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View Full Version : Whatever happened to all the .22 smooth bores?



beagle
06-26-2013, 01:31 PM
Was reading the thread on smooth bores and wonder what happened to al the .22 smooth bores. For a while they were popular and the Boy Scouts used them on Mo Skeet O ranges at summer camp and adults were hunting large grasshoppers and dragonflies in the manner of quail. Haven't seen one or read anything about them lately. Kind of neat I thought./beagle

shooter2
06-26-2013, 04:31 PM
They are not only scarce, but $$$. I recently had the need for one and found three on GunsAmerica. One was $600, the other two over a grand. I doubt anyone makes them today which is rather sad.

Cactus Farmer
06-26-2013, 04:44 PM
I rebarreled a Model 12 Remington with a smooth tube. The thing patterns amazingly well. I did not do the counter bore "ie" Routledge addendum as I havn't spent the $$$ to have a factory one x-rayed to see what they did. Mine is just a smooth tube with a regular looking crown. I added a small bead on the front and no rear sight needed.
We have snakes and they like to get under the out buildings. My wife hears them and calls me to come with the SB. If I lay down they will raise their head and I can shoot them without hitting the floor or joists. Cats will clean up the remains. Now if I can just figure out how to do a three shot plug for dove hunting..........

1Shirt
06-26-2013, 05:29 PM
Beagle, 60 plus years ago as a young Eagle Scout, I worked on the staff of a Scout camp in the summer for a couple of years. One week campers came in on Sunday afternoon, and left on the following Sat. a.m. That left Sat afternoon and Sun a.m. to shoot chipmonks and grasshoppers and dragon flies, etc. with the little smooth bore 22's. Good memories! Was fairly decent with one and could usually get 7-8 of the little mo-skeets with one. Never did manage to get 10-for -10 however. Haven't seen one of them in probably 50 years.
1Shirt!

bob208
06-26-2013, 06:23 PM
the last time i saw one was at scout camp when we shot skeet. i think they were 514 s on the barrel. i know they were just like my 514 that was rifled except for the smooth bore.

destrux
06-26-2013, 07:46 PM
You can get a smoothbore barrel for a 10/22. http://urbanriflesupply.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=97&Itemid=535

beagle
06-26-2013, 10:32 PM
Well, that's interesting. Thanks. Didn't know that. Would make a fine "barn gun" for sure./beagle


You can get a smoothbore barrel for a 10/22. http://urbanriflesupply.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=97&Itemid=535

rockrat
06-27-2013, 09:43 AM
Little brother went to a garage sale one time and found a Remington smoothbore, IIRC, and talked him down to $60 for it. Maybe 10 years ago!!

Cactus Farmer
06-27-2013, 10:43 AM
I used a .219 tube as the barrel for my conversion. There was an piece in a gun rag years ago about a fellow with the same question as this thread is discussing. He "reamed" old barrels and got not too good results so he went to a smaller hole. .219 is the size of an unrifled 22 RF. Mine shoots very tight patterns,amazing when compared to a rifled bore. The barrel I used was 5/8-3/4" in diameter to start and I turned it to match the origional taper. It was an eye opener with the first shot. I shoot the crimped ammo and at first,the extraction was iffy. Mine you,this was an old Model12 with a sewer(Baby Ruth) bore so it had been well used. I reworked the extractor and solved the rejection issue. The CCI plastic ammo had no troubles with shucking the emptys. They are a bit more pricey and I have collected "rat shot" for a few years,partial boxes seemed to be everywhere for a while. Now everything is crazy high. So I use what I have.....

I would think any 22 with a good extractor system would work well. I just like the old pump guns for speed of fire with any ammo. 3 quick "rat shot" rounds will change any critters mind. And the .219 bore shoots solid bullets better that you would think. I haven't shot it for a group size as it lacks a rear sight,but at 15-20 yards they are still point on and cans are punctured at will.

Ed Barrett
06-27-2013, 11:03 AM
Around here sewer pipe bore .22's are pretty common, maybe with the .22 ammo shortage I can pick one up cheap and drill it out like the rifled barrel reliners and epoxy in a piece of smooth bore tubing. Now all I have to do is make one of those throwers that go on the barrel like the old Mos-skeet-o rigs.

KCSO
06-27-2013, 03:22 PM
Had a mossberg in a while back with a trap under the barrel and a screw on rifled adapter. Sold it to a friend for a rat gun for his barn. I have reamed a couple 22's smooth for fellows but not lately. I wish I would have kept the Mossberg but I just don't have much need for a 22 shotgun. The other thing that was popular here years ago were 9MM shotguns, a lot of the local farmers had them both in Winchester and Webley garden guns.

Wayne Smith
06-28-2013, 12:14 PM
I rebarreled a Model 12 Remington with a smooth tube. The thing patterns amazingly well. I did not do the counter bore "ie" Routledge addendum as I havn't spent the $$$ to have a factory one x-rayed to see what they did. Mine is just a smooth tube with a regular looking crown. I added a small bead on the front and no rear sight needed. Now if I can just figure out how to do a three shot plug for dove hunting..........

THAT would be fun to watch!