Way back around 1951, when the U.S. was facing the Soviet Union in the Cold War, a need was perceived by the U.S. Air Force for an emergency survival gun that could be packed by our pilots. It had to be simple, shoot both rifle and shotgun ammo, and be able to be fired while wearing cold weather mittens.

The Ithaca Gun company of Ithaca, New York, developed a gun that met these requirements. Here is one of those guns:



Contracts were let, and the guns were issued. The gun developed was a folding over-under piece. The upper barrel was chambered for the .22 Hornet cartridge. The lower was for a .410 3-inch shotgun load. A lift-up latch over the rear of the barrels allowed the action to break open, and an automatic spring-loaded extractor lifted both rounds partially for extraction. A unique palm trigger was utilized so it would work with gloved hands. A lift-up section in the top of the metal buttstock covered holes that accepted 9 Hornet rounds and 4 shotgun shells. The barrels measured 14 inches in length, making the piece subject to the National Firearms Act and registration. Folded, the package measured a scant 15 inches in length for carrying in a pouch. The flip-flop rear sight had a peep with a 100-yard zero for the rifle, and a V-notch with a 25-yard zero for the shotgun. A push-pull device on the rebounding hammer allowed firing either the upper or lower barrel. There was no manual safety, as the rebounding hammer and the rather heavy trigger pull were deemed sufficient. The pivot pin for the break-open action could be totally removed so the halves could be separated for packing. There was no forearm on the gun, and pilots were advised that if downed, to wrap a section of the barrels with paracord from their parachutes to avoid burning the hands with frequent use. These are no longer issue arms; most pilots now carry just a sidearm. With GPS technology, it's not expected that a downed pilot will be on his or her own for extended periods.

A demand arose for a civilian version of this arm, and in the early 80's, Springfield Armory took up this task and imported a very similar gun made for them by CZ in the Czech Republic. This was called the M6 Scout. Here is a pic of one of these, made in 1984:



The main difference between this gun and the issue version is the length of the barrels, which are a civilian-legal 18.25 inches. The upper barrel is chambered in .22 LR, although some Hornet and .22 WMR barrels have been made. The lower is in .410 three-inch. The buttstock carries 15 .22 LR and 4 .410s. Later versions of this gun had a long trigger guard over the palm trigger; a lawyer-friendly device not in keeping with the original. Some all-stainless steel guns were made in lieu of the original Parkerized tool steel configuration. Springfield Armory quit importing these guns in 2004, and they are no longer made. I bought mine in 1984 for $150. Today, because of demand, they sell on the used gun market for between $400 and $1,200, depending on the model, caliber and condition. The original no-trigger-guard models command higher prices as do the stainless guns.

Hope you found this summary interesting. If you look for one of these guns now, good luck. I haven't seen one at a gun show for years, but they do pop up on the auction sites here and there.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

I used to own one of the Springfield M6 models in .22LR/.410 and carried it in my travel bag behind the seat whenever I took up the Cessna 172. Fortunately I never needed it and I eventually sold it for just about double what I paid for it new.

Nice write up.

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- Change it back -

I have one, in Hornet. Removed the trigger guard, as I saw no legitimate use for it, and it made folding the gun awkward.





I have seen, often, the suggestion to wrap the barrels with 550 cord. Normally not so as to protect your hand from barrel heat, but so as to have a supply of the cord in a survival situation. One guy said that, after wrapping his, the point of impact changed drastically. The wrap applied pressure to the rifle barrel.

I've never seen the need to wrap mine, but then, I've never shot dozens of rounds from it at a time, either.

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I always take precautions

It might work okay if you're not wrapped too tight.

Another interesting review, John. I've seen pictures of these guns, but never read any specs.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Paladin, I have a box of military issue .22 Hornet ammo with a warning on the side that it is not to be used against the enemy. If you need photos for your article let me know.
I do know if I were like William Holden in The Bridges of Toko Ri and was down in Korea and about to be taken prisoner, I'd plink one of those Commies with it warning or not !

