I brought Dad's old guns home -- now what

[Prepper]

A while back, I made a couple threads asking about how to legally get my father's old guns from Mom's house to mine. Anyway, I finally have them, after some drama convincing Mom that objects she doesn't want anyway in the house can be safely removed. What can people tell me about these? They're pretty old so I don't know too much about oldies like these.

The first two, my father said he bought as a teenager but never fired them. (Why, I can't imagine...) The first is a Winchester 94 in some weird (well, weird to me) caliber:

Next, a Sears .22 bolt action. I've never had one like this... looks like the ammo is fed into a tube somehow which I'll have to figure out. The bolt seems a bit "sticky"... perhaps because it has never been cleaned/oiled/used ever.

These next two I'm told were owned by my father's grandfather. This one is some kind of single shot 12 gauge, of course. What is Eastern Arms Company? That's the only identifying words I can find on it. And, I have no idea how old it is.

And, for the last one, well... I have no idea. I'm not sure how you load this thing or fire it (or that I would even want to), so I'm guessing it is some kind of musket or muzzle loader? It has some French words on it but I can't fully make out what they say:

 

[browncoat]

Clean and oil that 22 bolt action and I'll bet she is ready to go. 32 winchester special is a pretty much defunct round that is just a 30-30 necked up to .321. I think they also slowed the twist rate on the rifling. In any event, it is similar in performance to the 30-30 - a bit more energy at close range and a bit less further away due to the differing ballistics. Will do just fine hunting deer.

 

[Prepper]

Clean and oil that 22 bolt action and I'll bet she is ready to go. 32 winchester special is a pretty much defunct round that is just a 30-30 necked up to .321. I think they also slowed the twist rate on the rifling. In any event, it is similar in performance to the 30-30 - a bit more energy at close range and a bit less further away due to the differing ballistics. Will do just fine hunting deer.

I have a dumb question about the .22.... I always think of .22 as meaning .22LR but would this be one of the smaller/older .22 because it doesn't mention .22LR on the barrel? Pretty much nothing these days in .22 doesn't take LR, but I have no idea about what an old gun like this might be.

 

[Dradian]

I have a dumb question about the .22.... I always think of .22 as meaning .22LR but would this be one of the smaller/older .22 because it doesn't mention .22LR on the barrel? Pretty much nothing these days in .22 doesn't take LR, but I have no idea about what an old gun like this might be.

from the picture it does tell you.

S-L-LR under the caliber.

it will shoot .22 short, .22 long, and .22 LR

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

 

[Dennis in MA]

Ummm, did you just raid my gun safe??? Except for some minor changes, that outlines almost my wife's grandfather's ENTIRE gun collection that's in my safe. 32WinSpl is a 30-30 counterpart. Decent caliber. Not THAT hard to find ammo. Good deer gun. From back when those were made well. I love mine. Rarely shoot it. But nice to pick up.

 

[Mike S]

I have one of those JC Higgins .22's complete with original scope, they are amazingly accurate, take it to the range and enjoy it.

From what I saw none of the rifles are valuable monetarily speaking, I'd keep them and take them to the range and enjoy them, some good stuff there.

 

[Sawicki1991]

On the 22 you should be able to turn the end of the tune and pull out the rod. Then feed the ammo down it. The last one is a muzzleloader.

 

[Carl in Ct]

I have a dumb question about the .22.... I always think of .22 as meaning .22LR but would this be one of the smaller/older .22 because it doesn't mention .22LR on the barrel? Pretty much nothing these days in .22 doesn't take LR, but I have no idea about what an old gun like this might be.

Nice pickup Prepper! Glad you could give your dad's guns a good home.

As Dradian said you can see the S-L-LR on the barrel but it's a good point. My dad has a Winchester single shot bolt .22 youth rifle, model 1890 I think, that was probably made around 1918. My dad has no interest in guns so it was in my safe for years but my brother has is now so I can't go look at it. Anyway it takes shorts and longs but if you shoot a long rifle round it will load and shoot fine but the brass gets stuck so bad it wont eject. You have to either jimmy it out with a blade or push it out from the muzzle with a rod. My brother found that out the hard way so we only shot shorts and longs after going through that a couple of times.

