cooey repeater .22 cal

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gibby0087

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hello i recently found a cooey repeater in a old house that was being torn down. im trying to gather info on it but there no serial number or other markings on the gun besides "COOEY REPEATER .22 CAL" on the top of the of the rifle. if anyone knows anything about this gun any info would help. im mainly wondering if it just takes .22 Lr. or if there was a diff .22 back in the day. some info i found was that the gun was made between 1903 and 1961.
 
Cooeys were made without a serial number. I'm not positive of the model you have but it sounds like a model 60 or 600. Does it have a rabbit on the grip? A tube down the barrel where you load the ammo? Others here are experts on these rifles and hopefully they'll chime in.

They are a piece of Canadiana and if it were me I would consider myself lucky to have found it and would keep it. They were manufactured in Coburg Ont to the tune of something like 6 million over the years and were eventually bought out by Winchester to eliminate the competition. These rifles are a true testament to Canadian design and manufacture.

They're not particularly valuable ($100 ish range). Is this one in good shape? Or rusted solid? Some pics would be good to help identify, and just 'cause some of us like seeing these finds. I use mine on a regular basis and it's still fun and relaxing to shoot her for hours.

They fired 22 short, 22L and 22 LR if I remember correctly.
 
thanks for the help. i've been searching like crazy for info on it. most of the pictures ive seen all have markings like "ranger" or "model 60" and etc. they also have a ".22 s-l-lr" on them aswell. ill try to get some pics up soon.

it also has a tub magazine
 
I just recently saw one too...

A fellow CGN'er suggested to me that, these pre-date model 60...called the Cooey .22 Repeater. Made aprox '31-'39. The stock is a touch more slender/finer than a 60's stock. (your's looks nice...the example I saw is split and, missing some chunks) Also, the barrel is smaller profile/shorter length than the 60 I compared it with.

A few days ago, I didn't know any of this. Gotta love this site!

I have only fired .22LR out of it...
 
The finish on the stock is in SUPERB shape. Too bad all the steel parts are suffering from some surface rusting. Still, that'll all clean up nicely with some elbow grease and maybe a new cold blue treatment to the receiver and barrel. Hopefully the bore is in better shape than the outside. But even if it's a bit corroded don't panic. It may well shoot just fine and not have any issues.

My own newer 600 has turned out to be a superb shooter. A few months back I finally shot it off a rest at an outdoor range and I put 8 out of the 10 rounds into a spot the size of a loonie at 50 yards shooting with a scope off a rest. The other two were close but I pulled them slightly. And this is from a guy that doesn't have any big experience with accuracy shooting. I'll bet a talented shooter that reads the breeze could do better than that. And it was just cheapo bulk Blazer I was shooting.

If your rifle cleans up nicely you've got a solid performer on your hands.
 
You have a piece of Canadian firearm history there. The Cooey Repeater was Cooey's first repeating .22 and was just marked Cooey Repeater. Later around 1939 it became the model 60. The first Cooey Repeaters had a more slender stock and a rounded pistol grip. Around 1937 they changed to the more square style pistol grip. So your gun could be from arond 1937-38 or it could be that the reason your stock looks better than the metal is that maybe someone put a later model 60 stock on it. Or was the stock refinished? But who knows, it may be the original stock. Either way, you have a nice old Cooey.
 
gunsaholic said:
You have a piece of Canadian firearm history there. The Cooey Repeater was Cooey's first repeating .22 and was just marked Cooey Repeater. Later around 1939 it became the model 60. The first Cooey Repeaters had a more slender stock and a rounded pistol grip. Around 1937 they changed to the more square style pistol grip. So your gun could be from arond 1937-38 or it could be that the reason your stock looks better than the metal is that maybe someone put a later model 60 stock on it. Or was the stock refinished? But who knows, it may be the original stock. Either way, you have a nice old Cooey.
Click to expand...

You seem knowledgable of Cooeys. Maybe you know when the Model 39 was made? The single shot that you pull back the end of the bolt each time....

I'm amazed how little detailed info there is on Cooey rifles given their reputation.

I chuckled at an american forum post asking what a cooey was and if they were any good. Replies along the line of Canadian, must be junk. $25 garbage etc.

All the more cooeys for us.
 
