Author: Joe Berk

Ruger No. 1 XXX Walnut

By Joe Berk

I promised a story on the Ruger No. 1 photo I shared a little while ago and this is it.   It’s on my Ruger No. 1 chambered in .257 Weatherby.  I’ll try to keep it short, but there’s a lot to this story.  The bottom line up front:  Ruger’s customer service is among the best in the business.  They are one of two companies that all others should emulate (Leupold is the other).  Ruger’s No. 1 single shot rifles are the most elegant rifles in the world.  That’s a strong statement and you might disagree, but hey, it’s a free country and if you want to disagree, it’s okay by me.  Go ahead and be wrong.   I know that after seeing the photo at the top of this blog, you have to be wondering if the stock looks as good from the other side.  The answer is yes.

The .257 Weatherby No. 1 from the starboard side. Red ped, exotic walnut, and a fabulous cartridge with a laser-like trajectory.

Back to the tale:  Ruger has essentially discontinued the No. 1, but that’s okay.  Inexpensive and tasteless rifles with black Tupperware stocks are all the rage now and if they float your boat, more power to you.  But it’s not me.  I own a few Ruger No. 1 rifles and their value has increased tenfold since I started collecting back in the 1970s.  Not that I’m interested in selling; that’s not going to happen.  I mention the No. 1 rifles’ appreciation just because…well, I’m not sure why.  It makes me feel good, and that’s enough.

The .257 Weatherby cartridge. The parent cartridge was the .300 H&H Magnum. Roy Weatherby blew out the case with a rounded bottleneck, trimmed it back a bit, and voila, 4,000 feet per second.  The cartridge is also known as the .257 Roy, to honor its creator, Roy Weatherby.  Weatherby felt the .257 Weatherby cartridge was his finest creation.
Solids made by Barnes work best in the .257 Weatherby. Jacketed bullets can distintegrate in flight due to velocity, aerodynamic heating, and rotational inertia, as evidenced by the tell-tale molten lead spiral seen on this 100-yard target.

The .257 Weatherby cartridge is brilliant.  It’s one of the fastest in the world at around 4,000 feet per second, which creates a unique problem:  If you do not load with the right projectiles, the bullets travel so fast they tend to disintegrate in flight.  The Ruger No. 1 in .257 Roy has a 28-inch barrel (two inches longer than the original Weatherby Mk V rifles in which it debuted back in the 1950s), and that extra two inches bumps the velocity up even more than the fabled round was achieving in its namesake Weatherby rifles (they have 26-inch barrels).   The bottom line here is that you almost have to use monolithic (and expensive) Barnes bullets (they are solid copper, not lead sheathed in a copper jacket) to push the bullets at their max velocity without the bullets coming apart in flight.  There’s something appealing about that.  I like it.

The original Circassian walnut on the Ruger No. 1 wasn’t bad, but it cracked during load development. I wanted something as good on the replacement lumber. The first set didn’t answer the mail for me.
Another view of the rifle’s original stock. It looked good. I still have this stock, with a small crack in the wrist.

So, back to the main story.  When Ruger first announced their limited run of the No. 1 in .257 Weatherby, I started watching the ads on Gunbroker.com for one with nice wood.  It took a little while, but I found one and I pounced.  I encountered the bullet disintegration problems mentioned above, I got some good advice from a guy I met on Facebook, and I got the rifle to group under an inch using Barnes monolithic copper bullets.  Then while at the range one day I noticed the stock had cracked.  My heart was as broken as the Circassian walnut stock, and the rifle went back to Ruger.  I told them the story about wanting good wood, and they did their best to oblige.  I also told them to make sure the stock was relieved behind the tang, as the first stock (the one that cracked) was not and that was what had caused the stock to split.

When the rifle came back, the stock had been relieved but the inletting and the gap between the receiver and the stock was excessive.  The wood was not as good the original set, but it was not bad.  The inletting was the real disappointment.  I shot it a bit and the rifle grouped well, but it looked ridiculous with the gap around the receiver.  I put the gun in the safe and it remained there for a year.  Then one night I had a few beers and I wrote an email to Ruger.  I wasn’t too complimentary.  I told them the story.  The beer helped get it all out.

