Well, after perusing many gun shows and auctions sites, I finally found a very nice K-22. As is required by the forum, I am posting pictures of my newest acquisition, and of course I have a few questions...
When I picked this one up off the vendors table, I was immediately struck by the figure in the grips and by how good a condition they were in. The dealer happily obliged me when I asked to remove the grips so that I could see if they were serial numbered to the gun, and if there was any rust beneath them. Surprisingly, they were numbered properly to the gun, and the bluing beneath the grips was perfect. There was a slight chip out of the upper part of the right panel, but otherwise they were a perfect fit. The action was a bit gritty, but the lockup on all six cylinders was vault tight. The scratch line was just that, a scratch with no furrow. The locking bolt recesses were sharp.
There was quite a bit of lead buildup around the breech, however a bit of work with the dental picks removed all of it in short time. There was only one dry fire mark on the face of the cylinder. The individual chambers and bore are mirror shiny, the muzzle unblemished. I took the gun completely down to the smallest parts and scrubbed everything. It was obvious that the side plate had never been removed. All of the screws were pristine.
The only two defects I could see are that someone tried to remove the small pin at the frame/breech and marked the frame on the right side, and that the small pin that secures the front sight base is missing. The base itself is smooth on all sides and is lodged firmly in its base, so I don't believe it has ever been removed.
All of the serial numbers match: the main number on the butt of the gun is K1904XX, with the same number repeated on the cylinder, crane, grips and barrel.
Accuracy wise, so far I am happy. I shot a few cylinders full on my indoor range and at 25 feet, all shots nearly touching. Given what I have read of the accuracy of these guns, that is (happily) the norm.
And now, a few questions...
Does anyone have an idea of the approximate date of birth?
If you owned this gun, would you letter it?
On the right side of the barrel is the standard ".22 LONG RIFLE CTG". At the very beginning and at the end is some type of a cross symbol. Is there any significance to this or is it simply part of the caliber designation?
Where can I purchase a correct pin for the front sight base?
The owner wanted $500 for it: I offered less and we met at $480. We were both happy at the time, and after I have cleaned this beautiful piece up and fired it, I am now ecstatic.
K-22 goodness...
When I picked this one up off the vendors table, I was immediately struck by the figure in the grips and by how good a condition they were in. The dealer happily obliged me when I asked to remove the grips so that I could see if they were serial numbered to the gun, and if there was any rust beneath them. Surprisingly, they were numbered properly to the gun, and the bluing beneath the grips was perfect. There was a slight chip out of the upper part of the right panel, but otherwise they were a perfect fit. The action was a bit gritty, but the lockup on all six cylinders was vault tight. The scratch line was just that, a scratch with no furrow. The locking bolt recesses were sharp.
There was quite a bit of lead buildup around the breech, however a bit of work with the dental picks removed all of it in short time. There was only one dry fire mark on the face of the cylinder. The individual chambers and bore are mirror shiny, the muzzle unblemished. I took the gun completely down to the smallest parts and scrubbed everything. It was obvious that the side plate had never been removed. All of the screws were pristine.
The only two defects I could see are that someone tried to remove the small pin at the frame/breech and marked the frame on the right side, and that the small pin that secures the front sight base is missing. The base itself is smooth on all sides and is lodged firmly in its base, so I don't believe it has ever been removed.
All of the serial numbers match: the main number on the butt of the gun is K1904XX, with the same number repeated on the cylinder, crane, grips and barrel.
Accuracy wise, so far I am happy. I shot a few cylinders full on my indoor range and at 25 feet, all shots nearly touching. Given what I have read of the accuracy of these guns, that is (happily) the norm.
And now, a few questions...
Does anyone have an idea of the approximate date of birth?
If you owned this gun, would you letter it?
On the right side of the barrel is the standard ".22 LONG RIFLE CTG". At the very beginning and at the end is some type of a cross symbol. Is there any significance to this or is it simply part of the caliber designation?
Where can I purchase a correct pin for the front sight base?
The owner wanted $500 for it: I offered less and we met at $480. We were both happy at the time, and after I have cleaned this beautiful piece up and fired it, I am now ecstatic.
K-22 goodness...
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