Ranger Firearms

[OS11085]

I stopped at a local pawn shop today just looking to see what they had in used rifles, nothing special just something to play with. I looked at an older 22 cal bolt action for $100. It was made by Ranger . I never heard of this manufacturer. Has anybody ever heard of them, are they or were they a subsidiary of one of the big guys. Just curious.

[Bimus]

The Ranger I have was given to my Grand father as a graduation gift in 1937 model 103-2
it shots 22short 22long and22 long rifle.
I bought a new magazine about a year ago from Sportsman Warehouse that fits a Marlin model 60 I don't know if it's the same gun but the magazine works great .
Maybe the Ranger name belonged to Sears or Western Auto .
I don't think they even have seral numbers.

[OS11085]

A friend of mine said they were Western Auto, this could have been made around the 1930's . It was a nice piece but with no magazine you couldn't even close the bolt. So I let it pass.

[KyJim]

Well, with some really quick Google-Fu, I have discovered two sites of interest. First, there is one indicating that Stevens and Marlin made guns marketed under the Ranger name. https://gun-data.com/ranger_firearms.html

And, this link to parts availability from Numrich seems to confirm it. https://www.gunpartscorp.com/gun-man.../rifles-ranger

To my knowledge, Western Auto never manufactured guns. They sold guns, some under their brand, manufactured by others. My first shotgun was a 20 gauge Sears Topper, Jr. model that was actually made by H&R.

Added: A discussion on another forum from a number of years ago indicates the Ranger brand was used by Sears. https://www.thefirearmsforum.com/thr...rms-inc.19189/

[T. O'Heir]

Every firearm manufacturer has used the name 'Ranger' at one time or another. It wasn't/isn't a company. It's a model.

[Bill DeShivs]

"Ranger" was a trade name, not a model.

[dgludwig]

The name/moniker "Ranger" is both; a trade name and a model. There are likely other examples, but, offhand, I recall Winchester once making the Model 94 Ranger lever-action rifle and the Model 1300 Ranger pump-action shotgun.

[OS11085]

Interesting thanks for the information

[SPEMack618]

Winchester often branded guns with Ranger to denote affordable varaints offered at stores like K-Mart. Such as the 120 Ranger or Ranger 1300. These guns were no frills versions of the normal catalog variants brought in at a price point conducive to being sold in discount stores. The 1300 being a pretty damn good pump for the money.

And then the other Rangers, well, Marlin, Mossberg, Stevens, Savage, and a slew of other companies would make no frills versions of their guns for sale at the local hard ware store, Sears, Montgomery Ward, Roses and the like. And they would be stamped with whatever the buyer wanted, usually something different than the previous year.

A lot of the "off brand" .22 bolt guns are well made but not very expensive.

They kind of went the way of the dodo bird with the Gun Control Act of 1968.