Thanks to a fellow forum member who pointed me to this, I was able to purchase a vintage target rifle shooting box full of some nice stuff, a set of pre-war N-frame magna stocks among a few other choice goodies. One of the more interesting items, however, is the box itself. Here are a couple "before" photos from the auction listing, and a few more showing how it cleaned up:








It's a Badger Shooting Kit manufactured by a trunk-making business from Wisconsin named Tronick: Badger

Badger was apparently a large sporting goods store back then. If you look around the website, you can see some Fishing Kits and other interesting items Tronick/Badger made and sold. I'm guessing the box I have dates to the 1950s.

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SWHF #448

Very nice find!

Now that's a good find.

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RIP Shipmate

I think it's earlier than the 50's.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I was 2nd bidder on that. Congrats

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George Jamison

Very nice.! What did you do to it.?

Just clean it or did you paint, recover or what??

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Still Running Against the Wind

I started by wiping the whole thing down with a damp cloth to see what I was working with, reglued some of the covering (appears to be some kind of friction tape) on the outside that had lifted, hit all the metalwork with a toothbrush and gun oil, oiled the lock, clasps and hinges and brought the color back with a boot brush and Kiwi black. The wallpaper-type lining on the inside is pretty fragile, so I didn't mess with trying to repair any of that.

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SWHF #448

don't know about a retail store, but they used to wholesalers to the gun trade. used to be the best place around to buy rugers that were hard to find elsewhere. they also sold colt and smith. that was where skeeter skelton special ordered his 4in 1950 target 44 spl. from. he said that in some of his articles years ago.

btw, great old box. you never know what you will find in one of those.

Looks like some magazines came with. But what really caught my eye is the barrel. Is that for an M1 Carbine?

Also a lot of springs. What are they for?

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You're shy a few manners.

Here is a link to the company history. Home

The springs are mostly 1911 recoil springs. There were a lot of other old 1911 parts in the box. The barrel is 8" and .22 caliber (I believe). I haven't been able to identify it.

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SWHF #448

More random unidentified/worn/damaged parts.

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SWHF #448

Great job. I just love old chests, cases, and boxes like that. Over the years I've been able to restore/re-finish several of them, and I've always been able to find a use for them.

I lucked in to a very nice old industrial chest years ago. Refinished the outside, lined the top with cedar, then installed a Victorian themed wallpaper on the inside. The Lovely and Charming uses it to store her sweaters and scarfs.

Great Karma! Count me in... Really neat stuff.

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RIP Shipmate

I like them, too. Old Kennedy tool boxes, stuff like that. Now I need to find an old Pachmayr or, even better, Gun Ho pistol shooting box.

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SWHF #448

Bob, I'll pick out the S&W stuff and karma it here soon. There are a couple Victory model barrels and an old top break barrel in there.

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SWHF #448

I was kidding db. I still haven't found that 938 box for you yet!

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RIP Shipmate

Recently heard of a mint Gun-Ho pistol box at a LGS. They wanted $50 and it was sold by the time I arrived. Hadn't been picked up yet...it surely was mint.

I shot on a Natl guard Team back in the early 1970's and we were issued the Gun-Ho or Pachmayer cases. We used to build a cardboard box to protect our cases, then fill the things to the gills with guns and ammo. The box went into baggage , that was the end of it. IMAGINE even trying something like that today! I think we possibly had a bit of a "pass" as we were considered Military.

I went to the Winston Matches in Arkansas in 1974 and probably brought back 100 pounds of ammo between my pistol case and luggage. Match grade .45 and .308 was VERY available.

Again...You wont find that situation today.

Wow, lots of barrels... and even a Colt sideplate!

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You're shy a few manners.

I have figured out that the 8" barrel is for an old ('50s vintage?) Bernardelli .22 Sporter.

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SWHF #448

Your photos reminded me of a range box that I got in approx. 1970 along with a nice Model 52 Winchester bull barrel rifle. My girlfriend told me that her neighbor had a "shotgun" and wanted $100 for it........thats a lot of $$ for a guy pumping gas and going to school but I got it!

The tray holds a Fecker 10X scope, Redfield front sight and Marble-Goss rear sight along with, ammo, loading block, spare mags, etc. The bottom holds the slings, glove and B&L draw tube spotting scope.

I can't find a makers name any place on the box.

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tndrfttom, that appears to be the same box I have with perhaps the original paper lining and maker's label missing/removed. The top tray is laid out the same way and the handle on top looks identical, among other similarities.

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SWHF #448

Here are a couple photos of the only other one I've been able to find online:




We can see different locks were used but all of these boxes are otherwise very similar. Note this one doesn't have the metal corner bumpers (or whatever those things are called).

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SWHF #448

Re the fragile wallpaper inside, maybe you could spray it with a clear varnish or something like that to stabilize it? (Better do a little research first, though, as I do not know what I am talking about.)

I like it!

I see two USGI bore reflectors, a M1903A3 rear sling swivel, an M1 Carbine bolt tool, what looks like a M1903A3 rear sight with the ears lopped off and maybe an M1 Carbine recoil plate screw and nut.

I think I see a Luger sideplate too.

If I keep staring at the picture I might be able to ID a few more things.

M1Garandy, thanks for the help. I've already since identified most of the stuff and separated the good from the bad. Unfortunately, a lot of it, most actually, is damaged.

The bore reflectors have busted/missing mirrors, the '03 sight is bent/trashed, both S&W barrels have rings/bulges, etc. Anything salvageable has already been listed and sold elsewhere.

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SWHF #448