I had an email from Ruger the next morning, and at their request I returned the rifle to them again.  A few days later I received an email from a guy in Ruger’s No. 1 shop.  He sent a photo of a matched stock and fore end that had just come in, he said. and he told me it was probably the last they would ever receive of this quality.  Did I want it?  Hell yes, I said. That was followed by another email:  What color pad did I want?  Red is the more collectible of the two colors (the older Ruger No. 1s had red pads; they switched to a black pad back in the 1980s.  Red it would be.

When the restocked Ruger arrived (this rifle had now worn three sets of lumber), I was totally blown away.  The wood is exquisite on both sides of the stock and the fore end.  I’m pleased with the photos you see here, but trust me on this, they don’t do the wood justice.  The fore end matches the stock on both sides.  The figure is what stockmakers would grade as XXX and the rifle is just stunning.  If there’s such a thing as rifle porn, this is it.  And it’s XXX rated.

The Ruger No. 1 fore end on the right side. The fore end and the stock almost certainly came from the same tree.
The fore end from the left side.
The entire rifle from the right.
The entire rifle from the left side.  This model is called a No. 1B.  It has a standard weight barrel and a beavertail fore end.

So there you have it:  Two promises fulfilled.  When you buy a Ruger, if you’re not pleased they will make it right.  I promised you the story on this amazing set of walnut furniture.   And if you are wondering, the answer is no.  The rifle is not for sale.

Never miss an ExNotes blog:

Want more Tales of the Gun?  The stories are here!

Into Weatherby?  We are, too!

ExNotes Review: Texas

By Joe Berk

I’ve been on a James Michener kick lately.  You read my recent review of The Source.  After reading that wonderful novel I wanted more Michener, but I wanted one I had not read yet.  I read Alaska a few years ago and loved it.  I set my sights on Michener’s Texas, and it was stunning.  I used to live in Texas (El Paso and Fort Worth) in an earlier life and I thought I knew a little bit about that state’s glorious history.  It turns out I was right…what I knew was just a little bit.  Michener’s rich historical novel paints a much more enlightening picture.

At 1,419 pages, Texas is not a trivial read. It took me a good three weeks to get through it.  I recently had a weeklong teaching gig at a company in Wyoming; I took Texas with me and read it at lunch, at night, and in the hotel fitness center while riding the stationary bike.  I did the same thing at the gym here in California before and after I went to Wyoming.  You could say Michener helped me get in shape.  Before I realized it nearly every night I’d spent an hour on that bike.  Texas is that good.

Michener’s approach in both The Source and Texas is to create a setting that taps into the present, and then he jumps historically with fictional characters and stories based on what actually occurred.  In The Source, Michener’s temporal stretch extends to prehistoric times and the beginnings of religion.  In Texas, the rearward time jump is shorter (about four centuries).  The based-on-real-history fiction starts with the Spanish conquering Mexico, and then progresses through 21 generations. Each generation is a story detailing events and personalities, with richly-textured and believable characters.

The context for the group that ties all the above together is a five-person panel appointed by the Texas governor.  The panel is charged with defining the history curriculum for Texas schools.  What emerges is that the panelists are descendants of the people described in each of the novel’s historical tales.  It really is a masterful approach.

Parts of Texas reminded me of Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove (another wonderful novel and a personal favorite I’ve read six or seven times already).  The stories in Texas and the way Michener ties them together from one generation to the next is nothing short of, well, I’ll use the word again:  Masterful.

While reading Texas, a friend mentioned that there also a DVD (Texas became a movie).  I bought the Texas DVD, but I haven’t watched it yet.  I don’t see how it can possibly be as good as the book (the book was that good).  Trust me on this:  Pick up a copy of Texas.  It is a hell of a story.

Never miss an ExNotes blog:

More product reviews are here.

An SR 500 On The Block

By Joe Berk

When Joe Gresh posted his article yesterday about downsizing his project list and knowing his limitations, we received an interesting comment from one of our readers:

Now that your flush with cash, how about a SR500, Its on my chopping block. With my recent dive in to the Ducati end of the pool I’m gonna keep the 1974 Suzuki Titan and the 99 Suzuki Bandit 1200s and the Ducati Monster S2R 1000… Thinking I have finally done it…. then boom, Hey come look at a 1965 BSA C15… Free. Dammit

Well, that comment sure had my attention.  I’ve always wanted an SR500 Yamaha.  So I wrote to Dragonknee about it, and here’s what he told me:

I do have photos and I’m asking 1850.00 for it. I do have extras but with those I’m into it about 2300 bucks. I have a spare motor and a bunch of period correct extras. Supertrapp and Lockhart oil cooler along with the parts to do a dual disc set up and just tons of other things.

