Please help identify this wonderfull .22

[fallingrock71]

First off, sorry for no pics. My old digital camera ****** me off way more than it should have. I had to put it down before I threw it or shot it! If necessary, I'll try again after I regain my composure and possible after a drink or two.

Anyways, you guy's never cease to amaze me so here goes.

It is a .22 semi-auto with a tube mag.

On top of the receiver: Ranger 101.16

Left side of barrel :.22 short long or long rifle
long rifle only as automatic

Right side of barrel :Patent 2094577
Patent 2223093

That's all I can find!

It can be shot as a bolt action by pushing in the round cocking lever/knob. The bolt can be held open by pushing in the same cocking lever/knob. A google search brings up references to Savage, Stevens, and Springfield possibly made for Sears. Guess it's made by someone whose name starts with an "S"! Somewhere I saw that the 101 might be a vendor code for Sears. I'm guessing the 16 is in reference to the capacity of the mag in .22lr as, you guessed it, that's what it holds. From the front of the receiver to the front of the barrel is 23 inches. The rear sight is adjustable for elevation only much like your average pellet gun.

This thing has been in my family much longer than I have and I'm 37. No one seemed to know anything about it or really even where it came from! All I know is that it is incredibly accurate, reliable, and simple.

I have no desire whatsoever to sell it or even what it's worth. I'm really just curious as to what the heck it is just in case I need a part or something. I found another in a pawn shop today and if it was in better shape I'd have two of em right now. The thing was so caked in grease I half expected to find a grease zerk on it! Other than that one I've never seen one like it. I'm thinking Sears had something to do with it but I'd really like to know who actually made it. If you can find me an exploded view of it you'd be my hero for a couple of days!

Thanks and take care

[Swampghost]

I have some really old Sears catalogs (back to 1919) if you could post a pic to get me started.

[fallingrock71]

I hope these pics help. It's the best I could do with the crappy camera that is lucky to still be in one piece. If there's another shot that would help let me know and I'll do my best.

[Bradjk]

Thats a Stevens. My dad had one just like it.

[OcelotZ3]

Looks a lot like a Stevens 87A. They were made by a number of various companies.

These are often called "gill guns" for the "gills" on the left side of the rifle.

They aren't worth much. Last time I looked they were ~$100 on Gunbroker. But they *are* accurate and fun to shoot. Sometimes they don't feed properly and can be problematic to fix.

Spare parts are available from e-gunparts.com

[joe schueler]

FallingRock71:
That looks a lot like my Stevens 87J. I bought mine at a pawn shop several years ago for $50. Hope this helps.

[jbrown]

I gave one identical to that to my nephew a few years ago.The ranger stamp means it was probably sold thru sears or montgomery wards.
Check out the blue book,they used to have a cross reference guide in it.

[FrontSight]

Oh, that is the bad kind, and you should rid yourself of it right away by sending it to me

[Dezynco]

You poor guy, having that old POS Stevens 87 like that! You should send it to me, postage due!

Nice old rifle, have fun with it! They are pretty accurate, hang onto it buddy! Their not extremely valuable, but they are worth every penny.

[Loquin]

I know it's an old thread, but I have one of these Rangers, too. Mine's probably a few years older, as the patent info says "Patent 2094577 others pending"

When I looked up the patent, it was awarded in 1958, and had been assigned to Savage Arms.

I paid $35 for mine in '81. For what it's worth, the shop owner told me at the time that the Ranger line had been sold by Montgomery Wards.

I'm with you - it's a great-shooting, solid little rifle, and one that I don't plan on ever letting out of my hands.

[Geezerbiker]

I have 2 of them and the only problem I can see with them is that I don't have three.

I bought the first one 30 years ago and it was drilled and tapped for a scope and one of the holes was stripped. I had it drilled for a 1 piece mount and one hole stripped again. I cleaned the top of the receiver with acetone and the screw holes for the scope mount and glued the scope mount and screws in with JB weld. The mount is now on to stay. I think the top of the receiver is a little thin...

I bought one for my old lady a couple years ago and she's not into shooting so I'm going to mount a peep on it using the factory holes for it. Both are great shooters and I wouldn't sell them for anything...

Tony

[10-96]

Yup, that looks like a Sears re-branded 87A - 87? Around here, I don't see them for less than $125-$150.

