Ten Shots for a Quarter?

[Shanghai Jack]

What were the rifles that were used in the old state fair shooting booths?

[MUSTANG]

I remember the Traveling Circus Midways and County Fairs (Only went to the Texas State Fair Once and it was a Zoo of Humans - even back in the early 1960's).

What I remember being used at the Shooting Gallery's was: REMINGTON MODEL 12A.

[Finster101]

I have a Winchester pump chambered in .22 short only that was used as a "gallery" gun. It is in my Dad's safe. The next time I am there I will dig it out and try to find a model number and maybe take a few pics. I believe it may be a 62-A

[15meter]

It would be nice that the "frangible" bullets that were used in those rifles were available again. Spent a fair amount of hard earned quarters at the Monroe County Fair back in the day.

I would love to have half an hour on one of those old ranges. There was a rumor several years ago there was one sitting in a warehouse on the north side of Detroit, asking price was $10,000.

My daughter had the opportunity to shoot on one 3-4 years ago while visiting a friend in Texas. Apparently a friend of my daughter's friend's had a stepfather that had one set up in a pole barn on his property and she got to shoot it. Wasn't smart enough to ask her what ammo was used.

She had a blast. Literally.

[Rockingkj]

I think that early on Win 1890’s were used, from there the 1906’s and 62’s. Remington pumps of course in use too. Never got to shoot a .22 at a fair. But spent $ shooting the machine gun BB guns trying to shoot the star out. Also the Daisy gun the used a cork as a projectile to knock over a target for a prize.

[HWooldridge]

We still had these opportunities when I was younger. They weren’t common but some public events hosted shooting galleries. I seem to recall .22 single shot bolt actions were the norm but I never paid attention to the manufacturer. The carny would load the rifle and hand it to you. The shooter was not allowed to load it or mess with the sights (which were often not set properly - probably on purpose).

[Der Gebirgsjager]

The Winchester Mod.62 was popular for gallery use, and there was a special shorter version made in .22 Short made specifically for that purpose. Rossi used to make a copy called the "Gallery Rifle" that was popular for awhile.

DG

[cwtebay]

Not sure about everywhere else, but I have seen mostly 1890 Winchesters used. My maternal grandfather had 2 of them that were beat up pretty badly.

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[ascast]

Early Win pumps. A friend's family had a small carnival show/rides,etc. Shooting gallery used 22 shorts. They had about 30 rifles. Man were they "used". They were not well cared for.

[Rusty Goose]

While not a carnival experience, and fairly recent, my jr. high school owned several Ithaca model 49's. The school had an Outdoor Recreation class that covered shooting, earning your hunter's safety card. Also tying flies, survival techniques. They had a rolling wooden backstop, the teacher (no other aid) would have 6-8 kids line up and shoot shorts prone, kneeling and standing. For treat at the end we could use long rifle and Stinger ammo! At the end of the unit there was a show-and-tell. Kids would bring in father's firearms to show off to the class. I had a Winchester Model X, Mossberg lever action .22 on the handlebars of my ten speed bike. Also a Peacemaker .22 and a muzzle loading pistol in my back pack. My Cousin brought in his dads M1 Carbine, most impressive, I knew I would have to get one when I grew up.

That was 1983... my son hates when I tell that story, he gets so jealous.

[Rich/WIS]

Several I went to used Rem 551-G's, these were 22 short only versions of the 551. Actually had one in the past, was a fun shooter and hell on rats at the dump.