In addition to the photo at the top of this blog, here are three more.

Dragonknee is up in the Pacific Northwest, and that’s a bit far for me.  The bike seems like a hell of a deal.  If you’re interested, leave a comment with your email address.

Never miss an ExNotes blog:

 

Nick Adams

By Joe Berk

Sometimes you get lucky and a hidden Internet gem emerges.  NickAdamsWriting.com is that hidden gem for me.  I found it surfing the web for Moto Guzzi information.  I always wanted a Moto Guzzi, preferably an older classic, and when searching on that topic Nick’s website popped up.

Nick Adams is a guy my age who has cool website and an even cooler set of videos.  He’s based in Canada.  The video below about his ride across that great land is a treasure.  Nick is a skilled videographer and photographer, his narration is soothing, and the scenes and the story are magnificent.  The fact that he rides a classic V-twin Guzzi makes it a joy to watch.  My advice:  Grab a cup of coffee, click on the video, expand it to full screen, and enjoy.  I sure did.

Nick wrote a series of books on a variety of topics (including motorcycle touring).  I ordered one a few days ago (you might consider doing the same), and after I’ve read it I’ll post a review here.  I’m expecting a great read, and I intuitively know Nick won’t let me down.

Never miss an ExNotes blog:

Everyone but me…

By Joe Berk

It seems I am the only one of your ExNotes writers not on the road.  Joe Gresh rode his resurrected Kawasaki ZRX to Laguna Seca (where he is camping and spectating this weekend), Bobbie Surber rode her Triumph Tiger up to Canada for a Horizons Unlimited event, and Mike Huber is rolling around the Pacific Northwest on his recently repaired BMW GS (presumably headed for the same event as Bobbie in Canada).  I need to get out on my Enfield.  Soon, my friends, soon.

Me?  I’m home, continuing to play with things that go bang.   That big photo up above?  It’s a Ruger No. 1 in .257 Weatherby, with the best piece of wood I’ve ever seen.  Keep an eye on the ExNotes blog; we’ll have a story on how my .257 Roy No. 1 came to wear such exquisite lumber.

Stay tuned; there’s good scribblings coming from all of us.

Never miss an ExNotes blog:

Volcan Nevado del Ruiz

By Joe Berk

That big photo above?  That’s my old HJC carbon fiber helmet at an elevation of 13,576 feet, and the gunk you see on it is ash.  As in volcanic ash.  We’ve written about Colombia’s Volcan Nevado del Ruiz before here on ExNotes.  I’m writing about my ride there again because it seems the old girl has awakened again.

The view from afar. I would be a several hour ride and a monstrous elevation climb (but on amazing roads) to get to the Volcan Nevado del Ruiz.

Volcan Nevado del Ruiz is an active Colombian volcano 80 miles west of Bogotá.  Starting in April of this year, it started acting up again.  I say “again” because in 1985, Nevado del Ruiz erupted and killed 25,000 Colombians. That event was not only Colombia’s deadliest eruption…it was all of South America’s.

The National Park entrance. They turned us around a half hour after we arrived when the volcano started spewing ash.

I’ve been to the Volcan Nevado del Ruiz.  I rode to the top on a motorcycle with good buddies Juan and Carlos.  We were there in 2015, and a short while after we entered the Colombia’s Brisas National Park at the 4,138-meter summit, the park rangers told us we had to leave because the volcano was active.  It had started spewing ash.  It was snowing at that elevation, too.  It made for a fine mess and exciting riding.

The ride up to the top of the Volcan Nevado del Ruiz was awesome.  The roads were typical Andes Mountains Colombian switchbacks and we were in rare form.  The day was beautiful at the lower elevations, but that was about to change as we continued our Andean ascent.

Ah, the Andes. The riding in Colombia is amazing.

On that ride, we were mounted on AKT Motos RS3 motorcycles.  That’s the Colombian equivalent of CSC’s RX3, but with carburetors instead of fuel injectors.  The fuel is a bit more flaky in Colombia, so AKT opted for carbs instead of injectors.  People have asked if the carbs were problematic or if the bikes were slower than the US RX3.  I couldn’t tell the difference.

Volcanic ash on my beautiful black AKT motorcycle.

Colombia has a pretty good deal for AKT making Zongshen motorcycles over there.  If AKT brings in assembled bikes, they would have to pay a 30% import duty on them.  If they components from Zongshen and then buy 15% of the bikes’ content in Colombia (thus encouraging Colombian manufacturing), AKT pays only a 2% import duty.  Ah, if only our politicians were that smart.

