Help: history and value of this .22 please
A friend brought a neat little youth model .22 to work today and asked for the age, value and possible collector interest. On the receiver: THE HAMITON RIFLE No 027 22 Cal
PATENTED OCT.30, 1900 - AUG. 13, 1907
MFD. by C.J. HAMILTON & SON
PLYMOUTH, MICH U.S.A.
The rifle has a short straight bolt type lever that has an up and down position. When the bolt is pulled up the breech opens. The down position locks the breech. It has an external hammer that has 2 positions (safe and ready to fire). It has a take down thumb screw for removing the barrelfrom the receiver/stock. The barrel is just shy of 15" and the overall length of the rifle is about 30". The barrel seems to be constucted of sheet metal and a liner of sorts. Also does anyone know how to tell if this is for .22 CB's shorts, longs or what.
I know condition is very important to collectors. It is rusty but very little pitting anywhere. The bore is very dirty but appears to not be a smooth bore. The wood is dirty but will probably clean up OK. Someone splatted a little paint on the rifle a long time ago. Thanks for your help with this one. Looks like it would make a great wall hanger!
Worry is the interest humans pay on the debt of miscalculation.
PATENTED OCT.30, 1900 - AUG. 13, 1907
MFD. by C.J. HAMILTON & SON
PLYMOUTH, MICH U.S.A.
The rifle has a short straight bolt type lever that has an up and down position. When the bolt is pulled up the breech opens. The down position locks the breech. It has an external hammer that has 2 positions (safe and ready to fire). It has a take down thumb screw for removing the barrelfrom the receiver/stock. The barrel is just shy of 15" and the overall length of the rifle is about 30". The barrel seems to be constucted of sheet metal and a liner of sorts. Also does anyone know how to tell if this is for .22 CB's shorts, longs or what.
I know condition is very important to collectors. It is rusty but very little pitting anywhere. The bore is very dirty but appears to not be a smooth bore. The wood is dirty but will probably clean up OK. Someone splatted a little paint on the rifle a long time ago. Thanks for your help with this one. Looks like it would make a great wall hanger!
Worry is the interest humans pay on the debt of miscalculation.
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Here's a excellent link, that will help you, regarding history of the Hamilton Rifles.
http://home.att.net/~jim.jackie.r/
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One of the oferings fromthe famouse "Hamilton Boys Rifle" line. these are fairly collectable, and some of the rarer ones are REALLY collectable. I would reccommend against cleaning it up much(except for the bore etc...) as this might take away from the desireability of the gun to your average collector. I grew up in the SW corner of Michigan, so in that area they are a little more desireable than in some other areas of the country. Are you sure of the barrel length? If so, I am not sure about the strick legality of the piece, although I would have to think that with it's age etc., it would fall under the category of a "cuio" andthus be exempt to the "16 inch barrel length moratorium. the barrel were indeed for the most part a lined brass arrangement and the fact that you can see rifling is likely a good sign. Most of the kids that had these things loved them...to death! Used and used up, normally! As far as ammo goes...do not use anything of the modern long rifle variety. I would stick to shorts if I were even going to try to shoot it at all. They make better conversation pieces than anything else any more!
there are a number of guys here on the forum that know a great deal about these and I hope one of them see's your post and chimes in with some REALLY useful info for you! Tell your friend he has a neat old piece there and should likely do a LIGHT cosmetic clean on it and hang it on the wall!
"When I cease learning...I'm dead"(Me)
"Power corrupts...Absolute power corrupts absolutely"(Descartes?)
"History is written by winners"(Patton)
"You get a lot farther with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone!"(Al Capone)
"There is nothing lower than the human race...except the French" (Samuel Clemens)0 -
Here's a shot of Hamilton's first rifle, one I'm obviously very proud of. Have several different models and they're all neat little rifles.
rufe has given you an excellent link, lot's of good info there you won't find anywhere else.
If your friend's rifle is in otherwise good shape, tell him to hang on to it. There's not a lot of demand except for a few of us who still pay hundreds for rifles that cost $5 when they were mfg.[;)]
Most of these with the Birch stocks have cracks, and few are found without cracked trigger guards. I've seen these bought for less than a hundred to several, depending on who wants it and how bad they need an exact model to complete their collection. Same old story, huh...[:D]
Usually a couple here at auction, but most are rough and priced high. But, the right deal does happen now and then.
If I can help answer any questions best to mail me. I don't get to check in here often.0 -
WOW, did not know they made a japanese model. I learned something new here again. Thanks guy's.
PJ
If nobody seen you do it, how could you have done it. NRA Life Member, AF&AM0
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