Great write-up John. I had one of the Springfields in 22 Hornet over 410 without the trigger guard. Given the shortish barrel, non adjustable sights and rough trigger I did not feel the platform justified an accurate small game ctg like 22 Hornet. However 22 Hornet is probably the smallest ctg that can be manipulated while wearing gloves or mittens and that probably played into the caliber selection.

John ... Thank you for another great article. I had sought one of the M6s for some time on the used market, but scarcity and high pricing kept one from me. As an alternative for a pack "survival rifle" I went with the trusty Henry AR-7 a few months ago. I actually owned one of the early Charter Arms AR-7s back when I was a kid, but I believe the newer ones are considerably more reliable. For accuracy, I think the AR-7 has better sights, and is less awkward to shoot. The M6 was definitely an interesting rifle, although I'm not sure how effective it would be in a true survival situation beyond careful point shooting.

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I'm with the banned ...

My best friend had one of the Springfields in 22 Hornet/410-3". With any civilian ammo the 22 Hornet barrel shot terrible, but with Canadian military surplus 55 Grain FMJ it shot very well. The Hornet cartridge is a good survival/cold weather round as it is big enough to grip with half frozen fingers. My truck gun is a Savage 24 with 22LR over 20 gauge, 20" barrels and a ammo compartment in the but stock. I like the short configuration, but would prefer 22 Hornet instead of long rifle. The Savage 22's have a set of groves for simple scope mounting. I have 410's and for this app, I prefer 20 gauge. My Savage weighs about 50% more than the Springfield M6, and the ammo is of course heavier. The last couple of the Savage Camp models I've seen were nowhere near the $400+ price tag, but they all have seen heavy use (and still worked fine). I know a 223/20 or 12 gauge version of the 24 was made for a while. They are the most affordable combination gun I have found (I have 357 and 30/30 both over 20 gauge.) These are almost always 26" and all of them I've ever seen shot well, except for one 222 over 12 gauge with a curved barrel from the factory. I keep 2 plastic 20 round ammo boxes (for 600 Nitro) with 5 Bernanke rifled slugs, 5-#4 Buck shot, 5- #4 birdshot and 5-#7 1/2 bird shot in each of them. And a CCI 100 Round box of 22 ammo in a carrying case, along with a 2.5 power scope, sling, and cleaning kit. This has been my truck gun for around 23 years, it has served me well. It's not a M6, But gets the job done very well. Ivan

I use mine for pest control with the Agila Super Colibri, great little shooter.
And yeah, I left the trigger guard on mine.
My wife made the leather case for it about 15 years ago.

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Hold my beer and watch this!

I also have a Savage 24. The top barrel has been rechambered from .222 to .223, and the bottom is a 20 gauge. I've mounted a 1X scope on top for precision with the rifle barrel, and yet at the same time I can shoot with both eyes open with the 20 gauge with no distortion of vision. I have a chamber insert for the .223 that allows .22LR to be shot through it in a pinch. It is a versatile piece.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

I wonder if that is because it is soft-point ammo? Intended for use for hunting, but not legal for enemy combatants?

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I always take precautions

My understanding is that the military-issue Hornet ammo was taken directly from hunting ammo manufacture, and was indeed soft-point. It would have been against the Hague conventions to use it against human targets militarily. It was intended only for game animals.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Henry did a good job with the AR-7, I wish they would buy rights to the M6 and produce it as well, would be a nice addition to their line.

I believe that when these short rifles were being built and used that the 22 hornet had to use a full metal jacketed bullet. I say this because I have a 22 hornet w/remington headstamp and a full metal jacketed bullet. The 410 shotgun shells were loaded into aluminum 3" cases with a red sealant around the primer. The case I have was made by winchester. Frank

I found a picture of a box of military ammo, marked "don't shoot people", on Wiki. The accompaning article says they were issued soft point ammo, for hunting, and it was illegal for people.
.22 Hornet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But, on arms list I found a guy selling two boxes of GI Hornet ammo. One Winchester and one Remington. Both FMJ. Sale is over, but the pix are still there.