Carlos and I at the park entrance. It was cold, wet, and gritty with the airborne volcanic ash mixing with the snow.  This wasn’t a beer and burger run to Cook’s Corner!
My Olympia motorcycle jacket, spotted with ash and my CSC pilot wings.

After running to the top of Volcan Nevado del Ruiz, we descended along dirt roads to a magnificent Colombian hotel just a few miles down the road, the Termales Del Ruiz.  My buddy Juan knows how to organize a great ride, and I sure had an awesome time.  The Termales Del Ruiz is at the end of that dirt road somewhere in the fog, and it’s at 3,500 meters above sea level (still pretty high).  It has a thermal pool fed by water (heated by the volcano, I guess) and that water was hot!  The air was bitter cold, but the water was nice.  It was one of the best nights in Colombia, and that’s saying something.   Every night was awesome.

So, back to the Volcan Nevado del Ruiz going live again:  It’s really happening, and it wasn’t that many years ago that this same volcano killed 25,000 people in Colombia.  Here’s a recent news story on what’s happening now:

Subscribed but not getting your ExNotes new post notifications?  Check your email spam folder and tell your email provider we’re the real deal!

Phavorite Photos: Odonata Porn

By Joe Berk

You might be wondering if we are switching to an x-rated site.  We are not. I just happened to be out and about with my camera when the above photo op emerged and I grabbed it.  I think it is probably one of the best nature shots I ever grabbed, although I have similar one with a couple of raccoons but that’s a photo for another Phavorite Photos blog.

We were out servicing a water treatment site in California’s Yucca Valley.  In those days I was lugging around a real tank of a camera:  The Nikon F5.  It was Nikon’s top of the line film camera when film still ruled.  The camera was huge and it weighed a ton, and I compounded the felony by mounting a 180mm Sigma macro lens on it.  I had ridden my Suzuki TL 1000S there (I could fit the camera and it’s lens into my tail bag).  The best thing about that job was that I could combine a lot of extra-curricular into my work, like motorcycle rides and photography.

Back to the Odanata story.  Odonata is the entomological classification for three groups of insects.  One of those groups includes dragonflies, and the dragonflies were out in force that fine California day.  And I was lucky to have brought that 180mm Sigma macro lens with me.  It was perfect for the photo ops that presented themselves that day.  I tried pictures in flight, but I had no luck.  When the painted ladies stopped on a twig or a weed or a branch, though, I was in Fat City.   I dropped the film off at our local Costco (they still sold and processed film in those days), I did a little shopping (I love Costco), and an hour later, they were ready.  The photo guy told me it was very unusual to see photos this “perfect.”  I took the compliment.   The pictures looked good on the 4×6 prints; they looked even better on my computer.

Both the F5 and the 180mm Sigma lens have gone down the road.  Digital took over from film, I went full bore into the digital world, and I found the 180mm Sigma macro lens wasn’t good for much else besides fornicating dragonflies.   Today I use a Sigma 50mm macro for all my closeup work (it’s about as perfect a lens as I’ve ever used for macrophotography), and my cameras are either Nikon’s D810, the D3300, or my cell phone.

Earlier Phavorite Photos?  You bet!  Click on each to get their story.

Never miss an ExNotes blog:

The Rimfire Series: French Walnut 10/22

By Joe Berk

Nearly 15 years ago, TALO (a firearms distributor) offered a unique version of Ruger’s 10/22.  It was a model with a French walnut stock.  As a guy who appreciates good wood and a long time 10/22 fan, I knew I wanted one.  The rifles were offered initially at $419, but I knew the price would only go.  It’s hard to go wrong with a Ruger 10/22, especially if it is a limited edition.

I contacted an executive with Turner’s (a sporting goods chain) and told them I and several of my friends wanted to buy these, and asked if they would consider buying a group of them and allowing us to select the ones we wanted before they went on the shelves.  Turner’s went along with my nutty idea, and I and my friends each bought one.

TALO’s French walnut 10/22 on the bench at the West End Gun Club.
I’m pretty sure Ruger and TALO subcontracted the 10/22 French walnut stocks to Altamont. The checkering, fit, and finish is flawless.
The French walnut 10/22 starboard side view.

