OK, time from a break from all the NIB treasures and safe queens. Time to share a K22 that's worked - hard - from the day it was purchased new in 1952.

A gent in his 80s brought this into the LGS. He was seeking advice as to what he should "do" with it now.

He purchased it (K150xxx) new in 1952. Carried it working traplines in western Oregon for 60 years. It "lived" in this holster for the entire period, stored in it too.

Finish is 1/2 gone, rust and scratches. Even a ring in the barrel. But it worked on, decade after decade. He has no idea of how many animals it dispatched, including more than a few bears, he says.

As for what to "do" with it, I'd say an honored retirement is in order.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

You should get shut of that old junker to a poor unsuspecting slob such as myself. I'll step up and take this one for the team. I promise to keep beating it up as it so richly deserves. PM for shipping info............, and no need to pack it very well. Oh, I wouldn't put any leather soap on the holster either.

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Go big or stay home

Let me guess, you used to work for the Brazilians shipping home 1937s?

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Dick Burg

Still looks good to me. I like everything about it!
f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

Regular use creates its own kind of beauty. I like that gun a lot.

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David Wilson

I have a older friend who bought two K22's brand new (different times) to use for coon hunting. He put Bushnell Phantom scopes on them and used them hard. He brought the older one to me "cuz something aint right". Pulled the sideplate and the hammer pivot came out with it!!! It had NO finish left except in the hidden areas, and the factory made it right. He used to shoot a box of shell between those guns EVERY day, and eventually shot a very large tree in half...no telling how many coons.

I like that gun a lot, and what makes me like it more is that I would shoot it a lot! Good find!

You were doing good up until that point...

Great revolver with a lot of character.

That old pistol is a thing of beauty.
Thanks for sharing.
Frank

I'd say it is purt near broke in.

Its nice to see real "working" guns. Got in a few discussions about user guns. It was then I realised there is a vast difference between user guns and working guns. Many times I viewed mint guns that spent their lives in a gun safe, padded gun cases and occasional trips to the range. Working guns are an entirely different creature. These seldom saw a gun case or safe, spent most of their time in the field far from a gun range. Many have seldom been cleaned. I saw a friends Pre War Colt Woodsman that he used on a trapline for 60 years in Colorado. The grips were worn through in a few places. The checkering was long gone. This and your are more beautiful in my eyes than a new in the box gun.

That'n still a dandy, right thar!



Su Amigo,
Dave

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

Maybe a warmer blanket and a softer bed, but NOT retirement.

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

+ 1

Keep shooting that gun. !

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S&WCA # 2045

The "ones" with good, honest wear are what I really love to see!!

Thanks for sharing..........got any more pics of this old work-horse??

Don

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Laus Deo! <><

That's my favorite kind of gun, the kind you're not afraid to carry and shoot.

Never met a K-22 I didn't like.

A good thorough cleaning and oiling, maybe a new mainspring and keep on shootin'

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Jim
Many K and N Frames

If I'd carried and used a revolver for 60 years, I'd never let go of it. They could bury it with me. That said, I have put in an offer for this neat old revolver - probably 4 times what it cost him new.

We'll see how things shake out.

If it does come to me, it will get a thorough cleaning, no "restoration" and will be used. Not planning to dispatch any bears with it, however!

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

Perhaps a very good indication of just how tough some of these things are.

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Have guns...will shoot'em.

That looks like the one I bought a few years back. Worn finish, smooth action, still accurate as h--l.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

That's a gorgeous thing. I agree, though, no retirement.

regular use creates it's own form of beauty- well said!
I'd take her to a bullseye match and see just how many of those guys with the red dot autos I can beat!

That revolver is much more beautiful than a safe queen.

I was lucky enough to be in a large LGS just a few hours after an older gentleman traded in one of his prized K-22's. The store owner told me the former owner, a long time customer, carried the .22 on his trapline and on daily walks with his dog. The dog needed emergency surgery after breaking its leg so he traded the K-22 and a to pay for the surgery. The K-22 is well worn, but well cared for. That man took great care of the bore, chambers and action. The finish shows the years of daily holster use.

I am proud to be the second owner of that 1954 era K-22 and called the gun store to tell them how good the gun shot. The next time I was in, they said the original owner had stopped in to ask about where the gun went. They told him how happy I was with it. He was pleased a shooter-collector purchased it and would continue using it. He's back in the woods with his dog and a newer, less valuable 22.

That's an easy one. Tell him to put it on his belt and continue carrying it daily.

