M1922 sold for $2990.00

[gfguns]

Hello

This M1922 sold Wednesday @ Cowans Auction in Cincinnati. Would this be an original condition piece or rearsenaled? The box shows it was sold and shipped in 1957. The bolt is numbered with an electro pencil to the rifle and it also has a spare bolt. The serial number is 1993 and the barrel date is 33.

Thank



Model 1922 M2 Rifle - Cowan's Auctions

Information

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[Cosine26]

I guess that this is illustrative of the fact that your rifle is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
The ad indicates that the rifle was purchased in 1957. I managed to procure a 22 Springfield during that period. They were advertised in the January 1957 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN magazine. There was a large two-page spread announcing the availability of the M1903A3, while the announcement for the sale of the 22 caliber rifles was buried in a small announcement on page 50. Both M1 and M2 rifles were advertised with no choice-one took the “luck of the draw”. Serviceable rifles were priced at $30 plus a $2.85 packing and handling fee and unserviceable at 15 plus the same $2.85 P&H fee. It was announced that no spares were available. Mine was a M1922M1I and came with a SA 42 barrel. It was in great shape but had obviously been refinished and the barrel had been replaced. The bolt was polished and numbered to the receiver.
Herschel can provide more info that I can but I shall give my opinion. Without more detail it is not possible to determine if the rifle had been through depot overhaul or not. According to Campbell, all M2 22’s were parkerized and the one in the picture appears to have a parkerized finish which would be correct. My info indicates that the M2 went into production in 1932 so the 1933 barrel may be original. With the low serial number (<3000) I would expect the bolt to have the Type one (contoured) locking lug without the headspace adjusting screw. As well as I can tell, I believe that the bolt in the picture has the square (indicative of a type 2 or type 3 bolt body) locking lug. This would indicate to me that the rifle had been through a depot overhaul since the practiced was to upgrade all recycled rifles to the latest configuration.
This does not convince me that I have a $3000 rifle.

Just one man's opinion

[gfguns]

I guess that this is illustrative of the fact that your rifle is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
The ad indicates that the rifle was purchased in 1957. I managed to procure a 22 Springfield during that period. They were advertised in the January 1957 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN magazine. There was a large two-page spread announcing the availability of the M1903A3, while the announcement for the sale of the 22 caliber rifles was buried in a small announcement on page 50. Both M1 and M2 rifles were advertised with no choice-one took the “luck of the draw”. Serviceable rifles were priced at $30 plus a $2.85 packing and handling fee and unserviceable at 15 plus the same $2.85 P&H fee. It was announced that no spares were available. Mine was a M1922M1I and came with a SA 42 barrel. It was in great shape but had obviously been refinished and the barrel had been replaced. The bolt was polished and numbered to the receiver.
Herschel can provide more info that I can but I shall give my opinion. Without more detail it is not possible to determine if the rifle had been through depot overhaul or not. According to Campbell, all M2 22’s were parkerized and the one in the picture appears to have a parkerized finish which would be correct. My info indicates that the M2 went into production in 1932 so the 1933 barrel may be original. With the low serial number (<3000) I would expect the bolt to have the Type one (contoured) locking lug without the headspace adjusting screw. As well as I can tell, I believe that the bolt in the picture has the square (indicative of a type 2 or type 3 bolt body) locking lug. This would indicate to me that the rifle had been through a depot overhaul since the practiced was to upgrade all recycled rifles to the latest configuration.
This does not convince me that I have a $3000 rifle.

Just one man's opinion

Here are some pictures of the bolt that was shipped with rifle in 1957. I am not sure how this second bolt with the square lug came to be with this rifle. What other information would be needed to determine if this rifle has been rearsenaled?
Thanks for the feedback
Greg

[Cosine26]

That is the correct bolt for that low number and would indicate to me that it not been overhauled. Just my opinion

[gfguns]

That is the correct bolt for that low number and would indicate to me that it not been overhauled. Just my opinion

Thanks again "Cosine 26" and "Calif-Steve" I appreciate all of your help.
Regards
Greg

[Cosine26]

Let me start by saying that I am not the expert on the .22 Series Springfield – Herschel is.
Without personal examination by an expert, it would be impossible to determine, with certainly, that the auctioned rifle was not “rearsenaled”. My initial comments were based upon the picture which showed a square lugged bolt which would have signified a reworked rifle. By virtue of the fact that the rifle was shipped by the DCM in 1957 with the original bolt would be something of an indicator that it had not been reworked. A low serial numbered, un reworked early M2 .22 Springfield, may be worth $3000 to a collector.
I know that my rifle is not worth $3000 for it started life as a M1922M1, and somewhere during its life cycle it was converted to a M1922M1I. By virtue of the fact that it has a 1942 SA barrel and had been reparkerized I can assume that it was reworked at Springfield during the 1942 time frame; thereby removing any collector value. Whether the conversion from M1 to M1I occurred at this time is unknowable. It was a low S/N M1 (S/N <2000) so may well have been converted before the 1942 rework. I do have another M2 .22 but it is not in collector shape either. The original stock is gone, it has been polished, and is fitted with a heavy barrel, but is equipped with the Lyman 48C and a Lyman globe target front sight.
Just some thoughts.

[Calif-Steve]

You just need one guy to set the market. Nice M1922's don't go for that kind of money out here. I was at a show in Wash. St. a few years ago. A nice guy and his wife came in with an early M1 M1922. Correct and nice. A dealer at a table told them what was wrong with it and offered $300.00 for it. I told them what I thought was right about it and I thought it was worth $1250.00 and to hold on to it. They kept it.