The French walnut 10/22s were flawless, and I actually bought two.  I gifted one to a friend who steered a big chunk of consulting work way my way, and I kept the one you see here.  I tried several different brands of .22 ammo to find the one it liked best (it was Aguila Target ammo), and I bought a bunch of that shortly after I finished my testing.

I already knew that I liked the Mueller 4.5×14 scope on a .22, so I bought one and mounted it on the rifle.   It’s a great scope, sharp, clear, and with several features I like.

The 4.5×14 Mueller scope.
The Mueller scope incorporates a parallax adjustment feature on the objective end. I dialed it down to 50 feet.
The Mueller scope cranked all the way up to 14-power magnification.

Most recently, I had the French walnut 10/22 out at the range.  As always, it performed brilliantly.  I’ve competed with this rifle in the WEGC metalllic silhouette matches, and I sometimes bring it to the range just to plink.  It’s a fabulous rifle.

The famous Ruger 10/22 rotary magazine in the rifle. It holds 10 rounds. I load only five at a time.
Cartridges in the 10/22 rotary magazine.

I took the 10/22 with me on the same day I shot my old Winchester Model 62, using the same three types of ammo on a 50-foot NRA target.

I’m nearing the end of this old box of Federal high velocity ammo. It was good while it lasted.
CCI standard velocity .22 ammo. This is good stuff.
Aguila .22 Long Rifle target ammo. I found this to be very accurate in my .22 rifles.

The 10/22 did a fine job.  As usual, the Aguila ammo turned in good results.  The Federal high velocity and CCI ammo did a surprisingly good job, too.

The results on a paper target with Federal, CCI, and Aguila ammunition. The distance was 50 feet.

If you are looking for a good .22 firearm, the 10/22 is hard to beat.  At more than 7 milli0n produced, the 10/22 has sold more rifles commercially than any other firearm (there are military rifles that have higher production numbers, like the Mosin Nagant and the AK-47, but in terms of commercially available .22s, the 10/22 is it).  There’s a huge aftermarket in 10/22 parts, too.  You just can’t go wrong with a 10/22.  I’ve owned several over the years and I still have three, including an older 10/22 Mannlicher  with exceptional walnut and a 200th year 10/22 Deluxe model (Ruger roll marked “Made in the 200th Year of American Liberty” on every rifle they manufactured in 1976).  Sometime in the near future I’ll dig out the 200th year 10/22 and post a blog on it.

More articles in The Rimfire Series are here.

Never miss an ExNotes blog:

ExNotes Review: The Source

By Joe Berk

Did you ever read a book twice?  I’ve done so a few times, but never with as long a time between readings as James Michener’s The Source.  I first read it when I was 14 years old.  And then I read it again last month.  That’s a gap of nearly six decades.   What surprised me enormously was that I remembered a lot of it from my first reading.

You might wonder:  Why would a 14-year-old kid, a gearhead even then, read The Source?   I had been to Israel with my Dad a year earlier, which was quite an opportunity back in those days.  Dad was a trapshooter, and he was on the US Olympic team to Israel’s Maccabiah Games.  It was quite a trip, and seeing the places I had only heard about in Sunday school was a real adventure.  The Source cemented a lot of what I had seen in Israel in my mind.  It brought my visit into focus.  Normally, I would have had my nose buried in Cycle magazine, but that trip to Israel broadened my horizons.  Our most recent trip to Spain and seeing cities and places where the Spanish Inquisition (which figured prominently in The Source) rekindled my interest, so I bought a new copy of The Source on Amazon and I read it again.

The only difference I could discern between the book I read 58 years ago and the one I read last month was the price and the cover photo.  Today’s The Source cover photo features the Dome of the Rock, one of Islam’s holiest sites.  Back in the day, the cover featured a Jewish menorah (a candelabra), which figures prominently in our faith.

The Source is a novel with an historical context.  It’s the story of an archeological dig set in Israel just before Israel’s War of Independence in 1947-1948, but the dig and its characters provide the framework for a series of stories as the tell is excavated.  A tell is a mound created by succeeding civilizations building one on top of another, and in The Source, the generations stretch all the way back to prehistoric times.

At 1,080 pages The Source is not a light read, although Michener does a great job morphing from one story into the next.  If you enjoy a good read, if you are interested in Israel, and if you want to know more about the beginnings and evolution of the world’s three great religions, you might want to pick up a copy of The Source.

