African Carbines

[USGI]

Originally Posted by painter777
Are your sights like the Model 320K ?

Originally Posted by painter777
320K 1958-1962 .22 single shot bolt action economy sights

Per GI Bob: "It's the 320K"

Part of why I noted there were no factory swivels.

Charlie: Hope you're not staying up past your bedtime waiting for me to post. We got home about 3-1/2 hours ago, I got the pictures sorted out and then started looking in old 2011 threads for the grade you gave me on removing the rack numbers off the grip of that SA stock from WAC.

I never did find it, but saw so many interesting threads (many still with pics) that I've spent all evening checking them out - I saw the names of a lot "our guys" that haven't posted in a few years - hope that most of them are still doing OK. Best I can remember, you gave me a grade of B+. Maybe you can find that old post? Whatever grade it was, you deserve at least a "E" for effort!

Like I said earlier, I just downloaded and found my model in that Mossberg PDF today. Otherwise, I had no idea what a 320K was up until now. I only checked your Numrich link a few moments ago, but the bolt shown there is different than mine - likely from an older gun? Mine doesn't have swivels, but if I said something about them it was likely a comment about that one (For Sale) that had the hooded front sight, swivels, etc. My understanding is that the more expensive models were available with factory swivels - believe I saw that shown in the PDF, also.

I'd better get those pictures added so you can see what the .22 looks like. You can't have the Ford, but I've been wondering what you thought of the recent NASCAR ad that showed a new Mustang "Cup Car" (at speed) on the beach at Daytona with the outer envelope flying off - then a '56 Ford sedan (Fireball Roberts) emerges from it and continues the pace. The rest of the video is pretty cool, too. I always wanted a '56, but the closest I ever came was building a model of one when I was kid! Have fun watching the race tomorrow! - Bob

[jond41403]

I'm the same Charlie, I've never sold a gun either. Don't know why but after I bring them home, we start to think of them as kind of like family in a weird way haha. Kind of like a pet, not long before they're a part of the family and are thought of as such . Not to mention all the fun family memories being made with them. I have traded a few and have regretted it ever since so I don't tend to trade anything either anymore haha. I've liked the things I've traded for in the past but I still end up missing the thing I traded. I guess I've never been in it to make money, only to spend it haha

[W5USMC]

I have sold and traded too many guns to count, I have many regrets! The one trade that still keeps me up at night is when I traded away an original WRA model 12 trench gun, should have known better when I walked into the shop and the owner said "look around and pick something you're interested in." I ended up with a Ruger #1 in 7x57, which I do love and has become my favorite deer rifle, but damn I wish I had the M12 trench gun back.

[painter777]

Mine doesn't have swivels,

You never said anything about yours having swivels. With your plain set of sights and stock having no cheek rest or swivels it matches the Mossberg 320K. Made in the time frame your brother gave it to you: 1958-1962. The last 'New' .22 I bought was made almost 3 years before I picked it up from a LGS.

Look at your 320K on the attached chart. Then compare the attached parts lists, compare your Western Auto to the Mossberg list... Same thing, other than Western Auto address on the bottom.

I think of the older house guns or store guns made by the big manufacturers as being basically the same inside but offering cheaper or less expensive accessories like stock wood, sights, grips, trigger guards etc. This way the Prime maker keeps their advantage on the market having the better options....... like a FANCIER BOLT LEVER among other things.

These Primes sold a lot of 'Clone Named Guns' thru Hardware stores, Sears, Montgomery Wards, Woolworth, J.C. Penny, hell even Abercrombie and Fitch.... etc.

[USGI]

Hey Charlie, you probably think I'm as "stubborn headed" as you - That could be! The day you posted "your" version of the parts list, I compared to see what was the same and what wasn't. I even made a list of p/n's, prices, etc. I thought about posting them but threw out the list, since I figured you saw it was from a later time and covered more than one model. Also, thought you were saying Mossberg didn't make any .22's with swivels. Guess you were just telling me that mine didn't have them?