ARMSLIST - For Sale/Trade: .22 Hornet

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I always take precautions

That thing looks like it's good for ten rounds before it blows up like the .45 pistols the Allies dropped during WWII.

Actually, in spite of its obviously economical production methods, the action is plenty strong for the rounds it uses, and the barrels are substantial enough for extended use. Although I haven't shot mine much other than to zero it in, many have with no problems.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Nice post on a little known firearm! In a LGS I found an NIB Springfield Armory early non trigger guard model for sale way back when in .22LR/.410 and bought it. Neat little gun and other having to file down the front sight a bit for zero its been a trouble free little beasty. I've never seen another for sale since.

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Stay safe people!

John, thank you for an informative article on the M6.

I am adding some scans from Department of the Army Technical Manual TM 9-1305-200, dated June 1961 that you may find interesting.

Page 38 describes the 22 Hornet cartridge:

http://www.fototime.com/%7BFB402217-...30714-0003.jpg

Page 37 has an illustration of the projectile

http://www.fototime.com/%7B2DFCF73D-...30714-0004.jpg


Page 65 describes the 410 ammo

http://www.fototime.com/%7B81ED4AD9-...30714-0002.jpg

Page 63 has an illustration of the 410 ammo

http://www.fototime.com/%7B91070D2A-...30714-0001.jpg

My linked scans didn't come out so well, so I added some links to a larger version.

When I was stationed in France in 62-63 we had ordered some engine parts for the F84's, and in error were shipped a case of these from supply. About half the shop was flipping coins for one of them when the shop chief confiscated them all and had them shipped back.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Have the 22/410 mdl without the hand-guard (early model), and it was interesting that you needed to file down front sight for a particular 22 load.
It's a light gun that can be carried easily or taken down and put in backpack. It was rumored when Cz picked importing them that a model shooting 38 special - 410 would be made in stainless. As far as I know none were ever produced.

While Chiappa comes close to the concept with its .22 Little Badger, you'd be hard pressed to find a finer or more prefect survival rifle than an M6. I should've bought one when I had the chance. A shame they don't make them anymore.

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The Last Standing Knight

Ahh, combination guns, one of my favorites. I have a few in various calibers, and my favorite is a Valmet 512 in 12GA/.30-06. I purchased the entire firearm as a set. 12/12, .30-06/.30-06, 9.3x74R/9.3x74R, and the aforementioned combo. If I ever get to Africa, I will definitely pack that gun. I also have a couple of Savage M24's, one in .22 MRF/20GA, and one in .223/12GA.

The .223 has a 1/14" barrel, and keyholes anything over 55 gr, and most Barnes bullets. I have bought some 45 gr TSX's to test, and will see if they do any better. I was hoping to use the Nosler 60 gr Partition or the WW 64 gr PP, but it won't stabilize them. I'm also working up a reduced load using a Lyman 55 gr GC bullet and SR5749 or something similar to keep velocities around 2000 f/s, but again, I have concerns about stability. If I can find a 45 gr .224 mold I will likely try that too.

The goal is to try and find a lightweight, handy gun that will take anything in the eastern woods but bear using the .223. I realize that a 12 GA with slugs will do the trick on either bear or deer, but range is an issue over about 40 yards, as is shot placement. I've never developed a trust for slugs, especially with open sights. I do have a red dot Bushnell TR75 on the gun, but the slugs and the .223 don't shoot to the same POI, so using the 12 GA for small game or close range larger game and the .223 for longer range more precise work seems to be the ticket.

Anyway, it's an ongoing project and keeps me out of the bars. Hopefully I can finish the testing in time for hunting season this year.

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