Value of obscure 22-250

[BillinNH]

A friend wants to sell me a 22-250 that seems to be a 1903 Springfield action with a heavy barrel from Gartman Arms, a now nearly defunct company in southeast Massachusetts. It has a Redfield scope base, no iron sights, good quality stock, perhaps walnut, with two very minor blemishes. Gun shoots into one inch at 100 yards. Some slight corrosion on the barrel, not very noticeable.

Bore seemed fine last time I looked at it, i.e., lots of rifling left. The only numbers/letters visible are the line Gartman 22-250 on the barrel and a serial number (sorry, don't have it with me now) under the receiver. All numbers, no letters.

There may be more ID under the front scope base, haven't looked yet.

I am interested in this gun as a way to get into this caliber and longer range (over 100 yds) flat shooting .22 cartridge. Not interested in collectibilty.

I'll try posting some pics.

Thanks .

Bill

[stash247]

I'll not tutor you on collectibility, as you already know, this rifle has NONE.
However, on accuracy, I would lean hard on the Rem 700, the Savage, or the Brno, as base platforms; all(well, two out of three) are cylindrical designs, the Brno being the best 'rail type action' I've ever used!
The cartridge is capable of better results than most men can deliver; why handicap it with a dated, sub-optimal, platform?
If you want a rifle to drive nails, at 300, this is the deal; a 700 SA Rem, with a proven barrel, and hold the loads to the 3500 fps level, for longevity.
You have chosen a proven, versatile caliber, with few bad loads; these, you must work at.

[Xracer]

Hi Bill.....welcome to TFF:

Military actioned hunting or sporting rifles seem to fit into three categories:

Manufactured.....a former military manufacturer uses up leftover parts making a hunting or sporting rifle....eg. Remington 30A, basically an M1917 Enfield made into a hunting rifle.

Gunsmith Job.....military action, frequently rebarreled and converted to a different caliber with a civilian stock.

Sporterized....military rifle, usually in the original caliber, with a cut down stock or inexpensive aftermarket civilian stock.

Yours seems to fall into the 2nd category. Unfortunately, these rifles, unless made by a well known custom gunsmith, don't command much value.

If you like the way it shoots, I'd say that it's about a $150 to $200 rifle.

[LDBennett]

BillinNH:

After WWII there was a glut of military bolt action rifles on the surplus market place. Such guns were sold for just a few dollars (literally). Many were sporterized like yours. So many were sporterized that it made untouched ones valuable today.

Mauser was the inventer (or at least the company that made them popular with the military) of what is the common bolt action rifle. The US Government 1903 Springfield like yours was such a close copy that the US Government had to pay Mauser for the use of their patents until Germany lost WWI (from about 1903). The modern Winchester Model 70, for instance, is also Mauser based and many modern bolt action rifles include Mauser features.

So what? There is nothing wrong with the design of the Springfield you are contemplating buying, especially if it shoots 1 inch five shot groups on average at 100 yds off the bench. Most modern varmint guns don't shoot much better, at least in my experience with my guns, if you average their groups say over 10 groups. My Remington Varmint in 22-250 just makes 1 inch on average.

The only snag is that some early 1903 Springfields had a reciever hardening flaw that seriously affects their strength with high pressure cartridges. Receiver serial numbers after 800,000 got the double hardening process alleviating the problem while lower serial numbered receivers were only case hardened. If the gun of interest is lower than 800,000 serial number I would pass on buying it.

The bottom line: if it shoot well and is in good shape, is above ser. no. 800,000, and the price is right, why not have it?

LDBennett