The model 39 was introduced in 1939. Winchester continued to produce it for awhile after they took over in 1961. Then it was tagged Winchester-Cooey. Yes, for the number of Cooeys that were produced, there are many who have not heard of them. And because they were a very affordable gun, and made in Canada, many thought and continue to think they are inferior, junky guns. But that is not the case. Many of these Cooeys are still going strong and many shooters have embarrassed others with their accuracy. They are under-appreciated in my opinion.
 
Gotta love 'em...
At "the time" they were utilitarian, affordable. Hate sound too wistful...they are also from a good time in Canada's history. When I was a kid, most homes had one...usually close to the door...keep critters out of gardens. Canada wasn't a "gun nutz" nation but, a practical and working example of sensible ownership and, use!

On top of that...it's quite possible my most accurate 'irons are Cooey 75s!
 
Your Cooey is identical to mine bought in1959. Mine is stamped Cooey on the barrel not on top like yours. Where yours is stamped 22 repeater mine is drilled and tapped for a scope mount. Yours was probably built prior to 1959 so it is quite old.

Nice gun and a good shooter.
 
gunsaholic said:
The model 39 was introduced in 1939. Winchester continued to produce it for awhile after they took over in 1961. Then it was tagged Winchester-Cooey. Yes, for the number of Cooeys that were produced, there are many who have not heard of them. And because they were a very affordable gun, and made in Canada, many thought and continue to think they are inferior, junky guns. But that is not the case. Many of these Cooeys are still going strong and many shooters have embarrassed others with their accuracy. They are under-appreciated in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. I've been telling anyone who asks that it was made in '39 (making assumptions by the model number). Luckily, it turns out I wasn't lying :)

I have the same opinion of them as you. Indestructible tack drivers, that can outshoot many newer and higher priced makes.

I guess all things being relative, even at the purchase price of $15 (guessing) in that day, it was still likely a weeks pay for someone. Not much different than today.
 
Canadian 22lr rifles are just...so Canadian. These older rifles with a Canadian made stamp make me proud to be Canadian. I think of the huge country we have with a still natural environment; pumpkin pie, maple syrup, lots of lovely "beaver" and mountains and lakes galore.
Just from a 22lr. you might ask. Yes, all that from a simple, humble little rifle. Because it represents a natural environment which is quickly vanishing from the rest of the planet. We are so blessed here.
So a Canadian made 22lr is something you can take pride in owning. Take it and hunt with it and it will make you feel more Canadian; more a part of the environment of Canada.
(I honestly feel privileged to have served Canada and I do not care if it sounds silly).
I would be nice if Cooey was still in business.
 
The Savages are still marked that way, FYI ;)

I had no idea that the rimfire side Savage's offerings are mostly old Lakefield designs. Anyone know where to find corporate information on Lakefield? They weren't acquired all that long ago, it looks like, although the Savage corporate website only mentions they opened a Canadian factory, not that they bought another operation lock, stock, and barrel.
 
Teapot said:
Canadian 22lr rifles are just...so Canadian. These older rifles with a Canadian made stamp make me proud to be Canadian. I think of the huge country we have with a still natural environment; pumpkin pie, maple syrup, lots of lovely "beaver" and mountains and lakes galore.
Just from a 22lr. you might ask. Yes, all that from a simple, humble little rifle. Because it represents a natural environment which is quickly vanishing from the rest of the planet. We are so blessed here.
So a Canadian made 22lr is something you can take pride in owning. Take it and hunt with it and it will make you feel more Canadian; more a part of the environment of Canada.
(I honestly feel privileged to have served Canada and I do not care if it sounds silly).
I would be nice if Cooey was still in business.
Click to expand...

Cooey still might be alive if Winchester hadn't bought them. Winchester considered it to be a easy way to enter Canada which it really was.
There fate was sealed when Cooey sold some 12 gauge single shot shotguns to some South American country that the USA had on its hate list. The Yanky Feds found out and hauled the head of Winchester USA into court and gave him a real reaming and he came within a inch of going to jail. The US didn't care if it was a Canadian company, it was owned by a US company so the laws applied. The Pres. of Winchester just about crapped his pants and ordered the disposal of Cooey literally the next day. The Winchester sales rep for SK was a friend and told me the story.
 
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