[35 Rem]

I rarely went to carnivals so never got to shoot many of those guns because I was a kid and didn't have any money but when I did, I never saw any ammo. They sounded like a 22 Short and seemed to have been intentionally sighted in off target. However, these shooting galleries would make me dream of being able to cut loose and shoot the targets as long as I wanted. I finally got to realize that dream in December 2012 when I found the Caldwell Shootin' Gallery that sold for something like $380. It uses a 12-volt battery and will work with any 22LR ammo. FINALLY, a never-ending row of moving targets that were all mine!! Then right as I get this shooters dream, the nutjob committed the Sandy Hook school shooting and all rimfire ammo dried up for years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5W2UJv-cno

[Gtrubicon]

While not a carnival experience, and fairly recent, my jr. high school owned several Ithaca model 49's. The school had an Outdoor Recreation class that covered shooting, earning your hunter's safety card. Also tying flies, survival techniques. They had a rolling wooden backstop, the teacher (no other aid) would have 6-8 kids line up and shoot shorts prone, kneeling and standing. For treat at the end we could use long rifle and Stinger ammo! At the end of the unit there was a show-and-tell. Kids would bring in father's firearms to show off to the class. I had a Winchester Model X, Mossberg lever action .22 on the handlebars of my ten speed bike. Also a Peacemaker .22 and a muzzle loading pistol in my back pack. My Cousin brought in his dads M1 Carbine, most impressive, I knew I would have to get one when I grew up.

That was 1983... my son hates when I tell that story, he gets so jealous.

Where about in northern ca was this school?

[charlie b]

I remember something like a browning. Semi-auto, loaded from the side of the stock and ejected out the bottom. Don't remember anyone else making an action like that.

[ShooterAZ]

I remember those good ol' days. They had a gallery at a carnival at local high school near our house (yes, a high school!). The rifles were pump action, I don't know the model but it was shooting .22 shorts. They were chained to a barrel with sand at the bottom so you couldn't lift the muzzle out. Fun times for a kid for sure.

[Ithaca Gunner]

To the best of my memory, every rifle I shot at a shooting gallery was a Winchester 1890. I paid attention to the loading of tubes which in turn were loaded into the rifles tubular magazines, seemed there were 100's of them! All I remember of the ammo is, the box was marked, ''Gallery Shorts-.22''. Not a small 50rd. box, this box was about 1/2 the size of a case of 5,000 .22lr.

The last one I was at was at ''Williams Grove Amusement Park'' between Mechanicsburg and Dillsburg PA. either late 1970's or early 1980's. Wooden roller coaster and many of the buildings were the same as they were in the 1920's when it first went into operation. The shooting gallery was as much a test of mind as shooting skill, the targets were a small red ''2'' printed on a blank paper, it was 3 shots, (I don't remember the cost) to erase ALL of the red 2, and I mean ALL of it. The guy had a magnifying glass to check targets and if one single red fiber remained, you lost. ''Sorry pal, try again!'' The sights however seemed to be on, it was all but impossible to wipe out that 2 with only 3 shots!
I never won.

[georgerkahn]

My maternal grandfather lived in Yorkville -- mid-upper East Side in New York City and right next door to a saloon he hung out in was a Shooting Gallery. Now I think it was/is funny because, as a pre-teen kid I was allowed in the saloon but not the shooting gallery. I have no idea when it closed (or why) but I was in maybe 8th or 9th grade public school, and the story was the owner of the gallery went next door to the saloon, offering the rifles for cash money. My grand-dad bought two -- both are Remington Model 12C. I got one and a nephew of his got the other. The one I received has iron sights, and I "kind of know" a zillion or so rounds went through it. I have not shot it recently -- it's kind of a safe queen more vis its history than any value.
Were all the rifles in this 'gallery Model 12C's? I have no idea; but I do know this one is.
geo

[Rusty Goose]

Where about in northern ca was this school?

Not California, Fort Collins Colorado.

[Minerat]

The one I remember was on the boardwalk just outside the Plunge bath house or swimming pool on the Pike in Long Beach CA. I learned to swim there when I was 8 or so when we went to visit my grandmere one summer (1961). They used a pump rifle not sure of the bullets. My dad would let us shoot one tube, when the swimming lessons were over. I remember they used a brass tube to load the magizine, probably 10 shots.

[Winger Ed.]

Winchester really went after the carnival/gallery gun market for the advertising value of it.

They made runs of the gallery/.22 short rifles that were very heavily marked so you'd know them to be Winchesters.
If you read up on them and their markings, you can instantly spot the ones marketed and sold to the old carnivals.