H&R Young America Double Action 22 rim

[TaylorS]

So I picked up a old H&R Young America double action 6” barrel with the manufacturer and 22 rim fire on the octogon barrel serial is in the 256k range looking for some dating info I’m guessing from what I’ve read somewhere between 1915 and maybe 1935? But would like to narrow it down. I’ll post pics later as she’s locked up for tonight.


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[TaylorS]

Here’s pics if that helps so far the cylinder pin detent and the hammer lock seem to be the only things that need repair besides a good cleaning.


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[schutzen-jager]

i have two Young Americans, 1 .22 RF + 1.32 center fire - the catalog calls them Vest Pocket Young Americans, plus two AMericans, both .32 L center fires, plus an original sales catalog - infuriately undated - iirc correctly there was a few articles about them in some older Gun Digest - lots of parts are available for yours on internet -

[TaylorS]

I also ran across a small bag of 22short in my ammo pile today so excited to give it a go once it’s been gone through. I know marlin has a pretty good data base for serial numbers and year of manufacture does H&R have anything like that?


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[schutzen-jager]

https://getsomegunsammo.com/hr-seria...hensive-guide/

[TaylorS]

Thanks for the link! Now one more dumb question does the hammer lock back at full cock on these?mine does not but seems to lock the cylinder in before the hammer drops, but I’ve never had one that didn’t at least let ya cock the hammer back and fire Single action.


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[schutzen-jager]

checked both of mine + they both lock at full cock with very slight counterclockwise play - both shoot fine with no shaving - fyi, the ones with long barrels like yours were called bicycle guns, + used as protection against dogs while riding -

[TaylorS]

Yeah the sear is missing out of my gun so it won’t lock cocked numrich has the sear but not the sear spring guess the last guy to take it apart wasn’t to careful. I’m gonna try to clean it in my tumbler see if it’ll knock off some of the rust dam I’m gettin lazy in my old age.


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[country gent]

Always like the tapered octagon barrels on handguns just looks right to me

[racepres]

Always like the tapered octagon barrels on handguns just looks right to me

Me as well!!

[TaylorS]

Tumbler was a bad idea took 2 rounds of cleaning just to get it back to as dirty as I got it live and learn


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[schutzen-jager]

try white vinegar it will remove rust -

[TaylorS]

I’ll give that a go parts should be here tomorrow


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[Mk42gunner]

So what do you use as the rear sight on one of these? Kind of looks to me like you need to align the front sight with the hammer nose, similar to a cap and ball Colt.

Robert

[Tripplebeards]

i have two Young Americans, 1 .22 RF + 1.32 center fire - the catalog calls them Vest Pocket Young Americans, plus two AMericans, both .32 L center fires, plus an original sales catalog - infuriately undated - iirc correctly there was a few articles about them in some older Gun Digest - lots of parts are available for yours on internet -

I have one just like that with the hammer and 32 Cal. I stoned and polished it till it looked like new. I have an old ad from 1905 that shows the pistol with a young boy on it. If I remember right, they were made from like 1897 to 1906 or so.

Here is the add…

https://www.atticpaper.com/proddetai...er-ad-july-4th

I bought some cast bullet ammo and tried it in my 32. I had popped primers and had a piece of primer that stuck in my cheek! It worked its way out a month later. Got lucky and it missed my eye by an inch.

It almost seems like a nickel plating on top of whatever alloy they used on these pistols. Mine was corroded and bubbling off. I stoned, sanded, and polished all the remaining plating off along with the pitting till the pistol looked like bright shiny chrome. The long firing pin on my hammer caused pierced primers and blowups like I had in my face. I would never shoot that thing again without firing it down and wearing a football helmet with a sneeze shield. I would guess they’re all that way by design. I shot it quite a few times and could feel little pieces of primer on my hand and never thought anything and then like an idiot. I tilted the gun and shot it gangster style. That’s where it all went wrong and I had the primer stick in my cheek, serves me right for being stupid… thank God I didn’t lose my sight, or my eye, For being dumb. I don’t remember how the serial numbers worked on it again but I remember mine. I believe mine is a 1903 or an 1905? It also has about a 30 pound trigger.


That’s probably a 22 rimfire “black powder” FYI and you don’t want to shoot modern smokeless 22 lr cartridges in it. If it was made that late, then it probably is made for “super weak” smokeless rimfire cartridges. I think it was right around 1902 or 03’ when they converted them to smokeless, once again if I remember right, don’t quote me on it, but I’m pretty positive. I’m sure you know the first smokless 22 rim fire loads were a lot less powerful then todays modern ammo. I did some research on it years ago and my buddy gave it to me. He was about ready to toss it out because it looks so nasty and I said give it to me and I will make it look like new. He said I could have it!






