Henry Rifle Forums

I picked up this single shot Model 53-B a few years ago when ammo was scarce. I don’t know a lot about it except you can’t shoot very fast.

It was the first rifle I came to in my quest to shoot tomorrow and it will be my shooting arm for the next few weeks. The previous owner had set it up to be accurate and it wears a Lyman peep and and globe. It is not the prettiest on the outside but the barrel is bright. I will be shooting precision ammo that was not available when the rifle was made. I’m not sure what to expect. I’m hoping it doesn’t rain tomorrow so I can give it a shooting chance.

looking forward to hearing your assessment

I love those old single shot bolt 22s that get overlooked by collectors after the big names. I've had a few of these hardware store type single shot 22s and have sometimes been very surprised at what they can do. Best of luck with the Springfield and let us know how it shoots.

The family had one of those when I was a kid. We used to plink all the time with it and also clear snakes out of a nearby stream during the summer. If we didn't the snakes would get up in the yard and we didn't want those cotton mouths there. It shot fairly well as I remember but loading one at a time was a PITA. Ours had the factory sights. The Lyman sights should prove much better.
Jake

A couple weeks late but it made it to the range today. I didn’t know a lot about it when I bought it but did some research on it today.

Apparently it came with the sights that are on it now. They were made between 1935 and 1948.

The trigger on it must be around 2 1/2 pounds and is very smooth and crisp. It’s a trigger you don’t have to think about.

Thanks for the update, Gene. Back in the day, I picked up a slightly used Winchester 67 single shot 22 and did a lot of squirrel hunting with it. That gun was the gun that started my love affair with single shot rifles. The 67 was a thumb cocker, meaning you had to still cock the gun, manually, after closing the bolt. The bolt didn't cock the gun for you. Doesn't get any simpler than that. Lots of great old single shots from that era out there, just like yours.

I love shooting single shot so much that almost all of our CZ bolt guns have been equipped with single shot adapters.

North Country Gal wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 19, 2020 10:51 am

Thanks for the update, Gene. Back in the day, I picked up a slightly used Winchester 67 single shot 22 and did a lot of squirrel hunting with it. That gun was the gun that started my love affair with single shot rifles. The 67 was a thumb cocker, meaning you had to still cock the gun, manually, after closing the bolt. The bolt didn't cock the gun for you. Doesn't get any simpler than that. Lots of great old single shots from that era out there, just like yours.

I love shooting single shot so much that almost all of our CZ bolt guns have been equipped with single shot adapters.

I shoot my scopes CZs with the adapter too.