School Me On Cooeys...

[thegazelle]

While long overdue, I am about to join the large complement of Cooey owners, tomorrow, when I am going to buy my first Cooey. Kind of weird that being in Canada most of my life, and growing up with friends whose Dads all had Cooeys, that I haven't bought one by now. I know this is almost a rite of passage for any Canadian firearms owner to own a Cooey as part of our cultural and historical landscape.

I am not sure why I have never owned one, but this one I am kind of buying to help out a buddy of mine (former co-worker that we have remained friends even though we no longer work together). His brother tragically passed away recently and his widow is struggling financially. He had a small gun collection which my friend is liquidating and he reached out to me asking if I'd like to have a pick at anything as he is willing to give me a fairly deep discount. I saw a photo of the Cooey and said I will take that one, sight unseen (more or less, aside from one blurry photo). I think it's had some work done to it with some stock refinishing. It does come with an attached scope from that era. I don't know if his brother inherited it or what the history is. I am really just buying it to help out his sister in law.

While I can go online and research things, which I plan to do - I thought I'd hit up all you Cooey owners out there for anything I need to watch out for, etc. I know we are not talking about a high end performance gun here, and I am generally a "leave it as stock" type of guy, but I typically don't buy an older gun sight unseen, but thought I'd get your feedback on this. I didn't ask him too many questions given the tough time their family is having - I just said I would help out in buying the Cooey.

So what I am really asking is - are there any quirks, idiosyncrasies about the gun that is worth considering, whether some model years are better than others, etc. Thanks in advance for any insight and / or feedback. I'll post some pictures tomorrow night when I come home with it.

 

[HuskyDude]

They're a pretty solid all around entry level shooter.
Are you getting a single shot or a repeater?
Do you know what model it is?
Even if the pic is blurry post up!!

 

[riversrest]

 

[emerson]

Cooeys are a rabbit hole. Start looking at the break action shotguns…. They are generally solid performers, not too expensive for a regular guy to “collect” and a great group of Canadiana items. Often beat up due to decades of regular use, but there can be beautiful examples of what was dependable old school craftsmanship from the 50’s. I picked up a “Sureshot” 22LR yesterday for $150.

 

[Midnight Rider]

Lots of them around , so you can be picky if you want to be . Avoid the semi auto 22s as some had issues ; and avoid the single shot 22s as they get boring pretty fast . If you can find one , aim for a Cooey 60 , or 600 22 repeater . If looking for a shotgun , there are lots of single shots around , and are generally problem free . Just my two cents worth , and we all know what two cents is worth these days...lol ��

 

[Lever30]

Hi thegazelle:

This is a pretty good general reference for the history of Cooey, Daniel Fritter wrote for Calibre:

https://calibremag.ca/cooey-canadas-gunmaker/

Cooey 22 models include a staggeringly long list of names and model numbers, but which are basically three types: a single shot, a bolt action repeater, and a semiautomatic repeater.

Basically Cooey produced a single shot 22 with two different barrel lengths, a 39 (short) and 75 (long). When Olin/Winchester bought Cooey out in 1961, model numbers were changed by adding a '0', for instance, a model 60 became a model 600. There are other varieties in the single shot group which include a military trainer (model 82) and a model 78.

The single shots are great, very reliable and simple firearms. I've owned 3 of them (a 39, 75, and a 'Ranger' 75). They've been very reliable and reasonably accurate. One 75 had been d&t for a receiver sight. I put on a Lyman sight and front globe. Very fun to shoot. The other 75 was newer, and had been d&t for a side mount scope. Very nice to shoot. The 39 was great just with irons.

The 60/600s are tube fed bolt action repeaters with a very particular and odd feeding system. I've owned 5 of these. They can get a bit wonky for feeding when worn. Older models are iron sight only: some are d&t for a sight mount scope (4 holes) either by bubba, a gunsmith, or sometimes the factory. Most 600s are d&t for a side mount from the factory. Some have a dovetail rail for mounting a scope.

If you get one that's d&t without a mount, you can buy a weaver side mount base and rings (two pieces: Base 48402 and Mount 49350). Cabela's usually has them. The original design was for a smaller scope, so it will put a 1" tube scope offset to the right a bit. No problem sighting in with this offset. It can cause some ejected shells to bounce back into the action. I would just tip the rifle over and dump the shell out if that happened.

The Cooey 64s are the same Savage 64 you can buy today, with the exception of some changes in magazine design. Some like them, some hate them. I've got a soft spot for them and like the simple, all-steel construction of the action.

