Stevens Mod 15B...update

[5shot]

I stopped at Cabelas and spotted this in the used guns. No rust or cracks in the stock but the bolt was so gummed up and caked full of old oil and firing residue it was difficult to open. The store policy is not to remove the trigger lock which prevents removing the bolt. The tag said $59 and I thought what the heck. With military discount $56 is not high stakes gambling.

So...after a good session of "gun scrubber" along with a lotta Kroil and picking and brushing....she shoots and functions just fine. I don't know about accuracy yet but with my old eyes and those crude irons I think we can rule out minute of angle.

Pulling the bolt knob back to cock the old .22 sure brings back memories.

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[Ernie]

Good find. Love these older guns.

[Vaquero]

Nice find, don't know what she looked like before, but she shined up right nicely. Congrats.

RP

[RetiredSeabee]

Very nice and great price. The Cabellas in my neck of the woods has been changed over to the Bass Pro brand.

[Sir Henry]

I bet it will be a great shooter. I have a Winchester Model 68 which is similar and loves standard velocity.

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Working the bolt, inserting a round and then cocking it is slow and the slow rhythm naturally sets you up for a good aim and trigger management. Mine has the optional factory peeps.

[Hatchdog]

Another neglected abused poor orphan has been brought back to life. Well done!

[CT_Shooter]

I stopped at Cabelas and spotted this in the used guns. No rust or cracks in the stock but the bolt was so gummed up and caked full of old oil and firing residue it was difficult to open. The store policy is not to remove the trigger lock which prevents removing the bolt. The tag said $59 and I thought what the heck. With military discount $56 is not high stakes gambling.

So...after a good session of "gun scrubber" along with a lotta Kroil and picking and brushing....she shoots and functions just fine. I don't know about accuracy yet but with my old eyes and those crude irons I think we can rule out minute of angle.

Pulling the bolt knob back to cock the old .22 sure brings back memories.

Awesome job cleaning that one. You're gonna have some fun! I'm looking forward to your range report.

Like Sir Henry, I have a similar rifle that my father-in-law bought new as a teenager in the 1930s; a Ranger 103-8, which was sold by Sears. Except for a few dings, it's been kept clean and well- cared for. And... It's a tack driver.

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Sears Catalog 50 Year Jubilee Catalog - 1936 -Page 825 Ranger Rifle.pdf

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[Sir Henry]

I stopped at Cabelas and spotted this in the used guns. No rust or cracks in the stock but the bolt was so gummed up and caked full of old oil and firing residue it was difficult to open. The store policy is not to remove the trigger lock which prevents removing the bolt. The tag said $59 and I thought what the heck. With military discount $56 is not high stakes gambling.

So...after a good session of "gun scrubber" along with a lotta Kroil and picking and brushing....she shoots and functions just fine. I don't know about accuracy yet but with my old eyes and those crude irons I think we can rule out minute of angle.

Pulling the bolt knob back to cock the old .22 sure brings back memories.

Awesome job cleaning that one. You're gonna have some fun! I'm looking forward to your range report.

Like Sir Henry, I have a similar rifle that my father-in-law bought new as a teenager in the 1930s; a Ranger 103-8, which was sold by Sears. Except for a few dings, it's been kept clean and well- cared for. And... It's a tack driver.

Ranger 103-8.jpg


Sears Catalog 50 Year Jubilee Catalog - 1936 -Page 825 Ranger Rifle.pdf

I had a Marlin Model 100 which was the exact same rifle.

[5shot]

Thanks for the very interesting link CT. I imagine a young lad in 1936 coming up with $3.50 to $4 probably involved mowing a lot of lawns and running a lot of errands.

It shouldn't surprise me so many of you either had or still have one of these. As a kid I think about half the neighbor boys had one of the variations of this gun.

I think the reason they had this one priced so low is the gummed up action and it was missing the elevation ladder for the rear sight. Being an old pack rat paid off. I just happened to have a couple in a box of stuff....

