Cooey M82 military training rifle

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Acuracura

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Hello fellow CGN'ers,

I wasn't sure if I should put this in rimfire or milsurp. It's going here since I spend more time here. I picked up a Cooey M82 a while back and was hoping to learn more about it. Looking for any information, history, production dates, production numbers, etc. I'll post the coles notes of what I know and I'm hoping you guys can add to it.

- militarized version of the Model 78 Target Rifle
- also known as the C2B1 rifle in the Canadian service
- used for drills by cadets in WWII
- two versions: military and civilian. Military versions have an arrowhead stamp that looks like this: C/|\ (see pic)

I'm really hoping to find out more information on this rifle. It would be a shame to own a piece of Canadian history without having the story behind it. Thank you all in advance.


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Acuracura said:
Hello fellow CGN'ers,

I wasn't sure if I should put this in rimfire or milsurp. It's going here since I spend more time here. I picked up a Cooey M82 a while back and was hoping to learn more about it.

...

I'm really hoping to find out more information on this rifle. It would be a shame to own a piece of Canadian history without having the story behind it. Thank you all in advance.

...
CooeyM82pic5.jpg
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That big round hole in the receiver looks like it has been deactivated (although not necessarily to the latest RCMP standards). If the hole goes through to the chamber, you've just got a nice example not a functional rifle. :-(

On the other hand, there were Cooey drill rifles at every cadet corps for decades. When the FN C1A1 were standard issue and the only drill manual was for the FN, all the cadets' drill rifles were converted with a pistol grip. Goofy looking, but effective. Yours would appear to be released from military service prior to the late-50's when the FN's were introduced.
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
That big round hole in the receiver looks like it has been deactivated (although not necessarily to the latest RCMP standards). If the hole goes through to the chamber, you've just got a nice example not a functional rifle. :-(

On the other hand, there were Cooey drill rifles at every cadet corps for decades. When the FN C1A1 were standard issue and the only drill manual was for the FN, all the cadets' drill rifles were converted with a pistol grip. Goofy looking, but effective. Yours would appear to be released from military service prior to the late-50's when the FN's were introduced.
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I think that's the serial number sticker from back in the "registration days". Not a hole.

Does it have military numbers pressed into it? It's real hard to dig up history on these, some had a small medallion inlaid into the stock which had the cadet corp location and date of service, but most don't.
 
mikeystew said:
I think that's the serial number sticker from back in the "registration days". Not a hole.

Does it have military numbers pressed into it? It's real hard to dig up history on these, some had a small medallion inlaid into the stock which had the cadet corp location and date of service, but most don't.
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There are websites that give little histories of the hundreds of cadet corps over the years. If there is a corp number, you will see everything that someone had to write.
 
I'm always interested in more info on these too. All the ones I've owned either had or had provisions for leaf and peep sights. One even has the blank plate in place of the peep. It has a stamped #(looks like a ser# done very nicely even though I know they didn't have them) on the receiver. I've not come across one with the sling yet. I'll have to look at my book when I get home tonight to give dates of manufacture for you. I've never come across one that didn't shoot well either.
 
According to John Belton's book, the 82 was made for contract for the Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force Cadets. Supposedly, 34,810 were produced for contract. If a military version, the gun will have the broad arrow within a C stamping and there will be a serial number on the bottom of the pistol grip. However, I have a model 82 that is not the full wood stock (never was) that has the broad arrow stamping but has the serial number stamped into the receiver. It has the peep sight and a hooded front target sight. The collector I got it from said it had been used for rifle matches within the military. Of course I can't verify that. Some 82's had the rear leaf sight with no peep, some had the peep and no leaf sight and some had both. If you notice, there is a little hole on the bottom side of the stock near the trigger guard. This is supposedly for a dummy clip that was made back in the day for training purposes.
 
I rebuilt my Granddad's recently. Still shoots very well even after 30 years of neglect. Mine was a civilian 'Sure Shot' model but I returned it to a full wood stock with peepsight.

The wood on yours is gorgeous, I'm a bit jealous!
 
Great information, everyone. This is exactly what I was looking for. Milkstew is correct in that the black ''hole" that you see is a sticker with a number which I blackened out with MS paint. It does look like a sticker from the registration days. I left it on for now but it's practically peeling itself off.

I assure you that this one is fully active. Unfortunately it does not have a medallion indicating the cadet corp, location, or date of service. It does, however, have a number stamped into the receiver. If west240's link is correct, it is the number out of the 34,810 that were contracted for the Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force Cadets.

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Mine also has both the peep site and the leaf sight in addition to the hooded front target sight. The peep sight is held on by a single short screw. As gunsaholic mentioned, I hadn’t noticed the little hole on the bottom of the stock for the dummy clip. I’ll have to check that when I get home.

I sure wish I could get a copy or digital/scanned copy of John Belton's book. I already got a PM asking if I want to sell this rifle. I'm not even sure what the value on something like this would be. Sorry, it's not for sale. The information you all provided is great. If there is anything to add, let’s record it in this thread. Thank you.
 
I believe if your gun is the military version it should have the serial number on the bottom of the pistol grip, not just the number that is stamped with the broad arrow mark. I believe the number that is with the broad arrow stamping is an inspectors number. I think there were probably some of these guns that were stamped with the broad arrow intended for service but never ended up being used for such. They would have been sold to the civilian market without the military serial number. Very nice examples of military marked models are bringing between $250.00- $300.00. The odd one has gone higher.
 
82

I picked one up this spring. It came outof an estate auction. It still has packing grease in and around the clamps and had never been fired. It has now though ans is scary accurate. This is the rifle my grandfather trained with in Maple Creek Sask and Shilo MB back in WW2. An awesome keepsake.I paod $350 for it. A bit much but for a rare gun who cares. I read somewhere that the base in Moose jaw has lots of the stocks, but they had to destroy all the bbls. Damn military. they would not sell them to civilians
 
I also bought a M82 at calgary show . although mine is missing the peep sight , if anyone has any leads to get one i would love to know ?
the odd thing about mine is that it seems to be de militarised the marks on the reciever bridge have been filed off and are barely visible and it seems to have some sort of brown laquer over all the metal
the stamps in the wood have also been removed but the serial number is intact. and the stock appears to have some kind of varathane or varnish on it. what was the original military finnish on the wood?
i dont regret buying it , its in awesome condition and look forward to shooting it when the range thaws out .
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I have one of them as well, and mine could use the peep sight. Its the civilian version with no stamps or numbers on it, Ive had it for a while and still have not shot it, but it looks like a nice piece.
 
Magellann said:
I have one of them as well, and mine could use the peep sight. Its the civilian version with no stamps or numbers on it, Ive had it for a while and still have not shot it, but it looks like a nice piece.
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I have a military version that was inherited from my grandfather. It's been sitting for probably over 40 years in a basement. Cleaned it up and shoots as good as any 22 today. Awesome little rifle.
 
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