Little Expertise Please?

[Joe Chartreuse]

Another dilapidated trailer find. I camp a lot, and often find abandoned trailers in the woods. I have found black powder handguns and rifles, mostly. 2 years ago I found a Marlin .22/,22L/,22LR On which I can find no information. No SN. Now I have run into another "Barney Fife" rifle ( single shot, no magazine) which is almost exactly like the above, but it is an O.F. & sons Mossberg Model 10, made between 1933-1935 in New Haven CT. Again, no serial number. Can anyone tell me anything? Value, Quality, Collectability, History, anything? I would assume these "Barney Fifes" are beginner rifles, but that is all I know.

 

[ArizonaTea123]

Pics?

 

[Joe Chartreuse]

Pics?

Inder "What Sucks". AT&T, as of 6/17, no longer supports SMS (phone) messages to e-mails. THey may be TRYING to go out of business. They failed on land lines too. We are talking about a wooden stock, one screw removal for barrel and bolt. Rimfire, all types of .22 up to but not including WMG. It is bolt action with a pull to cock. One bullet loaded for each shot, no magazine. Identical to the Marlin 100 made in 1938-1939

 

[rugerguy]

lots and lots of them old 22 rfile from back in the day and no they did not have ( need?) use serial numbers on so many of them, sold in hardware stores, etc., and at times you buy a can of paint, you got a 22 rifle 'promotion'.... as noted above a picture would help. Sounds like you have already done lots of homework so good luck to you..(y)

 

[XUSNORDIE]

Sounds like run of the mill Mossy single shot from way back. Not "beginner" rifles. Single shot 22LR rifles were popular at one time. Of all the farms I had access to for hunting almost all had a old Mossy 22 rifle hung over a bench, doorway or propped in a corner where it probably has been for decades.

RFC is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to rimfire "anything". There some "seasoned with age" folks on there that know a ton about vintage rimfires.

 

[jmca]

I have some Remingtons that have the serial number under the buttstock stamped on the side of the Tang.

 

[RoninPA]

Don't forget, serial numbers were not mandatory until the GCA 1968 was signed into law. That said, many firearm manufacturers have always put s/n's on their guns but also many did not.

I would look at Numrich (https://www.gunpartscorp.com/) or Jack First (https://jackfirstinc.com/) and try to match up what you have with the pictures of the guns they have. They may give you a starting point to work from.

 

[wproct]

My very first handgun purchase in 1964 was a H & R model 622 revolver that the serial # had been ground off of it. Paid $10 for it and soon had friends telling me that was a big legal no no. I got rid of it soon after but can't remember who took it off my hands.

 

[rugerguy]

One point to keep in mind on many of the older guns as well as those made today , there are numbers on the gun that were NOT serial numbers but production ( manufacturing) numbers to keep things, parts, together so you know which part was fitted to any particular gun,,,look inside the cylinder crane of any old S&W or Colt and there are numbers stamped in there, on the barrels, the cylinders, the grip frame and on and on..,when we had the shops, we would often mark various parts to keep things "as one", we had too, when you are taking guns and rebluing them for the local PD, get a lot of parts that all look the same, for many of the same model of guns, and yes Ruger got pretty good with their "electric pencils" over the years,, easier than "hand stamping" each digit............real gun people know the differences of these numbers, and where they are located, and what should be , and where:cool:;)