 

[amm5061]

That 94 Winchester in .32 Win Spl, minus that peep sight, is exactly the same gun I killed my first deer with. I loved that gun. Well made, reliable. Difficult to mount a scope on it, given the position of the ejection port on top of the gun, but I still loved it.

The ammo is hard to find, but not impossible. You may need to check around. I used to find random boxes of it in various LGSs. You can try to get BPS or Cabelas to order it for you, as well. Take it out and shoot it. It won't mind, and will thank you for it.

 

[sieveboy]

The last one is a Tabatiere, it's a breech loader with a Snider-type action. Some were converted into shotguns. If you want to sell it let me know.

 

[NeverMiss]

Would you like to borrow my boat

 

[Prepper]

Would you like to borrow my boat

Thanks but no need.... These were never on any government records. They don't know I have them (well unless they read this)...

 

[Prepper]

from the picture it does tell you.

S-L-LR under the caliber.

it will shoot .22 short, .22 long, and .22 LR

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

D'oh! I should have noticed that... For some reason I read that as SLR since I am into photography.

 

[Prepper]

The last one is a Tabatiere, it's a breech loader with a Snider-type action. Some were converted into shotguns. If you want to sell it let me know.

Thanks! So I guess this was converted at some point from muzzle to breach loader between 1864 and 1870 if my understanding of the Wikipedia page is correct?

 

[Carl in Ct]

I was going to post a link to where you can find 32 Winchester Special but I don't think I am supposed to. I will PM you instead.

 

[mac1911]

nice guns Basically typical utilitarian working mans rifles. Depending on the build date of the winchester it could be worth a little coin.
the sears rifle....they can bring ok money sometimes. depends on who manufactured it....a hidden jem some of them are.
the single shot shot gun is typical of the "affordable" shotguns manufactured by several companies. New England Firearms and the H&R topper style shotguns. Generally decent construction and ment to be fielded.

not into muzzle loaders....but do take some time to investigate...

 

[sieveboy]

Thanks! So I guess this was converted at some point from muzzle to breach loader between 1864 and 1870 if my understanding of the Wikipedia page is correct?

Yes, as a way to use pre-loaded shells in what was formerly a muzzle loader.

 

[browncoat]

Yeah, that winchester has pretty wood and looks pristine. If it is the right age, it could be worth a nice amount.

nice guns Basically typical utilitarian working mans rifles. Depending on the build date of the winchester it could be worth a little coin.
the sears rifle....they can bring ok money sometimes. depends on who manufactured it....a hidden jem some of them are.
the single shot shot gun is typical of the "affordable" shotguns manufactured by several companies. New England Firearms and the H&R topper style shotguns. Generally decent construction and ment to be fielded.

not into muzzle loaders....but do take some time to investigate...

 

[browncoat]

Yes, as a way to use pre-loaded shells in what was formerly a muzzle loader.

here is someone shooting one, looks fun https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnJSVylLPbo

 

[mac1911]

JC HIGGINS if I see it right 103.229 is made by marlin clone of the model 81. Marlin/stevens where known to have accurate barrels even on the sub contracted rifles. Short cuts for the store brands where usually found in stock material , plastic vs metal parts and such.
Looks like a nice rifl

Im having trouble finding the link but you can contact the Cody/Buffalo bill firearms museum they can give you detailed info about your rifle. Think it cost 35$ or so.
Serial number range is important.

Also you can buy reloading dies that will use 30-30 cases you can also cast some inexpensive bullets for some soft shooting loads... Im going to guess this rifle is a post 64 model and it has a pretty recent wiliams/lyamn peep sight...I mean recent by in the last 40 years or so?

 

[Prepper]

I was going to post a link to where you can find 32 Winchester Special but I don't think I am supposed to. I will PM you instead.

