The rifle is a .22 caliber single shot. As Uncle Rich placed it in my hands, he said to me, "This gun has killed hundreds of groundhogs." With reverent awe I took the old rifle and threw it in the trunk.
The only marking on it is "TRU-TEST" stamped in the barrel. No serial numbers, no manufacturer's marks. (Also, no filed off spots where a serial number would have been.) This is another case of retailers putting their own name on a gun made by someone else. It looks like it is either a Marlin 101 or Springfield 120.
Simplicity seems to have been the design driver for this firearm. The bolt/firing pin assembly can be removed by holding the trigger and pulling back.
The barrel is secured to the stock via a single bolt. Undo the bolt and the stock comes right off. The bolt threads into the barrel but there are also threads in the stock. These threads keep the bolt from falling out when the barrel is removed. Quite ingenious.
The plan is to refinish the stock and generally clean up the barrel. I don't think I need to do much to the barrel otherwise. This will make a good first gun for Harry (or Eleanor) since it is single shot and you have to set the trigger before you can fire. Harry obviously thinks he's ready now but I think he has to be at least as tall as any gun he's going to shoot.
I caught him practicing his "what are you looking at" look. He also seems to have eschewed shirts sometime recently.
UPDATE: Amy just commented that the above photo is going to be Harry's teenager look. "Stop joking, Dad. Life is dark."
3 comments:
i have a tru-test like yours but mine has a serial number --how can i determine age and manufacturer of the gun
Hopefully you still follow this blog. I have the exact same rifle. found it in my grampa's garage (he passed away recently) and have been trying to figure out if there is anything missing on the bolt as i test fired it at the range but it didnt fire. I took out the bolt and saw a slit that goes across it on the side (you can see it on your last pic) but im wondering if there is anything that is supposed to go there like a firing pin or something. Any help would be appreciate it
You need to fasten Harry's overalls with bent nails. That's how all my ancestors in Kentucky wore theirs.
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