By a show of hands, how many here collect old, oddball, .22rf single-shot pistols??? C'mon! Lift those arms up high, must be thousands of us.
Well, that didn't work too well. Let's try this: Have you ever heard of the SM Sporter .22rf single-shot pistol? I just learned of it, saw an article written about it in 1963, and decided I MUST OWN ONE.
My problem is, they only made about 400 of them before they shut down. I wonder how many of them made it to Canada? They were listed as an inexpensive pistol, great for a kit gun or to carry on a trap line.
I would think that by '53 the heyday of trapping would have been over - or at least rapidly winding down. Not a great market for such a weapn.
The company called Alexandria, VA home, but the gun was manufactured by Richmond Parke Corp. of Springfield Mass. And, it was sold through the Parker-Whelen Co. of Washington, D.C. CONFUSED YET?
If not, try wrapping your brain around their serial numbering system. The guns were serially numbered in THREE SERIAL-NUMBER BRACKETS. The first series was Nos. 1 to 50, the second series 2,000 to 2165, and the third series 3,001 to 3199. This did not include any complimentary pistols.
ANYWAY, below is what the little gem looks like and I WANT ONE. If you have an extra one laying around loose someplace, that you'd be willing to part with for a reasonable sum, be sure to let me know.
One single-shot collector in Texas looked at the picture and said, "That's NOT the SM Sporter I had." So now he's spending his time searching for a picture of that "OTHER" SM Sporter. If YOU have any further info on these guns, I look forward to hearing from you. mauser
Well, that didn't work too well. Let's try this: Have you ever heard of the SM Sporter .22rf single-shot pistol? I just learned of it, saw an article written about it in 1963, and decided I MUST OWN ONE.
My problem is, they only made about 400 of them before they shut down. I wonder how many of them made it to Canada? They were listed as an inexpensive pistol, great for a kit gun or to carry on a trap line.
I would think that by '53 the heyday of trapping would have been over - or at least rapidly winding down. Not a great market for such a weapn.
The company called Alexandria, VA home, but the gun was manufactured by Richmond Parke Corp. of Springfield Mass. And, it was sold through the Parker-Whelen Co. of Washington, D.C. CONFUSED YET?
If not, try wrapping your brain around their serial numbering system. The guns were serially numbered in THREE SERIAL-NUMBER BRACKETS. The first series was Nos. 1 to 50, the second series 2,000 to 2165, and the third series 3,001 to 3199. This did not include any complimentary pistols.
ANYWAY, below is what the little gem looks like and I WANT ONE. If you have an extra one laying around loose someplace, that you'd be willing to part with for a reasonable sum, be sure to let me know.
One single-shot collector in Texas looked at the picture and said, "That's NOT the SM Sporter I had." So now he's spending his time searching for a picture of that "OTHER" SM Sporter. If YOU have any further info on these guns, I look forward to hearing from you. mauser