Your list shows parts for .22's not in production yet when mine was built. Some of the later replacements would likely fit, but I can see differences in the barrel, rear sight parts, and firing pin - to a name a few.

That Western Auto (mailing) address looks like it was likely at Mossberg. The Western Auto store in our town was in a building that Dad said was previously a Gambles store - not sure now if those companies were related or not? I was too young to remember the Gambles. I still have a set of Wizard open-end wrenches from Western Auto - and a similar set that stack together in a clip with a set screw to hold them in place.

I may have been born in the dark, but it wasn't last night! - Bob

[painter777]

Wrenches reminded me of: True Value which used to be called Cotter & Company. I have a set of combo- box/open end that sound similar to yours that were my Fathers marked C & Co.
Add Kmart, Gamble-Skogmo and a store chain in Michigan called Rinks Bargain City to the list that sold Clones or Store brand guns.

I found this (below) last night that I copied/pasted in to my Email drafts to save, but didn't save the link I found it in. It was pretty late.

The “store brand” guns from Western Auto were labeled with the brand name “Revelation,” and were made by Savage, Marlin, and Mossberg. They were the most basic, no frills models with plain birch or walnut stocks, but the finishes were great, the features worked, and the guns were reliable.

I had a pretty good list going years ago on Stores models I have and who the Prime maker was. But have no idea what ever happen to it. I know for sure the Sears Ted Williams 73 rifle I have here is a Winchester New Model 70 bolt gun with different markings. IIRC about 1963 to 65 production and fired less than 40 times.

[USGI]

How about Coast-to-Coast? We had them here for awhile and the one in our town switched to a Do-it-Center or Do-it-Best (all gone now). I can't remember if they had guns or not. I just have one other '22 rifle, a 10-22. Still have a bunch of .22 handguns, though - mostly Rugers. - Bob

[painter777]

How about Coast-to-Coast?

I just found a little bit about them on a reddit forum from 2012, but I don't know how accurate the info is:

"Coast to Coast" is a series of hardware stores founded in 1928. Like many such stores, they sold guns from popular manufacturers stamped as "house brand" guns. Coast to Coast is now defunct, as in 1997 the company was merged into the TruServ Corporation, now know as True Value.

This morning I found a 'Store Brand Cross Over List' on the NRA Museum site. Don't panic when you see the Western Auto 100 listed as Mossberg Model 321...... Or panic I don't care

If anyone has a number of Store Brands this list would be worth printing off or adding to their bookmarks.

https://www.nramuseum.org/media/9409...ver%20list.pdf

[USGI]

Don't panic when you see the Western Auto 100 listed as Mossberg Model 321...... Or panic I don't care

I probably would've except Model 321 is what my newest Blue Book shows in the index pages. I still have one BB that's several years older - will have to look if it's any different.

Hope you saw that RCR's "Rowdy" won Sunday? Ammo Inc. 9mm is selling for $13/box here now. Wonder how many of us it would take to convince Richard to add .30 Carbine to their line? If they could produce and sell it for around $20, I'd buy some. I wonder where they're getting their primers? - Bob

Edit: Just now opened the NRA Museum Link - The pages are straight out of the BB. I'll see if the page numbers match the edition I have. It's the 39th.
2nd edit: Those 7 pages appear to be identical to those in my newer book, but with page numbers from a different edition.
3rd edit: The "store cross-over" in my 20 year old BB is about half a page shorter and has an outdated area code for Numrich on page 1.

[DaveHH]

If you go to the website "Rimfire Central" there is a subgroup dedicated to Mossberg. There guys will know anything you need to know.
I bought one just like that marked Mossberg with a scope in .22 mag. In 1965 for $37 from Cinnabar Rifle Shop (Andy's) Petaluma CA. Traded it to my father for his Browning 1910 .380 to smuggle into VN in 1966.