doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Winchester low wall in 22Mag

Gentlemen, I hope someone out there can enlighten me in regard to this rifle I have recently acquired.It is a Winchester low wall with 24" round barrel(7/8" diam)that has been converted to .22 Win. Mag and has a old 10X Weaver scope in weaver mounts mounted on the barrel.Now, that probably isn't that unusual,but engraved on the barrel under the scope is George Gibbs 29 Corn St.,Bristol, Metford's Patent #1011 . It has English proof marks indicating 1952 proofing and underneath the forearm,S/N #1805 is again engraved along with 5.4 and the numerals (large) 222. Also, the barrel has been bored and a liner installed,presumably by Gibbs. Anybody know if and when Gibbs might have offered these types of conversions? Thanks, Marcus

According to the source I found, the 29 Corn St. address would place it between 1858 and 1888. After 1888 it changed to 39 Corn Street.

http://researchpressuk.wordpress.com/2010/02/16/george-gibbs-bristol/

Proof laws are strict and explicit, and I feel sure that re-lining the barrel would have required re-proofing, but I may be wrong about that. That could explain the 1952 proofs, but Chuck Hawks says that the .22 Win Mag as introduced in 1959. Maybe it was a different .22 caliber first?

Curious.

Thanks for the info,Ryan. It's possible I made a mistake on the address, but you may be right about the relining. It was probably done over here after 1959 and just rechambered for 22 Mag.I would assume that the rifle was originally chambered for a rimfire cartridge of some sort,as the breechblock would had to have been converted if it was centerfire,which would necessarily be pretty complicated. Thanks, Marcus

I've seen many relined UK rifles reproofed and stamped 220, and they were all chambered for the 22LR.

It's my opinion, based upon the different stamping, that the reline was originally done for the 22WRF cartridge in 1952 and then at some later date it was rechambered to the 22Mag. JMOFWIW.
Regards, Joe

.22 WRF was/is uncommon in the UK, but if a customer wanted something, the customer got it. Possible in this case, too. Is the barrel original Winchester, with a .22 WRF chamber marking? Or is it a replacement? Does the liner have Metford rifling?

Is the gun itself "new" enough to be an original .22 WRF (I think that became available in 1890, so a LOT of lowalls COULD have been so chambered; tho few were).

Never heard of a Metford rifled .22, let along a liner, but that may just be 'Mercan pig-ignorance on my part.

I have, and love, a .22 WRM Lowall made out of a wrecked .22 plus parts and elbow grease. You'll love yours if the liner is in good shape.

What Mike said.
Regards, Joe

The low wall action must have had the S/N polished out completely,because I can't find it anywhere,but it does have coil springs,which dates it from 1907-1920.What does Metford rifling look like in comparison to std. American rifling?There are no markings on the barrel other than those I mentioned originally.Guys, thanks for the input. Marcus

Perhaps it was a job of work done by Gibbs back in the day, in an obscure English small caliber, and since then re-lined to a modern .22WRM bore and chamber?

Re Metford rifling
As I know it, there are no sharp edges to the lands/grooves, so it looks like very worn out rifling, or spiral "swellings" that are visible going the length of the bore.

As I understand it, the idea was less fouling, especially with black powder.

If it isn't Metford rifling, perhaps he had other patents that might apply? Any way to find out which improvement was covered by British patent #1011?