Never miss an ExNotes blog:

The Rimfire Series: Winchester Model 62

By Joe Berk

The gun that has been in my family the longest is a Model 62 Winchester chambered in .22 Short, Long, and Long Rifle.  I remember it being in the gun cabinet when I was a little boy and being told never to play with it (you can guess how well I listened to that advice).

I could go into a bunch of technical details about the Model 62, and I’ll provide a little bit of that below, but that’s not my intent with this article.  I decided to instead focus on the rifle, how it shoots and handles, a little bit of its history, and what it means to me.

The starboard side of my Winchester Model 62 rifle. It’s a sleek and lightweight .pump-action 22.
A port side view of the Model 62 on the range at the West End Gun Club.

When Dad had the rifle up until the time I went into the Army (and that would be in 1973), the rifle’s metalwork was flawless.  Then I disappeared from the scene for about 10 years (the Army, work, and other things).  I guess during that time my father stopped paying attention to the rifle.  Dad passed in 1982, and when I came home for the funeral, the metal parts had taken on the patina you see here.  New Jersey is a unforgiving and humid place; if you don’t keep your toys oiled, they corrode quickly.  But the Model 62 still looks good and it shoots well.

Shooting in RAW (the camera, that is), a macro lens, and even lighting bring out the inherent beauty of this fine old rifle.

I like the Model 62 Winchester’s straight grip stock.  It felt right to me when I was a kid and it influenced my future preferences in firearms.  I have more than a few rifles with that same straight grip stock now…a Winchester 1886 .45 70 clone made by Chiappa in Italy, several Ruger No. 3 rifles, and a few Marlin lever guns.

The Model 62 is what we call a “takedown” rifle.  A single thumb screw secures the stock and trigger group to the rest of the gun.  It’s a cool approach.

The Model 62 taken down. The stock and the trigger group detach from the barreled action with a single thumbscrew on the left side of the receiver.
I rotated the photo 90 degrees clockwise to provide a better look at the rifle after take down.
A macro view of the aft portion of the Model 62 after it has been taken down. The large thumbscrew in the center of this photo allows disassembly.
The Model 62’s barreled action after take down.

The sights on the Model 62 are old school.  They’re Lyman front and rear.  Nothing fancy, but they work well.  A simple gold bead up front, and a drift adjustable rear with a stepped ramp for adjusting elevation.  But I’ve never had to adjust them.   Either they came zeroed from the factory, or the guy who owned the rifle before Dad adjusted the sights, or Dad adjusted them.

Winchester used Lyman sights front and rear back in the 1930s. This front sight has a brass bead. It tarnished enough so that it looks black when I align the sights, and that works for me. Bright brass beads reflect light and pull the shots to one side.
The Model 62 rear sight. Simple, elegant, and traditional.

I think my Nikon 810 and the Sigma 50mm 2.8 macro lens do a good job in bringing out the rifle’s vintage beauty.  You can see it in the next few photos.

The Model 62’s bolt lifts up and slides to the rear when the pump is actuated. The spent brass ejects upward.
Another shot of the retracted bolt, showing the mechanism that ejects the spent brass case.
Rollmarks on the right side of the barrel: “Made in U.S.A. Winchester Repeating Arms Co. New Haven, Conn. Patents Pending.” Cool stuff.
The receiver from the left side. Patina, they call it. I could have it reblued, but then it wouldn’t be original, and like they say, it’s only original once.
The pump action forearm with its distinctive pre-war oval shape. Post-war forearms were straight. This one is much classier.

When I was a kid and my parents weren’t home, I sometimes snuck out of the house with the Model 62 and a box of .22 ammo.  We had a couple of acres in New Jersey that ran into the woods with a stream behind the house (the stream fed Farrington Lake, which emptied into Raritan Bay on the Atlantic Ocean).   You might think having a couple of acres in central Jersey with property bordered by a stream was a sign of wealth, but it wasn’t.  It’s what people did in the 1950s: You bought a couple of acres and built a house, and that’s what my Dad did.  He didn’t pay somebody else to build a house; he actually built our house.  Today you’d have to be rich to own those two acres.  Back then it was the path you took if you didn’t have money.

Those were good days and good times.   One time a kid from my junior high came home with me (Bob Dixon, if you’re reading this, drop us a line).  Mom and Dad weren’t home yet, so Bob and I grabbed the Model 62 and headed into the woods.  There was an old cellar door laying in the mud next to the stream and Bob thought it would be a good idea to flip it over.  “You know, there might be a snake or something under there…”

A New Jersey water snake. This one was about five feet long. We used to think these were water moccasins.

