Hamilton 27

[Battis]

Doesn't take much to make me happy. I went into a gun store in northern NH and bought two lbs of powder that I've been looking for: 4064 and 4227.
But the frosting was a little Hamilton 27 .22 single shot rifle. Patent date: 1901 - 1907. These rifles were inexpensive, made with sheet metal and a brass barrel wrapped in sheet metal. They were, basically, the prize in the Cracker Jack box.
As a shooter today - worthless. But their history is interesting.
It's worth more as a parts gun than what I paid. All the parts are there, and a few more. The bore is just about perfect, which is unusual.
This link gives a good description.
http://www.nrvoutdoors.com/HAMILTON/HAMILTON%2027.htm

[Bent Ramrod]

You used to be able to get those rifles as a prize if you sold enough subscriptions to GRIT, which (I think) was a general-coverage newspaper for country-dwellers on the lines of USA Today for city dwellers now. Never saw a copy of GRIT in my life, although the ads for “Sell GRIT!” were common in the old Boy’s Life magazines.

I think Hamilton made some bolt action boys’ rifles that were a little stouter than that one.

Congratulations on the bore and condition. One that well preserved is a find.

[Mk42gunner]

One good point about the bronze barrel liner was that it wasn't as likely to be ruined by corrosive priming from lackluster cleaning. Not that I would recommend firing ANY high velocity .22LR rounds in a Hamilton today.

From what I remember about Grit in the 1970's, they used to run serialized novellas and novels in the paper.

Robert

[single shot jimmy]

I have one too! Is yours a 15 inch barrel? Yes it is legal. Neat little rifles.

[Battis]

I read that one function of these rifles was to encourage kids to gunsmith their own guns - it has 5 moving parts. Well, I stripped it down, cleaned it, then started reassembling it. The hammer mainspring was a bugger. I'm sure there's ways to install that spring but nothing was working. Finally I put it in a vise, clamped it down and wired it shut. When I installed it, I just cut the wire.
I was looking for one of those "kids" that the gun was originally meant for, but they're all long gone.

[smithnframe]

Pretty cool! A local pawnshop has two of these on display. Not for sale........yet!

[Bobbers]

I have one I am trying to fix up to shoot. Was my dads. It is not worth much but has family history. Trying to figure out how to get the main spring to stay in place. It is missing the main spring bushing and I am trying to make a bushing work.

[fixit]

That's in somewhat of the same category as the Remington 6. Cool little boy's rifle. Good find!