[roy reali]

I went to a gun show today. They had a most unusual rifle. In fact, I am not sure where to post this thread, I guess it'll be moved to the right category.

When I first saw it I thought it was a small, single shot rimfire rifle that might be used to start a kid off shooting. However, it didn't look quite right. So I asked the dealer about it.

It is called a Cricket. It is made in Mexico. It is a 22 caliber rifle but it shoots 22 caliber pellets propelled by black powder ignited by a cap like used in toy guns. He said that it was a way to get around Mexico's restrictive gun laws.

I wish I had a camera to photograph it. I tried to search the web for it, no luck yet. I'll try to describe it the best I can.

It had a wood stock and blue steel. The barrel was maybe eighteen inches long. The reciever had a round disc that rotated clockwise. When rotated ninety degrees it exposed this tube that is the chamber. That tube is filled with black powder and topped off with a pellet. Then you turn it back to align it with the bore. Then a cap is placed behind the chamber and the hammer is cocked. Pull the trigger and bang!

I realize that this might be a clever way around tough gun laws. But wouldn't a straight air rifle have fewer hassles. I wonder how fast the powder charge would launch the pellet and how it would compare to a 22 caliber air gun. It does seem like a lot of work to shoot pellets.

The price:$350