[CT_Shooter]

Thanks for the very interesting link CT. I imagine a young lad in 1936 coming up with $3.50 to $4 probably involved mowing a lot of lawns and running a lot of errands.

I was delighted when I found that page from the Sears Catalog. Glad you liked it, too. My late wife's father came from a stereotypical Yankee family and he earned every cent that he spent on that rifle and he took good care of it. It'll probably belong to another shooter in another fifty or a hundred years.

[rickhem]

Sweet Rifle!
I have a Stevens 120 that I got from Santa when I was 13. It still wears the Weaver D4 that i got then too. It's still a pretty good shooter with standard velocity ammo. Looks almost identical to yours.
I also have a Glenfield Model 10, with the ring cocking piece instead of the knob. Got that from a P.A.L. shooting team that was getting rid of older stuff they never used. That rifle shoots almost as well as some much higher dollar target rifles I have.
I love the single shot .22 rifles.

[HenryFan]

caked full of old oil

Someone may have been fond of 3In1 oil.

[5shot]

I got to the range to sight in. Wind was 20 -30 mph with 20 something temps. It quickly became obvious why there wasn't an elevation ladder in the rear sight. Even in the lowest notch the POI was 2" high at 25 yards so I removed it. Windage was next and I used a Wyoming inertia sight drifter and found center. It was hitting the 3" 50 yard .22 swingers consistently with CCI standard velocity but the plan is to use this for varmints around the homestead without getting the housing developement west of my property stirred up. The two shots in the center are CB shorts and the other 3 are CCI Quiet .22 long rifles. The rifle will group better with the LR but I was half frozen at that point.

I'm pleasantly surprised by how well the old gal shoots. Especially with the CB caps.

Bottom line is that starlings, chipmunks and red squirrels best be careful.

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[Vaquero]

+++

RP

[FormerParatrooper]

I stopped at Cabelas and spotted this in the used guns. No rust or cracks in the stock but the bolt was so gummed up and caked full of old oil and firing residue it was difficult to open. The store policy is not to remove the trigger lock which prevents removing the bolt. The tag said $59 and I thought what the heck. With military discount $56 is not high stakes gambling.

So...after a good session of "gun scrubber" along with a lotta Kroil and picking and brushing....she shoots and functions just fine. I don't know about accuracy yet but with my old eyes and those crude irons I think we can rule out minute of angle.

Pulling the bolt knob back to cock the old .22 sure brings back memories.

Mod 15B.jpg

That looks like the GlenField Model 10 my Dad bought at Western Auto. It has a squirrel on the stock.
Nice find on your part.

[5shot]

I think Stevens/Savage made a lot of the guns for various hardware and chain stores.

[Vaquero]

I think Stevens/Savage made a lot of the guns for various hardware and chain stores.

As did Marlin, I have 2 store branded Marlins.
One is Westerfield in 30-30 made for Montgomery Wards,and
One is a JC Higgins in 35R made for Sears.
336 clones and both are great shooters.
Winchester made some using the Ted Williams name for Sears. I've seen them, but never owned one though.

RP

[5shot]

The Model 15B was a successful gamble and it was fun to bring it back to life.

So....today I stopped in at Cabelas again and there were two more bargain rimfires on the rack. First was a Marlin Model 100 single shot that appeared to be in pretty good shape. The tag said $39 .

There was also a Sears Roebuck Model 25 autoloader for....you guessed it . $39. I have seen old Savage auto's with those chamber "vents" so am assuming that's who made it for Sears.

Of the two I'd guess the Marlin is probably most likely to be just in need of a good cleaning but we shall see. In any case, with the veterans discount, for a grand total of $80.16 after taxes working on these two .22's should probably be a good way to spend those January Wisconsin days when it's too miserable to do anything outside.

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[CT_Shooter]

[Vaquero]

WOW!
I never see anything like that.
Congrats again.

RP