the feeder tube tube.
I removed the breach plug and cleaned that as well.

The bolt was giving me some troubles but I was able to get that cycling as well.

Every thing is clean and functioning with the exception of feeding the bullets. It will not feed. It looks as if someone had worked on it before because some of the screw heads were stripped and rounded.

I tried turning the bullet stop upside down and it worked a little bit better but it will not push the bullets up to chamber.

I looked at Brownell's for a schematic but they do not have one for that rifle.
Does anyone here at the fire have one or have a picture of how this is suppose to go together.

Any help will be appreciated

It sounds like your rifle has a lifter spring that's toast.

My then-new wife gifted me one of those she went out & bought new, for our first Christmas together in 1965 - and it was my only rifle for the next few years, until after I was discharged from the military.



She's STILL doing so - last Christmas, it was a T/C Hot Shot .22 single-shot.



.

Thank you it looks like I need to turn the one piece back over and I will try looking on line for the spring. If I can not find it or I can not get it up to speed I guess I will need to take it to a gunsmith.

Thanks again for the help

I can't help you with the feed problem. The Springfield model 187N was my only .22 for many years($39.95 in 1971) the only problem I had was firing pins. I had broken firing pins replaced three times over the years(probably 80,000 rounds total)

With those little respected Remington Thunderbolts, I could shoot the primers out of shotshell hulls at 25 yards. It also liked Winchester .22 LONGS.(find those today)

Numrich probably has the spring.

This thing looks really bad on the out side but the inside and every thing covered by the stock looks real good.
I would like to get it shooting for a trainer.

Some body did work on it before as was not to good at it. So it my take some time

They're a nice rifle but they do have their secrets. Once you ferret them out you own them. Feed assemblies show up on eBay all the time. While we may not feel for ebay they have more 87, 187, 287 et. al. parts than all the Gunbroker, Action Arms etc. sites.