Winchester M 55 single shot automatic ?

I just picked this up yesterday. I never heard of them before watching this video, https://Youtu.be/g4iYoqKyN2c Once I started looking I found this one for sale online and bought it,
I figure it’s unique enough that being a pre 64 Winchester and being all steel and walnut that it will be collectible. It’s strange that it fires from a open bolt and if someone was to create a magazine to work with it you could make it fire as a automatic.
Being a single shot makes it interesting to me. I’m sure some of you probably own one of these but it’s new and interesting to me.

Jedman

Same I was unaware of them and the is truly an odd design. Once the cartridge is inserted does anything hold it in?

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Originally Posted by M-Tecs

Same I was unaware of them and the is truly an odd design. Once the cartridge is inserted does anything hold it in?

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Yes , On the right side of the chamber is the extractor that has a small spring loaded detent that snaps over the case rim. When you fire it the bolt is released and slams into the cartridge, the blowback energy recocks the bolt and moves the charging handle to the rear that is connected to the extractor and the fired case exits downward and out a hole thru the stock. The barrel is a slip fit into the receiver and held together by only a small pin.
This is a extremely simple action ! From what I read online it was designed as safe beginners rifle to teach someone to shoot and being the safety is reset when you depress the loading gate you can’t load it and have it off safety. I took mine apart and it is self explanatory how it works except I don’t see what makes the fired shell eject downwards ?
I can see why they were only made a few years.

Another odd thing is Winchester also built a model 55 Lever action center fire rifle that was only made a short time also.

Th 2 photos added are the charging handle and extractor, and the top loading gate. Sorry as it’s not easy to take photos with a iPad and hold things.
Jedman

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Just be aware that the plastic loading port door on the m-55 single shot .22 is a high-mortality rate item - I ALWAYS kept a spare on hand.

I've owned 3 of them over the past 50 years, but by the time my Son was old enough to shoot, I didn't have one, so I converted a Ruger 10/22 into a like auto-ejecting single-shot .22.

Being the Dad, I simply told my Son (then 8 y.o.), that is was one, NEVER removed the rotary magazine in his presence, and had him lock the bolt back after each shot before single-loading the chamber & closing the bolt for the next shot.


He was amazed when, at age 12, I showed him it was an autoloader/repeater when he was attending a Hunter Safety course to get his first (junior) hunting license.


:bigsmyl2:

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I really enjoy the one I own. If I am taking 22s to the range, it is in the mix for sure. The only thing that I do not care for is shooting it offhand with the crook of my elbow below the ejection port. Those bitty cases are hot off the press upon ejection.

Mine seems more accurate than one would expect from a budget rifle.

I bet you are going to love shooting yours.

Indeed the loading gate is a bit fragile. There are various explanations as to why it breaks but the only sure thing is that it does. Not real often but enough so that someone spent the time to make a mold and form up some.

If memory serves, I found my spares at Outback Gun Parts. It requires a little bit of fitting but beats not having by a LONG way.

Fun little rifle with the oddness that gets folk's attention when you describe it as a single shot automatic, a reaction somewhat similar to what one experiences when mentioning Beretta Olympia bolt action automatic.

Unless it is new in the box with hang tags and all, I doubt they will ever be much of a collectors item. The world seems to only be interested in "tacticool" junk.

I got Quick Kill Fever when I was in Basic Training. This is back when they trained you to instinct shoot target disc out of air with a Daisy BB gun with no sights. When I went home I started fooling around with 22s shooting quarters. I had a Win 55 and it turned out to be ideal for this. I hustled many $5 bills shooting quarters with that rifle.

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Originally Posted by Drm50

I hustled many $5 bills shooting quarters with that rifle.

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AHA ! ! Defacing Government property, eh ? . ;)


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Originally Posted by pietro

AHA ! ! Defacing Government property, eh ? . ;)


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Oh no! It isn't defacing if the value is increased.
He took quarters and turned them into $5 bills. If anything, it would be counterfeiting except that the $5 bills are real.

I was watching a M 55 on Gunbroker that had the original box and hang tags, booklets ect. It just sold for
$ 692.75 ! Wow what someone will pay for a cardboard box and some paper tags ?

Jedman

It was one of the first guns I ever bought. It was horrible. It looked so cool but it scattered bullets all over creation. It was a disgusting pile of.... firing from a open bolt is like having the receiver hit with a hammer when you pull the trigger. It was just awful.

I run into a lot of people that think the Daisy BB Gun in US Army basic is a tall tail. I don’t know if all basics had it or how long it was used. Not only did they train us to shoot aerial targets with BB guns there was transition to M16. A dowel rod that hooked over front sight and layer in carrying handle blocked sights. We then shot pop ups in that mode. For completion of BB training there was a Red & Blue govt issue BB gun Battle. I saw one of these Quick Kill BB guns in box with all the stuff that went with them at a gun show. Price $2200!

I received my M-55 rifle when I was 10 years old (1958), I’m now 72 and still have this rifle along with the original red Winchester hang tag. Never had any problems with it and killed many a squirrel and rabbit with it. It’s unique and not many people are aware of them.

I think the 55 was in same family as the last Win 22 auto loader, 77 I think. I’m 70 and I got a Shooters Bible for Christmas when I was 8. I still have it and pages are yellow from age. Every company had models of 22 rifles for every taste. They were like snow flakes and every one was like a custom rifle compared to the junk they put out today.