Remington 22 Cal. Gallery Pump Rifle

[Bobnotthecat]

Sirs,
Some years back a friend of mine brought to me a 22 cal. Rem. gallery pump that had been relined by a gunsmith to correct very poor shooting. The gunsmith had passed on before the barrel liner could be trimmed and chambered. I did the job for him, and he and his grandsons had a blast with it.

I thought at the time that he had devalued it because it was more collectable in its prelined state. My thinking at the time was that it was unlikely it had been so worn from shooting but had been tampered with as to purposefully defeat its accuracy. The other day my friend brought to me two Rem. original barrels for that model that he bought from another gunsmith's estate reported as never having been used and wanting my opinion as to their condition. After a good cleaning I found there is no evidence of rifling in them if there ever had been.

My several questions are:
Did this lining devalue this as collectable?
Could a 22 cal. really wear all traces of rifling with use?
Is it possible that ordered as a gallery rifle could have come from the factory with a purposely defeated barrel?
Were carneys tampering with gallery gun rifle barrels or just knocking the sights off?

Thanks for your attention and look forward to all replies.
Bob....not the cat.

 

[FredC]

Remington made some 22 shotshell guns with no rifling. In previous discussions it was never clear if these guns had chokes. Any markings on the barrel? Seems like some of the guns had the name of the inventor of the system stamped on the barrel.
With no trace of rifling makes me wonder if they are not shot shell barrels. If so, maybe you could answer the question about chokes if the barrels have never been installed.

Interesting idea of a carny using a bad barrel. I think they sometimes would show the gun was "good" by demonstration. Seems like a sight that was off 2 inches to the right or left or both would be better. Right on even number days and left on odds? Out of balance bullets could have thrown things off, bullets in your right pocket are good?

 

[john.k]

Ive seen both FN Browning and Winchester pumps with smoothbores............many years ago ,I was told these were carny sideshow guns,and made smoothbore.

 

[maynah]

Just a thought. I’ve seen .22s so leaded up they look like smooth bores. Just enough heat to melt the lead tells the tale.
Of course if they were new barrels that wouldn’t be the case.
To answer your other question, anything done to a gun that’s not factory devalues it for a collector.

 

[john.k]

Do Remington 22 pumps have any collector value?

 

[maynah]

Sure they do. Here's one on gunsinternational that's not in that great of condition that sold for $1,775.00. It's a GALLERY SPECIAL is one reason it's desirable.

REMINGTON MODEL 12-B "GALLERY SPECIAL" OUTSTANDING, 100% ORIGINAL

REMINGTON MODEL 12-B "GALLERY SPECIAL" OUTSTANDING, 100% ORIGINAL for sale online.

www.gunsinternational.com

It's hard to find old .22s in really nice condition because they usually belonged to boys who didn't take that good of care with them. Try to find a Stevens Favorite in 98% + condition. And when you do there's a good chance it will be either .25 or .32 rf.
I'm a sucker for a nice octagon barrel, crescent butt plate and a tang sight.

 

[Bobnotthecat]

Thanks for the responses, all. I thoroughly cleaned the bores, and they are now shiny. No sign of ever having rifling so smooth bores both barrels. I did measure the bore diameters at the muzzles and they are .227" - .2275 ". The one barrel is marked Model 12C. Both are marked as a Pedersen Patent of 1909. All are nice, tapered octagon.

Thanks again.
Bob....not the cat.

 

[jim rozen]

Win 62A pump gun - it's a lotta fun to shoot. Taurus tang sight (copy of the marbles one).

 

[SIP6A]

In 2001 I was in the UK and went to the Dorset steam fair and there was a shooting gallery booth. The whole thing was set up in a horse drawn wagon. There were three windows that you shot in and the bullet traveled down a sheet metal tube to the target. Having never seen such a thing here in the states I had a go at it. two of the three rifles that the carney had shot just terrible a six inch group at twenty feet. The third one I could do a two inch group at twenty feet. So every day I would go over first thing in the morning pick the right rifle and win a prize. After the second or third time the Carny goes "Your a Yank aren't you" "well yes" "all you yanks must be born with a gun in your hands I can't make anything off of you blokes!!"

 

[James H Clark]

Years ago, I came across a couple of old Winchester 22's that ha a groove cut in the barrel about a quarter of an inch in the bore's. Supposedly this was to ruin the accuracy of the rifle when it leaded up.
JH

 

[jim rozen]

That was a carney trick?