Single Shot 22 handgun

[Bucksnort1]

After WWII, or sometime before, my father had a single shot 22 handgun. I don't know if it was 22 short, long or long rifle. The action was a break open type. The barrel was either hexagonal or octagonal and was about six inches long. After returning from Germany, 1949, he traded it and a rabbit ears 12 ga. side-by-side shotgun for a nicer more modern 12 gauge. After the war, Dad was stationed in Waco, TX as a recruiting officer. We rented a house in an old section of town. I remember him shooting rats with this handgun.

I don't know the manufacturer. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[Bill DeShivs]

There were Stevens tip-up pistols made before the war. After the war-possibly in the 1960s, there was the Sheridan Knockabout single shot. There was also a German made copy of the Stevens tip up available in the 1960s.

 

[Powermwt]

You can look it up and see if it is an H & R single shot pistol. These were made in the 1930's if I remember correctly and were slab side break open.

 

[OcelotZ3]

What do you mean by "break open"? The barrel tips down?

There is also the S&W Straight Line where the barrel rotates to the L to load.

 

[RJay]

H&R and Iver Johnson made break opean single shot target pistols.

 

[Jim Watson]

After WWII...

Possibly war loot. There were a lot of single shot .22s made in Europe, probably more than in the US. The 1911 ALFA catalogue has eleven pages of them, from cheap Floberts to free pistols and every quality in between.

or sometime before

As said, Stevens was the main maker of single shot pistols around the turn of the century. Smith & Wesson made some neat little target pistols, and there was a rather scarce IJ. The H&R USRA Single Shot was a good piece of workmanship from a second tier company.

Conclusion: There is no way in the world to know what Dad had in 1949.

 

[mete]

Remington made their rolling block pistol till 1908 IIRC.

The most accurate CF cartridge was the 44 Russian from which our 44 Special was derived.The 44special was actually a target load ! Elmer Keith knew that and wanted a full load .That info developed into the fine 44Magnum !
Serious handgun target shooting started in the 1880s .Patridge sights developed then and the Patridge was and still is the best !!
The rolling block was also made in 22 rimfire .Sharps also made a limited number of of handguns with their falling block action. .

 

[James K]

Maybe a Sheridan Knockabout. Made in the 1950's by the air-gun maker, they were pretty popular and a decent little plinking pistol.

(Sorry, Bill, I see you beat me to this one, but I'll leave it here.)

Jim

 

[Bucksnort1]

JamesK, It's not a Sheridan.

OcelotZ3, By break open, I mean like a double barrel shotgun.

 

[Bucksnort1]

Single Shot Handgun

I did a some research and may have found a good candidate. This is a Stoger single shot 22 handgun. This one has a hexagonal barrel.

 

[RJay]

A little light Thru yon window breaks, These types of pistols were very common in Europe and were a popular trophy bright backs.

 

[Bucksnort1]

RJay, I'm thinking this is the culprit. My father was a constabulary officer in Heidleberg from 1946 to 1949. He, as he said, liberated (that means he got them free) some firearms. This could have been one of them. I never picked his brain about these weapons. It's too late now.

 

[James K]

There was also a Tompkins "trapdoor" type .22 single shot pistol made about that time, but I mention it only for completeness as it doesn't fit the description. Those are very scarce (only about 200 made) and bring nice prices, around $4000.

Jim

 

[Seven High]

I believe that there was a break open single shot 22 pistol that had the brand name Hawes. There is one for sale at this time on Gun Broker.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

The Hawes was the German copy of the Stevens tip-up.

 

[J A]

Constabulary Corp

Sorry Bucksnort 1 not trying to hijack your thread. But had to put in my 2 cents on the Constabulary Corp or as they were know "The Circle C Cowboys".
My Dad was also in the Costabulary Corp about the same time period and was stationed at least some of that time near Weisbaden, Germany.
He brought home a very nice Lugar pistol that he claimed he took from a German officer. It was in beautiful condition. Unfortunately he had to sell it during a rough time financially while I was still in high school. If I remember correctly he received $75 for it.
What I would not give to have it back today. I do have the authorization paper from his CO in Germany permiting him to bring it home with him. We found it in his things after he had passed in 2000.
Thank you for the wonderful memories. And good luck with the indentity of the single shot. JA