I’m sure if I filed down the hammer striker and rounded it off so it would be a shallower primer hit it wouldn’t pierce primers. I did a post on it here a few years back with it piercing primers. I can see it’s not very powerful either I can shoot a board at about 10 to 15 yards and the cast bullet will stick into it barely…lol. The 32 cal loads I bought aren’t very powerful.


Here’s a good post. Basically saying that the octagon barrels were made in 1901’. And maybe around 20,000 at the most we made a year and that was a complete guess so yours is probably 1922 to 1924 according to what someone was guessing per your serial number.

https://thefiringline.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=615538

[TaylorS]

I have one just like that with the hammer and 32 Cal. I stoned and polished it till it looked like new. I have an old ad from 1905 that shows the pistol with a young boy on it. If I remember right, they were made from like 1897 to 1906 or so.

Here is the add…

https://www.atticpaper.com/proddetai...er-ad-july-4th

I bought some cast bullet ammo and tried it in my 32. I had popped primers and had a piece of primer that stuck in my cheek! It worked its way out a month later. Got lucky and it missed my eye by an inch.

It almost seems like a nickel plating on top of whatever alloy they used on these pistols. Mine was corroded and bubbling off. I stoned, sanded, and polished all the remaining plating off along with the pitting till the pistol looked like bright shiny chrome. The long firing pin on my hammer caused pierced primers and blowups like I had in my face. I would never shoot that thing again without firing it down and wearing a football helmet with a sneeze shield. I would guess they’re all that way by design. I shot it quite a few times and could feel little pieces of primer on my hand and never thought anything and then like an idiot. I tilted the gun and shot it gangster style. That’s where it all went wrong and I had the primer stick in my cheek, serves me right for being stupid… thank God I didn’t lose my sight, or my eye, For being dumb. I don’t remember how the serial numbers worked on it again but I remember mine. I believe mine is a 1903 or an 1905? It also has about a 30 pound trigger.


That’s probably a 22 rimfire “black powder” FYI and you don’t want to shoot modern smokeless 22 lr cartridges in it. If it was made that late, then it probably is made for “super weak” smokeless rimfire cartridges. I think it was right around 1902 or 03’ when they converted them to smokeless, once again if I remember right, don’t quote me on it, but I’m pretty positive. I’m sure you know the first smokless 22 rim fire loads were a lot less powerful then todays modern ammo. I did some research on it years ago and my buddy gave it to me. He was about ready to toss it out because it looks so nasty and I said give it to me and I will make it look like new. He said I could have it!






I’m sure if I filed down the hammer striker and rounded it off so it would be a shallower primer hit it wouldn’t pierce primers. I did a post on it here a few years back with it piercing primers. I can see it’s not very powerful either I can shoot a board at about 10 to 15 yards and the cast bullet will stick into it barely…lol. The 32 cal loads I bought aren’t very powerful.


Here’s a good post. Basically saying that the octagon barrels were made in 1901’. And maybe around 20,000 at the most we made a year and that was a complete guess so yours is probably 1922 to 1924 according to what someone was guessing per your serial number.

https://thefiringline.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=615538

Thanks for the info fyi you’d have to cut the tip off a 22LR to make the cylinder fit it is only for 22 short.


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[Tripplebeards]

Make sure to wear gloves, glasses, thick jacket and some protective “head gear”..a welders helmet! I’d prefer to make sure it doesn’t blow up in your face. It’s been years ago and my cheek hurts just thinking about it again. Didn’t know there was a piece of primer on my face till it worked its way out a month later when I scratched the scab off and saw it underneath. I would try cci 450 fps CB shorts. Probably not anything faster. I tried the cb’s in my 6mm Flobert and blows the action door open and the shell also ejects. Those old guns and pistols were made for super weak powders and load charges. Imo your better off shooting it a few times…if your brave enough…and retire it for a conversation piece.

[schutzen-jager]

TaylorS ***they are chambered for the .22 long + not long rifle - they will also handle .22 shorts - i would strongly advise against any modern high velocity ammo - i use mine mostly with CCI .22 CB long ammo, the Aquila Colibri or Super Colibri - too much pressure + use will compromise timing, which is difficult to correct -

[Tripplebeards]

I would sure think the cci cb shorts at 450 fps would work fine. They work just fine for dispatching nuisance trapped beavers.

[schutzen-jager]

forgot that i use the CCI cb shorts also - prefer the longs, no fouling rings in mid chamber -