Springfield 1922M11 at LGS

[ilionkid]

Hello to all and thanks in advance for opinions and advice. While visiting a local gun shop today, I saw a rifle that was unusual for that particular store. Marked "Model 1922 M11" Cal. 22, serial #3005B. The barrel is dated 11-25 and the receiver and barrel appear parkerized (dull grey) with the bolt channel parked also. The stock has a small cartouche of a capital P inside a square on the underside of the pistol grip. The bolt has the serial # etched (engraved?) crudely on the underside and M2 on the top of the bolt handle. It has a rear sight with an elevation slide for 125 yards, a small aperture, and a Lyman globe front sight. The bore is bright and shiny. The rifle is on consignment and comes with one magazine. The metal looks great, the wood is in good shape but may have been sanded on. Since this is the first and only one I have seen I can't judge the wood for finish or fit, but overall for a rifle of this vintage it looks pretty good and the Lyman globe on the front indicates some level of target shooting was done or at least tried. The asked price was $975 and my question is twofold: first am I going to get hurt at that price, and second are spares available for common problems? Thanks.

Mike

Information

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[jmoore]

Price? Hard to tell from the one photo, but if there's no permanent mods other than the Lyman front (which hopefully is a bolt on piece) then about equivalent the the rifle I bought about 10 years ago for about the same price.



Parts aren't easy (not impossible) to get (aside from the front sight!), unless you know someone with a private stash.

[Herschel]

The 1922MII is the most often found model of the Springfield .22's. The rifle in question was a 1922M1 that was upgraded in the mid 1930's or later with an M2 Bolt, M2 Magazine and M2 Stock.

On the down side is the shaping of the pistol grip and apparent sanding of the grasping grooves that keeps them from looking as crisp as when they were new. The front sight is probably a Lyman 17A. If so, it can be easily removed and replaced with the correct military post which is the same as is used on the 1903. They are very available and should be a $10 to $15 item. There were some globe type front sights that were installed by removing the front sight base band and replacing it with a globe sight. Hopefully the one on the rifle is a 17A or equivalent. The finish is not original. I would say less than 5% of the issue type 1922 series escaped refinishing.
On the plus side is the bolt being numbered to the rifle. When the M2 bolts were installed the rifle sn was etched on the bottom with an electric pencil. Some digits should be on either side of the joint where the front and rear parts of the bolt meet. The quality of penmanship of the numbering varied. If the number is in the proper location it is probably original. The barrel date would be correct for a gun with that serial number range.

The 125 on the elevation scale does not indicate yards. The clicks on the windage and elevation are 1/2 minute of angle.

The buttplate should be coarsely checkered and without a trapdoor.

I would think the rifle is worth the asking price of $975.00, even with the modifications mentioned.

A used unmodified stock will cost $250 to $300 if you can find one.

Sight inserts for the globe front sight are available. They come up often on the internet auctions. I think about 9 various posts and apertures come in a small metal container.

Spare M2 magazines come up often on the internet auctions. They usually go for $100 to $125. Avoid the aftermarket magazines as they don't have a good reputation for functioning. A correct magazine for your rifle will have a small M2 stamped in the top left side.

FWIW

[ilionkid]

The front sight is probably a Lyman 17A. If so, it can be easily removed and replaced with the correct military post which is the same as is used on the 1903. They are very available and should be a $10 to $15 item. There were some globe type front sights that were installed by removing the front sight base band and replacing it with a globe sight. Hopefully the one on the rifle is a 17A or equivalent.

The front sight looked to be a 17A installed in a dovetail on the front barrel band. I have several rifles with 17As installed and some spare inserts. I have not seen the magazine that comes with it yet, so don't know if it is original or aftermarket.
Thanks for the replies and the help, I just hope it's there when I get there with the money.

Mike

[MK111]

The front sight looked to be a 17A installed in a dovetail on the front barrel band. I have several rifles with 17As installed and some spare inserts. I have not seen the magazine that comes with it yet, so don't know if it is original or aftermarket.
Thanks for the replies and the help, I just hope it's there when I get there with the money.

Mike

If it was me I would run back and put a down payment on the rifle. I just sold the same rifle with a later dated barrel for 1100.00. But it did have a marked M2 magazine.

[ilionkid]

I went back and bought the rifle today after pulling a patch down the barrel and looking at it on the gunvise instead of in the rack. Stopped at an indoor range on the way home to see if it fired. Shot well single shot, magazine is an aftermarket something that seems too short, but haven't had the chance to really inspect it. In other words, it wouldn't feed for uknowwhat. It measures ^1.86" from the bottom resting on a flat surface to the front feed surface of the magazine. Can someone verify what the measurement on a M2 should be? I can get pictures posted on Sunday. Thanks.

Mike

[Herschel]

The correct magazine for your rifle will have three little teeth on each side of the magazine floorplate. The 1922M1 magazine looks just the same but lacks the M2 stamped on the top left side.