Bob Wright
Hawkeye
I spent mucho dinero on shooting galleries when I was a youngster. I remember the .22 rifles, all taking the .22 short gallery load.
My recollection of the round was that it was full power .22 short loaded with a light gallery bullet. The bullets were compressed iron and clay. They had the correct ogive to feed in most rifles. The iron particles often made sparks when the bullet hit the steel target, and also when it hit the concrete floor. I especially liked the spark effect.
As to rifles, the first I remember were the Winchester "pump", of slide action rifles. I don't recall the Model number right now, but they were the the one with the visible, external hammer, and were "Gallery Specials" in .22 Short only. I remember the Remington .22 Autos, those on the Browning patent, with bottom ejection. My wright wrist (I shot left handed) would get powder fouling from the ejected cases. I very proudly bore these as "powder burns." Made me about as macho as an eight or nine year old youngster can get. Once a fair came through town and they had those Remington Nylon stocked rifles, which I disdained by that time.
At that time there was a Navy Base near Memphis, and often Marines frequented those galleries. I must confess I was generally able to out shoot those young Marines.
Targets were steel, various shapes. There were ducks, smoking pipes, lollipop shaped targets, etc. There was a swinging gong that had the center ring loudly when hit. Also ducks on a rotating wheel. My favorite was the ducks in the water. They were mounted on some type of chain so when they were down they would reset while the chain was under the water level. The concrete was always wet from the bullet splash.
The barker or operator of the gallery wore a big pocketed apron fr the ammo supply. Cartridges were loaded from brass tubes, like the Spencer carbine. The Winchesters had the magazine tube under the barrel, while the Remingtons fed from the buttstock.
As a safety precaution, the rifles had an under barrel lug with a chain attached and that attached to the shooting bench. Length was carefully calculated to prevent the rifle being turned toward the crowd.
One time I saw a Smith & wesson K-22 being used at the gallery. A steel tube was fitted under the butt of the revolver, with "ears" fit under the stocks. The tube fit into a ball in the table, and could be rotated left and right, and elevated up or down to accommodate the shooter's height. I believe the shooter was allowed twelve shots, but don't remember the price, think maybe fifty cents. I had learned to shoot a revolver by then and did pretty well with that venture.
And nobody ever thought of shooting glasses or ear protection.
Ah, the good ol' days!
Bob Wright
My recollection of the round was that it was full power .22 short loaded with a light gallery bullet. The bullets were compressed iron and clay. They had the correct ogive to feed in most rifles. The iron particles often made sparks when the bullet hit the steel target, and also when it hit the concrete floor. I especially liked the spark effect.
As to rifles, the first I remember were the Winchester "pump", of slide action rifles. I don't recall the Model number right now, but they were the the one with the visible, external hammer, and were "Gallery Specials" in .22 Short only. I remember the Remington .22 Autos, those on the Browning patent, with bottom ejection. My wright wrist (I shot left handed) would get powder fouling from the ejected cases. I very proudly bore these as "powder burns." Made me about as macho as an eight or nine year old youngster can get. Once a fair came through town and they had those Remington Nylon stocked rifles, which I disdained by that time.
At that time there was a Navy Base near Memphis, and often Marines frequented those galleries. I must confess I was generally able to out shoot those young Marines.
Targets were steel, various shapes. There were ducks, smoking pipes, lollipop shaped targets, etc. There was a swinging gong that had the center ring loudly when hit. Also ducks on a rotating wheel. My favorite was the ducks in the water. They were mounted on some type of chain so when they were down they would reset while the chain was under the water level. The concrete was always wet from the bullet splash.
The barker or operator of the gallery wore a big pocketed apron fr the ammo supply. Cartridges were loaded from brass tubes, like the Spencer carbine. The Winchesters had the magazine tube under the barrel, while the Remingtons fed from the buttstock.
As a safety precaution, the rifles had an under barrel lug with a chain attached and that attached to the shooting bench. Length was carefully calculated to prevent the rifle being turned toward the crowd.
One time I saw a Smith & wesson K-22 being used at the gallery. A steel tube was fitted under the butt of the revolver, with "ears" fit under the stocks. The tube fit into a ball in the table, and could be rotated left and right, and elevated up or down to accommodate the shooter's height. I believe the shooter was allowed twelve shots, but don't remember the price, think maybe fifty cents. I had learned to shoot a revolver by then and did pretty well with that venture.
And nobody ever thought of shooting glasses or ear protection.
Ah, the good ol' days!
Bob Wright