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C & L

If that gun could talk...the stories it would tell.

removed PC

Stories like these about shooters interest me more then the unfired new in box guns. While I wouldn't allow it to effect the resale value, what is cooler then knowing the background story on a piece you are trying to aquire. This gun served it's purpose for 60 years faithfully. I buy shooters like these because it's what I can afford. I find their marks, blemishes to be part of their charm and character.

Case closed. The original owner has decided that he could never part with it.

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

I dug this old bugger (K16,000 or so) out of a Backwoods Saw Mill about 40 miles north, by north west of here. Had been doing 'Red Squirrel Duty' for some time.





When the demand for pine boards dropped off here about 30 years ago, the mill's owner shut it down and this old K-22 was greased, wrapped up in burlap and stuffed between the open wall joists in what passed for the mill's office. A few years ago the son of the original owner, himself now well into his late 70's opened the old mill back up again. This old codger was a real "Saw Mill Man". Which is to say that he had about 2 1/2 fingers on his left hand, 3 1/3 on his right and was blind as a bat. Seems that the Red Squirrels were back but being digitally challenged he couldn't "hit a plum thing with the old man's shooter-pistol". He was looking for a .410 "Breakup Shotgun". I obliged him with an older H&R Topper, 2 boxes of No. 6 shot and forty dollars boot.



Before any of you city fellers decides to take me 'behind the woodshed' for cheating' an old man, you should try just one dealing with a "Saw Mill Man" and you'll know that there's no harm in swindling a swindler...



Took me two days of soaking in kerosene and scrubbing with a brass brush before I could get through the hardened axle grease mixed with saw dust, wrapped in burlap to read this gun's serial number...



The stocks came off and went to DWFan and he stripped off the 200 coats of ZAR, repointed the checkering, repaired a huge sliver and saved these original, numbered stocks.

Before DW:





After DW:



I think that the hunt for these guns is just as much fun as owning them...

Now let me tell you what I found in a Chicken Coop... RIGHT DICK?....

Wells Boys,

I glad to see someone has been using their handguns for somethin besides a door stop or a mantel piece.

Workin guns warm my ol callused heart.


I may have left the 4 inch one here a season or two too long in my saddlebags...
The six incher came from a hog killin sumwheres...Along with a lit'l blood thinner.

And no, I didn't get a steal on 'em like my Bro. Drew does, all the time.



Su Amigo,
Dave

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

Good for him, that's the proper ending for this story...

Brother Dave,

I'll see your pair with four of a kind!



Pat Hand.... All Aces...

Dang Drew,
A poor boy ain't gonna stroll in here's and steal the pot from y'all highrollers, not atall.

All Aces...Is right, right thar!

Su Amigo,
Dave

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

hmm looks pretty close to mine save for the grips and the smoothed out trigger mine has, had a sharp angle to the trigger and someone had the thing radiused.

and it didnt have rust or a ring in the barrel.

as for its history it belonged to a vietnam vet that had gotten it from his father who probably bought the thing new in the 1950's although I dont know what happened to him, the vet as he might have sadly finally succumed to agent orange after all of these years as he told me he was sufferering from the effect of it and the gunshop I got the gun from is no longer in buisness.

guy had been the single survivor on a hill bombed by agent orange in nam, his entire group went up the hill and he was the only survivor.

although I had gotten it off of one of the owners who had bought the gun from him but wanted to get rid of it as he was having trouble with it, said it would gum up after 200 rounds of 22LR but some new bore brushes and giving the solvent some time to work rememdyed that problem

funny thing was one of the regular range guys figured it was his gun when he saw me shoot it, as he had seen him down there with it about a year before that with it, I guess not that many people shoot a 50 year old gun regularly.

sucker shoots though and I shoot it regularly as I had gotten the thing has a practice gun for the model 29 6 inch I have

and after not shooting for awhile I took it to the range and with the first 6 shots offhand in a tight dark indoor range it put all of them pretty much in one hole at 25 yards, 50+ years of constant wear and tear and the thing hasnt skipped a beat, now that's a smith and wesson!

I really should get that damn target framed once I find it again and that was after 3 years of double action only shooting and snap cap practice.


best $450 bucks I ever spent, not only a fine firearm but the fine firearm of two great men before it.

When it comes to the Model 17 or pre-17, I love them all whether they're in pristine condition or rode hard and put away wet.

Respectfully,
Mike Q.

This one has been in my family since about 1936, was the first handgun I shot as a kid. Heaven only knows how many rounds down range. Kind of cool to know that all the wear, scratches etc are famuly afflicted.

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Jim
Many K and N Frames