Thanks, but I'm in NH so it should be okay as long as it is not a dealer that secretly ships to MA.

 

[Dennis in MA]

From a few Youtube videos, it looks post-64. 1964 is around serial #2,700,000 I believe. At the very least, it isn't a cross bolt safety.

 

[snax]

Thanks but no need.... These were never on any government records. They don't know I have them (well unless they read this)...

Mods delete this post. And mine.

 

[ccm75]

That's a cool peep sight on the 94.
My dad has a pre 64 in same caliber. And a garage wall of Adirondack 8 points that he took with it.
Awesome stuff!

 

[JohnZ]

On the 22 you should be able to turn the end of the tune and pull out the rod. Then feed the ammo down it. The last one is a muzzleloader.

On the bolt .22: if it's like the one on my lever .22, be careful when you don't have ammo in the tube. When I was a kid, I'd shoot in the woods and I got home one day to find no follower in the tube. Mine has a small post sticking out of the follower that you push in and turn about 1/4 turn into a notch in the tube. When ammo is in the tube, there's spring pressure and the post on the follower stays in the notch.

 

[Glockster30]

Nice collection!


The Eastern Arms Company was a trade name "Store Brand" that Sears used for guns made by several companies. The shotgun appears to be made by the Meriden Firearms Co. through roughly 1905 to the 1920 period. Attached is a photo of a Meriden shotgun that looks just like the one in your photo that I found in images on the web.

http://www.gunvaluesboard.com/eastern-arms-co.-11705818.html

http://meridenfirearms.com/single.html

 

[Prepper]

Mods delete this post. And mine.

No need... it is legal in NH to own guns that were never FA-10'ed or 4473'ed.

 

[Prepper]

Nice collection!


The Eastern Arms Company was a trade name "Store Brand" that Sears used for guns made by several companies. The shotgun appears to be made by the Meriden Firearms Co. through roughly 1905 to the 1920 period. Attached is a photo of a Meriden shotgun that looks just like the one in your photo that I found in images on the web.

http://www.gunvaluesboard.com/eastern-arms-co.-11705818.html

http://meridenfirearms.com/single.html

Thanks for that info.... that's the gun alright. It's a little newer than I had guessed, in that case. I've never used a break-barrel shotgun... is there a trick on this to getting it to open? I see 2 doohickies on top of it, and the one above in back of the trigger (that looks like it could be pushed left or right) doesn't move (what is that thing?)... I am hesitant to apply continuously increasing force until something moves, on an object I'm not familiar with... I don't want to break.

 

[Prepper]

The last one is a Tabatiere, it's a breech loader with a Snider-type action. Some were converted into shotguns. If you want to sell it let me know.

Do you happen to know how the action opens? I pull the... umm... cocking lever?... back and then I can pull up on the tab and get the thing covering the breach to open about 1cm. It won't open any further (I can see in a youtube video that it should swing all the way open), at least with what I think is a reasonable amount of pressure that should make it move. It's either stuck, or I'm doing it wrong.

 

[Glockster30]

Thanks for that info.... that's the gun alright. It's a little newer than I had guessed, in that case. I've never used a break-barrel shotgun... is there a trick on this to getting it to open? I see 2 doohickies on top of it, and the one above in back of the trigger (that looks like it could be pushed left or right) doesn't move (what is that thing?)... I am hesitant to apply continuously increasing force until something moves, on an object I'm not familiar with... I don't want to break.

From the photo, I can't see the 2 "doohickies" as I can only see the exposed hammer and further back on the stock, the break-down lever. Not sue what the doohickies are unless they have something to do with ejecting the shell after firing the gun. Then again, the doohickies might have to be in a certain position before using the break-down lever.

Most likely, the break-lever lever moves/slides to the right with your thumb pressure (when holding the shotgun as if you were shooting it). I wouldn't force it as it may be gummed up due to not having been opened maybe in decades. Try using some solvent to loosen it up. Hope this helps.