Here's a list of some of the models:

Pre-1961 Cooey manufactured models include:

25, 35, 39, 55, 60, 62, 75, 78, 82, Ace, Ace 1, Ace 2, Ace 3, Ace Repeater, Ace Special, Bisley Sport, Canuck, Canuck 25, Canuck Junior, Canuck Western, Cooey Repeater, HWC, Mohawk, and several unnumbered single shot and repeating sporter rifles.

Post-1961 Cooey firearms made by Winchester Include:

Model 10, Model 39, Model 60 (to 1967), Model 600 (1968+), Model 64, Model 64 Deluxe, Model 64A, 64B, Model 71, 71 Carbine, Model 75, 750, and 750 Deluxe, Model 710, and Ranger.

Shotguns

Cooey manufactured both double and single barrel shotguns for Iver Johnson (Hercules and Champion) during the late 1920s-early 1930s (see Iver Johnson). Cooey also manufactured single shot shotguns.

Pre-1961 Cooey mfg. models include: .22 rimfire smoothbore, 37A, 410, 84, Canuck 25, and Canuck 410.

Post-1961 Cooey firearms made by Winchester include: 37A, Models 84 and 840.

 

[kamlooky]

Most of the time the stocks on these come alive iff’in one was to spend a wee bit oh time with them.

And there is nothing wrong with single shawts fyi.

 

[thegazelle]

Thanks for everyone's feedback. It's a Cooey 60. Looks like tube fed repeater. The scope only has "N3" on it. I don't see any serial number (not that I can see), so not sure if these things were serialized.

I just got home and took some photos as follows:

 

[cooey43]

I've bin collecting Cooeys for a while with a small room full. Your example is a good one. The
N 3 is the scope MOUNT not the scope , typical of the vintage which is Post early 1950's .
Looks in good contation & I would exspect a good shooter. Clean the ; bore , action & bolt face
before you shot it. With a little care & oil kept on it ,,,,, I exspect it to last for decades. ,,,,, Cooey 43.

 

[HuskyDude]

Awesome pics. Gotta love the classic walnut stocks!
After 66, they were called 600.
That's an early one, if it has flat head screws might be older that mid 50's after that Philips screws were used.
Edit: see it does have Philips.
My guess (1955-65)

 

[Potashminer]

A pretty "classic" unit! So long as you do not expect to hit golf balls at 200 meters, it ought to work fine! Be sure to peer down that bore / or run a cleaning rod and brush/patch through and make sure it is all clear before firing it, though.

 

[memaquay]

That's a nice one! I had the same gun, in similar condition, and it was dead accurate with the open sights. Now buy some shotguns, that's where the real loving comes in, lol. Cooey 28 gauge, find one of those!

 

[thegazelle]

Awesome, thanks for the info everyone. I am a sucker for history so I was online trying to find a way to date it. Good to know about the screws.

I just did a quick external cleaning on it and was looking at the scope - looks like it says Weaver B4. Gonna do the internal bore, bolt and chamber cleaning shortly.

Taking it to the club tomorrow so will be fun to see how it shoots. Pretty cool that I finally something for which most of my classmates growing up shot with their Dad on the weekends (my father was not a gun guy so I lost out on this experience). Looks like my oldest son may join me at the club, so that will be cool to do a father and son Cooey shoot, albeit 40 years later...

Thanks again everyone for your insight and feedback. Always great to hear your experiences.

 

[struff55]

no matter what model number there is one single shot 22 all the same action from 1905 to 1978 changes are cosmetic only and same for the repeater
80% of all single shot 22's that come up for sale are worn completely out and no parts available
if you buy a single shot don't buy it with out having it in your hands take the bolt out and move the front half and the back half side to side if there is play it is worn out and you will have extraction issues most people think it needs a new extractor but the bolts is worn out
besides no extractors available

 

[HuskyDude]

Could take your chances a bid on another bolt...

 

[Macarena Man]

Model 75 ... shoots nice.

 

[horseman2]

My dad's tube fed Cooey hung on a nail in the back porch and I recall both his double barrel shotgun and 22 covered in frost.
My cousins talked of going shooting gophers with my day and that would have been prior to 1947.
It was the rifle my dad taught me to shoot with. On my 9th birthday he bought me a box to 22 shorts for 51 cents.
Great rifles with a long history . . . there may have been one on the ark.

 

[Snowballs]

Model 60 = great memories with Dad and a few boxes of Whiz Bangs.