Edit: Well, the Numrich cross-reference shows this to be a Savage 6 or 87. However, yours has the large charging handle and cast trigger guard. Me thinks one or the other "might" not be original. http://www.gunpartscorp.com/Brand-Cr...0&model=101.16

Edit again: http://www.gunpartscorp.com/Manufact.../87A-34285.htm

[DaleA]

Had a similar tube fed .22 that hadn't been shot in a long while and my 'good cleaning' wasn't good enough to get it running again because I wasn't cleaning the right spot. The gun would jam after a round or two. It would eject the fired case but fail to load the next round.

There was a waxy build up in the area under behind and below the chamber where the round from the tubular magazine is pressed upward so the bolt can catch it and load it into the chamber.

Took the stock off (only one screw necessary on mine to do that) and flushed the offending area with some lighter fluid. Waxy build up gone problem solved. My brushing the bore till it was shiny and using a toothbrush on the bolt face and chamber face was NOT getting it clean where it needed to be cleaned. Live and learn.

[krimmie]

On the back of the receiver is a screw on recoil plug, once removed it's pretty easy to strip and clean the bolt, firing pin, and spring...gives you good access to clean the trigger group too. I have a pdf of the instructions if anyone needs them.

[603Country]

That looks exactly like my old Stevens 87D from back in the 50's. Only difference is your fancier stock. Great shooting old rifle. Unfortunately, mine jams like DaleA says his did. Maybe I'm cleaning in the wrong place. I'll go get it and see.

Just no telling how many turtles, blackbirds, cotton mouths, and diamondback watersnakes I shot with that rifle

[damienph]

I have the Savage version; Model 6A.

[James K]

That same gun, with slightly different features, was made under all three Savage brand names. The tubular magazine version was the Savage 6, the box magazine version was the Model 7. IIRC, the Stevens models had an "8' before the 6 or 7, the Springfields had "18". Mossberg later bought the design and made a copy for a while, but then gave up on it.

IMHO, they were a bad design from day one, and ones that work are a rarity.

Jim

[SIGSHR]

I have 2, a magazine fed and a tube fed model, both are good shooters and have been reliable for me, but the design is a little overly complicated.

[4V50 Gary]

I wonder how they work with standard velocity 22 LR?

[10-96]

About a month ago, I replaced the lifter on my ex father-in-law's 87A and corrected the timing. I'm not sure what he regularly shoots, but I test fireed it with regular Federal ~ 1032fps or so. It felt sluggish, but it did alright.

[gyvel]

They have a penchant for going uncontrollable full auto once they get a little worn. Dangerous.

[10-96]

That's the first I've heard of that. Wonder if that's why they went through so many model changes?

[James K]

I never saw one go full auto; mostly they won't even go semi-auto. They have a peculiar action in which the gun fires, the bolt comes back and locks back until the trigger is released. Then the front of the bolt goes forward picking up and loading a fresh round, while the rear of the bolt (called the "hammer"), stays back until the trigger is pulled. The "hammer" and the long firing pin then go forward and fire the chambered round. The whole thing is a nightmare compared to the sweet simplicity of the Remington Nylon 66 or the Ruger 10/22.

Jim

[Mike Irwin]

My limited experience with them is that they have to be kept clean as a whistle and lubricated with a light oil.

When they start to get a little dirty, reliability goes to down in a big way.

[gyvel]

I never saw one go full auto; mostly they won't even go semi-auto.

Seen a few in my day; One was brand new from a Woolco store. Guy brought it into the shop complaining about it going full auto. I told him it was not very likely that a new gun would do that. He said he would give me the gun if I test fired it and it DIDN'T go FA. I loaded it, pulled the trigger, and sure enough 15 or so shots zipped right into the bullet trap, much to my amazement. Kinda neat in a way, but we sent it back to Savage.

Another time we ran into a couple of guys in the Everglades shooting and having a ball with their FA Springfield 187.

I was given an old Stevens that needed a feed ramp assembly replaced. I made the repair, and when I went to test fire it, ZIIIIIIIIIIIIP. It got broken up for parts and sold.

Usually, they go FA when some of the internal parts wear. This is (IMO) due to the unusual design whereby the bolt is held back until the trigger is released.

Although 15 or 16 shots going downrange in one ziiiiiiiiiiiiiiip is amusing, you don't want to get caught with it.

Not a common occurrence I suppose, but it can and does happen.