rare gun

munch · Post by **munch** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:56 pm

there where some pics posted a while back of old hunting shots so i thought i would share this pic and the story that goes with it with all. my father grew up in a house where his father did not hunt but he wanted too so at 13 years old in the late thirtys he talked my grandmother into buying him a used gun(i have never seen another like this gun or met anyone that can tell me what it is)in the thirtys no one had any money and 22 shells where to much to give a 13 year old kid a box and let him shot at every bird and or anything eles that moved in the bush so he was allowed to have 1 bullet and away he would go to the bush and if he came home with a rabbit or something for them to eat he could have another bullet but if he came home with nothing he got nothing until the next day.it was my grandma that taught my dad how to hunt .he died when i was 9 years old but i can remember hunting with him as a kid at the time he hunted with a semiauto browning 22 and shot every thing in the head with 1 shot.he also would go north deer hunting every year in his 1954 mercury panel truck and i remember one year him coming home with 9 deer and 1 bear in the back that he shot that week with his 3030 marlin i guess it was a cold wet week and everyone stayed in the cabin and drank and played cards well he hunted. i think one of the sadest days in my live was 20 years after he died i was running a d7 dozer for a guy and he sent me to clear a small 2 acre bush lot a mile north of my parents house and as i pushed and dug out every tree in that bush and change it into a field i could not stop thinking about my dad and his 22 browning taking my brother and i too thatb same bush at 4 and 5 years old walking around the far side of the tree to put the squrrels on his side so he could shot them . anyhow would like to hear from anone that can tell me what his first gun was called.

Pydpiper · Post by **Pydpiper** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:04 pm

I like that.

munch · Post by **munch** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:06 pm

Pydpiper wrote:I like that.

can you see in the pic how to load it i'll see if anyone figures that out before i post how

fogducker · Post by **fogducker** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:42 pm

wow thats an oldie for sure..i,ll guess the bullets were fed in through the top tube..
and it looks like the projectiles were pushed out the middle tube..as it looks like the trigger is hooked up to the middle barrel ...
as to the bottom tube im

.
.but thats just a guess..i await the true story of it..
nice piece of history to have in your collection

TPM · Post by **TPM** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:52 pm

What you have is a Hamilton Model 11. Clarence Hamilton was a former Daisy air rifle employee who branched out on his own around 1897 when he decided to make .22 "boys" rifles. The original guns (Model 7) were all metal. The name was changed to Model 11 with the introduction of the wood butt stock. Clarence Hamilton died a few years after he started the company but I know his son continued the business. The Model 11 came out around 1902 and I'm not sure how long it was made for. Hamilton went on to make a number of different single shot .22's, mostly break action and bolt actions. They went out of business in 1942. I would guess that your gun was made between 1902 and 1910 though it could be a bit later. The Model 11 is rather rare and is definitely collectible.

munch · Post by **munch** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:59 pm

TPM wrote:What you have is a Hamilton Model 11. Clarence Hamilton was a former Daisy air rifle employee who branched out on his own around 1897 when he decided to make .22 "boys" rifles. The original guns (Model 7) were all metal. The name was changed to Model 11 with the introduction of the wood butt stock. Clarence Hamilton died a few years after he started the company but I know his son continued the business. The Model 11 came out around 1902 and I'm not sure how long it was made for. Hamilton went on to make a number of different single shot .22's, mostly break action and bolt actions. They went out of business in 1942. I would guess that your gun was made between 1902 and 1910 though it could be a bit later. The Model 11 is rather rare and is definitely collectible.

how did you get so smart.

you are the first guy that has had an idea what it is i have showed old gunsmiths this gun and no one has ever had an idea i will google that and see where i get thanks alot i have 6 sisters ans 3 brothers and i'm sure they will not believe i finaly found out something about this gun .not that i care but what do you think they are worth .

TPM · Post by **TPM** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:03 pm

Glad I could offer some info. I collected and dealt guns for many years and one of the things I was into at one time was old single shot .22's. I also read a lot, always have. Later Hamilton rifles from the 1920's and 30's are not all that uncommon. The earlier Model 7 and Model 11 are not as common and of those two your Model 11 is rarer. I've never actually seen one in real life, only pictures. Not a lot of documented history on the early years of the company so detailed info can be hard to come by. One thing I forgot to mention is that the company was located in Plymouth, Michigan.
As for value, it's hard to say. There are a number of people who collect the old "boys" rifles but they don't often fetch big bucks. Yours isn't too common and the right collector may pay a few hundred bucks for it depending on it's condition but don't quote me on that. Of course the sentimental value and family history is priceless.

http://www.auctionflex.com/showlot.ap?c ... n=&lang=En

mikej · Post by **mikej** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:42 pm

i am going to guess it is a break action and loads toward the front of the gun where the rod runs up from the trigger and joins the barrel

awshucks · Post by **awshucks** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:15 am

hinged and stock tips up to load it? I'd also guess it's a single shot? Neat old gun, wouldn't shoot modern high speed lr in it.

wildwindom · Post by **wildwindom** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 7:15 am

Very cool!!

munch · Post by **munch** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 7:35 am

TPM wrote:Glad I could offer some info. I collected and dealt guns for many years and one of the things I was into at one time was old single shot .22's. I also read a lot, always have. Later Hamilton rifles from the 1920's and 30's are not all that uncommon. The earlier Model 7 and Model 11 are not as common and of those two your Model 11 is rarer. I've never actually seen one in real life, only pictures. Not a lot of documented history on the early years of the company so detailed info can be hard to come by. One thing I forgot to mention is that the company was located in Plymouth, Michigan.
As for value, it's hard to say. There are a number of people who collect the old "boys" rifles but they don't often fetch big bucks. Yours isn't too common and the right collector may pay a few hundred bucks for it depending on it's condition but don't quote me on that. Of course the sentimental value and family history is priceless.

http://www.auctionflex.com/showlot.ap?c ... n=&lang=En

if your ever in the woodstock area let me know and you can stop by and have a look at it. i really hope my kids will keep it and pass the story on to there kids . my dad also had a pet black bear when he was young and i have pics of that that my kids like my uncles say my dad use to box the bear at night when he came home from work

Grizzly Adam · Post by **Grizzly Adam** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:05 am

Neat rifle, Munch, and a great heirloom!

How I wish we could go back to the days when boys were expected to have rifles.

Grizzly Adam · Post by **Grizzly Adam** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:08 am

Munch, "google" the search phrase:

Hamilton boy's rifles

I think you'll be pleased.

This is the first site that comes up. You'll enjoy it:

http://home.comcast.net/~jimringbauer/H ... index.html

Farmer · Post by **Farmer** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:11 am

Great looking antique 22 . Enjoyed the story's of your Father as well .

curmudgeon · Post by **curmudgeon** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:52 am

Isn't it great to have an honest forum like this without hardly any bickering, where you can learn about many different hunting related products.

My aren't we lucky guys.