We did, and what we saw shocked the hell out of both of us: A monstrous, scaly, and scary reptile.  Being kids, we were convinced it was a water moccasin.  Today, I realize it was probably a water snake.  But it was huge and we did the only thing any kid would have done in similar circumstances, and that was to put the Model 62 to good use.  Call me Bwana.  (On a recent trip back to New Jersey’s Farrington Lake, I saw another one of those frighteningly large snakes and I wrote about it here.)

Loading the Model 62 is pretty straightforward.  The rifle has a tubular magazine that holds a ton of ammo.  As you see from the rollmarks above, it will shoot .22 Long Rifle, .22 Long, and .22 Short.  I don’t know how many rounds of each it will hold, but it is a lot.  I only load five rounds at a time, so it’s kind of a moot point to me.  Come to think of it, I can’t remember the last time I saw .22 Long or .22 Short ammo anywhere.  It’s all .22 Long Rifle these days.

The tubular magazine below the barrel. The arrow points to the knurled knob that opens the magazine.
A macro shot of the tubular magazine’s knurled knob and its bayonet lock. Twist the knob and the plunger can be pulled forward for loading.
When the magazine’s inner plunger is pulled forward, the loading port can receive ammo.
A Federal .22 Long Rifle being loaded into the Model 62.

So how accurate is this nearly 80-year-old pump action .22?  I’m glad you asked.  I had not shot it in three or four years, so I grabbed three different kinds of .22 ammunition I had in my ammo locker:  Older Federal copper washed high velocity ammo, CCI standard velocity ammo good buddy Greg gave me a few years ago, and Aguila standard velocity target ammo I bought from a local sporting goods chain when it was on sale.

I’m just about to the end of this box of .22 Long Rifle Federal ammo. Look at the price!
The accuracy load: CCI standard velocity .22 Long Rifle ammo. This is good stuff.
Aguila .22 Long Rifle target loads. Previous testing at 50 yards showed this worked best in my Ruger 10/22 (a Rimfire Series blog on that rifle will follow in the near future).

My U-boat Subie and I braved the Meyers Canyon water crossing to get to the West End Gun Club, I went to the .22 range and set up a table, and I tested the Model 62’s accuracy at 50 feet from a bench rest.  I fired three 5-shot groups at an old 50-foot rimfire target I found in my stash.   Here’s how it went:

Test results at 50 feet. The top right target was the first target of the day, and it was predicably the largest group (the bore was unfouled, and I was not yet in form). The Model 62 did best with CCI standard velocity ammo. This is not too shabby with open sights on an 85-year-old rifle.

A bit more info on the Model 62 Winchester:  This Model 62 carries the serial number 94XXX, which puts its date of manufacture at 1939.  My father bought the rifle when he was a kid; he would have been 13 years old in 1939.  Winchester manufactured 409,000 Model 62 rifles from 1932 to 1958, with a two-year break during World War II.   In 1939, production switched over to the Model 62A.  The Model 62A incorporated engineering changes to reduce production cost (mine is the original Model 62, not the 62A).  When Winchester introduced the Model 62 in 1932, the rifle’s suggested retail price was $17.85.  Presumably, the price had climbed a bit by 1939.  Family lore has it that Dad paid $8 for the rifle.  Sales of recently completed auctions on Gunbroker.com show the price for a Model 62 today ranges from $300 to $3000.   That’s quite a spread, but to me it’s irrelevant.  This rifle is not for sale at any price; one day it will go to one of my grandsons.

Model 62 Winchesters show up for sale on Gunbroker.com pretty much all the time, so if you want one they are available.  More good news is that the Model 62 is legal here in the Peoples Republik of Kalifornia.

The Rossi Model 62.

More good news is that Rossi, a Brazilian firearms manufacturer, offered their Model 62 (a fairly faithful reproduction of the Winchester Model 62) from 1970 to 1998 and the Rossi rifles can still be found.   Rossi discontinued the Model 62 when they were acquired by Taurus, but the Rossi rifles still show up on the auction site gunboards. Sometimes you see one in a pawnshop or a gunstore’s used gun rack. I’ve never handled or fired the Rossi so I can’t say anything about them, but if I came across one at a reasonable price I would jump on it.  You might consider doing the same.

Never miss an ExNotes blog:

Check out our other Tales of the Gun Rimfire Series articles here.