Firearms from Estate... Help Me Identify and Restore!

So...I inherited three firearms from my grandfathers estate after he passed on, well, after grandma passed in April. I received the firearms about three weeks ago, but I've been in NJ since then, and just got home to IN yesterday.

The point of all this is, I need help identifying the firearms. I'm pretty good on the 22 pistols (one is a High Standard, one is a Crossman Air pistol). The 22 rifle has me thrown, no paperwork, and no box to go on. Can't find any markings on it.

Also, can anyone help me out with how to take care of these weapons? To get rid of the rust and protect them, I would greatly appreciate the help!

Thanks,

Jim

It seems like I recall a friend's old Mossberg .22 that had that style of grip. It was, however, a semi. Maybe, just maybe, that is an old Mossberg gun...a military trainer?
On the restoration, I personally would start with really fine steel wool and Blue Wonder or another rust removal product formulated for guns (to make sure to save as much of the original blue as possible). BUT-I would check on the value of either before I touched them, they may warrant some professional grade restoration.

I had a Mossberg like that when I was a kid only it was a bolt action, my Dad and I both thought the same thing, that it was an old Military training rifle...it was an accurate lil plinker...very fun, we both regret gettin rid of it.

I agree with the above it looks like an old Mossberg trainer. CMP sold the years and years ago to vetreans

Agree about the Mossberg, and almost cried looking at the High Standard. Sold one like it in my callow youth that had been passed down from a great uncle, and probably will run me about 500 to replace. :22a:

Shamelessly copied from:

David B. Horvath's CMP Mossberg US 44 FAQ
This material is independent of the official LPRGC CMP site
Last Updated March 25, 2007


http://www.cobs.com/lprgc/m44faq.htm


The Mossberg 44 that was sold by the CMP is the U.S. 44 .22 caliber rifle manufactured by Mossberg for the U.S. Military. It is similar to the M42 and M44 commercial rifles and many parts are interchangeable. With the proper magazine, you can use .22 short, .22 long, and .22 LR in this rifle. Without the magazine, you can use it as a single-shot rifle, the magazine holds seven (7) rounds. The rifle has a bull barrel with recessed muzzle; the trigger is not adjustable, the front sight is fixed, and the rear sight is a micro-adjustable peepsight Mossberg S100, Mossberg S133, or Lyman 57 MS (and there may be other sights out there). The barrel is "lead-lapped" which is a process (as explained to me) that fills in the micro-cracks in the metal producing a very smooth surface with very little variance or imperfections. It is also very labor intensive and, as a result, expensive. The process is only applied to the most expensive target rifles these days. The rifles from CMP were manufactured 1943-1946.

The rifles come both blued and parkerized. It is just a matter of different processes being used when finishing the metal. Blueing feels smoother and looks blacker than parkerizing (which looks more of a grey).

I bought my first one as an inexpensive plinking rifle. Then I got my hands on it! Even though they are over 50 years old, they tend to be in very good shape and are very accurate. I ended up buying several more including one that now sports a scope.

Your M44 will come in a sealed plastic bag (mine was dated 1986 giving an idea of when it was last used) covered with some sticky stuff. So far, the best way to get the sticky-stuff off is to wait a day or two for it to dry up and then use #0000 steel wool. The entire action comes off via 2 screws - one large one by the magazine well and the other that holds the front swivel (the screw itself is not removable).

I applied a very light coat of furniture polish to the "furniture". The polish did not seem to soak in at all.

I spoke with Victor Havlin at Havlin Sales and National Mossberg Collectors Association (NMCA). He wrote "Mossberg, More Gun For The Money" which includes information about the M44 and many other Mossberg firearms. It even has manufacture dates. My first one was made about 5/1/43 and was part of a batch of 10,000 and is valued at far more than I paid for it (even adding on cost of magazine, sling, trigger guard, and my time cleaning it up).

Victor is the one who got the magazine manufactured and sells it to Brownell's. As of the summer of 2000, he also had new trigger guards manufactured and is selling them. He has parts and schematics but no manuals. If you don't buy parts, the schematic is $2.00. The book is $24.95 or $39.95 (softbound or hardbound) plus $4 shipping and handling. I got two copies (one for me, one for my Dad; Victor autographed the books on my request). He has a long history with Mossberg.

Victor's company and the Mossberg association can be reached at NMCA, P.O. BOX 487, FESTUS MO 63028, or phone: +1-636-937-6401, or via email at vic@havlinsales.com or cheryl@havlinsales.com. Their web page is www.havlinsales.com.

No other manuals are available for the M44 (that I've tracked down). The schematic gives you most of the information you need. The book gives a little more and suggests the other rifles you can get parts from/for and use with this one (like the Mossberg 42, M144, M12, and M13).

The Mossberg web site (www.mossberg.com) and their 800# are no help at all -- except that they pointed me to Victor Havlin.

when you guys talk about a magazine for the Mossberg...

mine appears to have a tube magazine through the buttstock... is that what you're referring to?

--Jim

The Sportking use breakfree and a brass brush and scrub when most of it is gone use breakfree and a rotary nylon or brass brush as on a dremel. Then use liberal applications of breakfree when not in use. Use a bore cleaner and brush as nec for the bore.