A blast from the past!

[Captainkirk]

Here's an old rifle that has been in the family since I can remember. It belonged to my dad and was passed down to me. He always called it the "Boy Rifle". I wish I had pressed Dad for more history, like if was his when he was a kid, or how he came about owning it?
It was unfireable when I got it...the firing pin was broken, screws missing, etc. I machined a new firing pin block in high school metal shop, grabbed a few bolts out of Dad's hardware junk drawer, and my little bro refinished the stock. And afterwards, yep; we shot it. Probably put several hundred rounds through it.
I am saving it as a resto project for Some Day when I can give it the attention it deserves.

Here she is in all her glory...pay no mind to the brass screws (yikes!) or the horrid refinish job on the stock (sorry, bro!)


Close-up of the receiver....


Breech end


Pertinent info....


Interesting barrel design...it's a steel core wrapped with blued sheet metal (apparently!)


The simple, yet effective, ejector. It works.


Interestingly enough, I have a 'spare' one of these for parts I found in a creek behind a house we were renting back in the early 80's.
Sorry for the lousy photos, fellers! Spur-of-the-moment thing.....

[Major]

Cool Beans, from a simpler less paranoid time....
The Hamilton was the quintessential Kids gun and sold new for about $2.50 in 1898 and by the Depression, they sold new for half that !

Whatever you do, don't shoot it, the Barrel ( on some ) is Brass wrapped in the sheet metal you mention, there were a Dozen or so models
so yours could be Steel. But today's 22's are much to much for these old guns. I would not even use 22 shorts, perhaps
22 CB or .22 Florbert if you could find it. Naught, better to wall hang it as an icon to simpler nostalgic times.

Being it's been refinished before, there is no harm in  as you said " give it the attention it deserves" ...very cool.

[mike116]

I think it's perfect as it is.  I would keep it preserved as is.   Kind of like a monument to times past and you and your brother's efforts to make it usable and practical.    I like the brass bolts and buggered up screws along with the minwax and shellac refinish job.   Thousands of other rifles ended up the same way but are not around anymore to see.   
I have nothing with any family history (or any other history for that matter),  I would keep the family marks on it and admire it for what it is.

[Captainkirk]

You both make good points. The rifle is chambered in 22 short only. In the past, my brother and I only shot it to prove we could, if I shot it these days it would be for the same reason.
This was, in fact, the first 'gunsmithing' I/we ever did. And while I never told him so, it was pretty cool of Dad to let us have at it like he did.
I was pretty proud of my efforts to construct a real firing pin and heat treat it, and then prove that it worked as well as the original!
Don't really know what I will do with it, but hanging on to it for sure!

[Hawg]

A cool piece of family history. I'd leave it like it is.

[Major]

OH oh !  perhaps I implied ..restore it ?   NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !  parish the thought !

I agreed  " give it the attention it deserves"

[Captainkirk]

Well, I doubt it's worth much more than what it sold for new ($2.50) but what you guys say about the family value has merit. Maybe 'll just hang it on the wall. It's been a safe queen for a very long time.

[mazo kid]

Oh no.....it is worth much more than that, even in it's present condition.