Sheridan Single Shot 'Knocabout' .22 Pistol--Fun from the 50s

[Robert Foote]

I picked up one of these in excellent condition a few years ago. As a kid I had seen them advertised in the Rifleman and always wondered how good they were. They were introduced by the air rifle firm in 1952 with a retail price of $17.95. The barrel was a cast one piece part with fixed sights that tipped up for loading. The frame was comprised of flat stamped steel plates sandwiching the barrel pivot and action. Grips were plastic and the gun looked a lot like a small, flat electric drill. The Rifleman's Julian Hatcher gave the gun an excellent review in July 1953, recommending it for a kit or trap line gun: 'a fine little gun at a moderate price'.

Went out the other day with it; after confirming the zero, I fired off the rest of a box of 50 on small rocks, bottle caps, and so forth. At $17.95 it was no Hammerli, but it shoots better than I do. A blast from the past, if you will.

Anybody else have any experience with these quirky little guns?

[sm]

YES!!
My uncle had one. he lived out in the country, I must have been about 5 or 6. Sitting in his lap, cotton in my ears, shooting pine cones and such. Post a Pic, I had forgotten about those.

[WIL TERRY]

How many of you remember the WHAMO 22 single shot pistol that looked sorta like a COLT WOODSMAN or a HIGH STANDARD?
A pal of mine has one of those he bought back in the early '60's and it is still a shootin' sonofagun par excellance'. I have seen him headshoot squirrels with it many a time.
Or how about the CODY THUNDERBIRD 22 pistol...it is by the grace of GOD I grew up in the days of all those neat little 22 handguns.

[gordo b.]

Or the "RELIANCE" which has a minature bolt action with a spoon handle bolt and a one piece t shaped pistol grip , was made in Canada in early 50s .I sure would like a Sheridan Knockabout for my post war single shot collection.

[slabsides]

I own what is probably the doggiest Sheridan on record. It has had many tens of thousands of rounds through it...bought it new in 1953 for full retail of $17.95. It was my only handgun through most of high school and college, and then was left to my nephew while I spent time on Her Majesty's Service. I can't tell you how many tin cans and other targets of opportunity it has 'holed'. The opening lever is long since broken off, the sear worn to a two ounce pull, and the rifling almost obliterated. Finish? 100% 'patina' with spray can black over that. The amazing thing is that this cheap piece, riveted together so it can't be repaired or altered, and feeling like a hacksaw handle in the hand, was a pretty good shooting machine in its time. Many times I've almost chucked it, but then I remember all the good times, and how good a shot it made my nephew, and how even today it's a passable spider and sparrow piece with shot cartridges, and I throw it...back in the drawer. Too bad there's nothing like it available for young beginners today. They feel a lot better in the hand with the grips wrapped in rubber tape and a trigger shoe on the issue 'paddle'. That's how mine was kept for most of its shooting career.

[Robert Foote]

Interesting to read other people's experiences with these. I think that as I get older I rediscover that 'fun' is spelled '.22'.

I have also rediscovered Ruger .22 autos. My 22 yr old daughter is sufficiently impressed to have borrowed mine indefinitely. I suspect my only chance at getting it back is to buy her one of her own for her next birthday...

I would like to have posted a picture of the Sheridan here but that is unfortunately beyond my very limited abilities.

[HerbG]

Sheridan and Whamo must have made tens of thousands of these little single shots, but I've never seen a used one for sale. Do they have any collectors value?

[75SIZZLER]

I got a Whitney Wolverine, I remember back in the early 70,s shooting it with my Dad. Now I shoot it with my Son. Only have one Magazine for it though.

[Jim V]

Not a .22 but another pistol from that time period that was interesting to shoot was the Kimball. Chambered in .30 Carbine. One of the few Michigan made pistols.

[slabsides]

Based on my experience shooting the Sheridan, I don't understand why the piece isn't still available on the market. Hatcher had it right...an excellent kit gun. The name Knockabout fit it perfectly.
And if experience with the .30 carbine cartridge in Ruger's revolver is indicative, I know why the Kimball was a failure. The report of the M1 round in a short barrel is most unpleasant, and not bearable without heavy-duty ear protection. Plus the Kimball was a species of blowback, as I recall...and marginally (un)safe with the high-pressure carbine round.
On the subject of inexpensive .22 single shots, no one has yet mentioned the Savage 101(?) which had the appearance of a Peacemaker in miniature; or the little Colt sideswing Model 4 .22 short deringers based on the design of the old 1873 Model 3 .41 RF, which were available at about the same time. A cop pal carried a brace of nickeled Model 4's as backup for a while, until I showed him that HS shorts from his gun wouldn't penetrate auto glass!

P.S.: To R.F: Re: the Ruger auto pistol. I've owned six of these, in various configurations, all 'old models' or Mark I's, and never met one that wasn't more accurate than I could hold it, after VERY light adjustment. All the Sport models have front sights that are too high, so they can be filed to zero. The Target models, T512 and T678, are better guns than Colts, Brownings and S&W's that I've shot. Any Ruger .22 auto that won't stay well under an inch from rest at 25 yards is an anomaly, or has a bad shot for an owner. I have little experience with Mark II models, but don't think they are worse than the good old 1969, 1971 and 1976 models in my gun cabinet.

[hap 1951]

Just wondering if you have any information on the history of theses little sweethearts.I have one that was given to me as a present on my 13th birthday.I still have if and enjoy it.shoots straighter than alot of the automatic 22s that i have.

[Bill DeShivs]

I was thinking the other day, that the Sheridan would be an easy gun to manufacture or build at home. Wish I had one to copy!

[slabsides]

Hap,
All I know about the Knocabout is that the Sheridan company that built it was the one who made the 5mm (.20 cal.) pneumatic air rifle. (Later absorbed by Benjamin.)
I bought my SK about the first year that they were available:1953 (see my first post, above.) They cost $17.95 new. The cheapest .22 pistol I knew about at the time. I had already bought and traded away a Ruger Standard Sport model, which were $37.50 at the time. Being in college and broke, without a .22 pistol, wasn't to be bourne, so I ponied up the dough for the Sheridan out of lunch money. I never appreciated how good a design it was, since its ergonomics were so poor, and what I REALLY wanted was my Ruger back.
With its sandwiched frame and hacksaw grip, the SK was the original 'slabsides'! The design was prophetic, though. Since 1953, we have had myriads of guns made with stamped, welded, and cast parts, including classics like the SIG and AK-47. Sheridan was more prescient than anyone knew. I would guess that a similar design made today could sell for around a century note, if the company wasn't too greedy. Whether anyone would buy it is questionable, though. Most cash-short gunners now seem too ready to invest in some surplus military hardware, preferably something that goes bangety-bangety-bangety-bang. Single shots are a specialized niche, filled by such as the Thompson Center guns and their ilk.

[darkgael]

There is a Sheridan Knockabout for sale right now on Gunbroker.com
See: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=113719388

Two Colt model 4s: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=113296311
Pete

[Alleykat]

My old Sheridan Silver Streak rifle is about 45-years-old, best I can remember. Still shoots those little 5mm pellets accurately!

[Stevie-Ray]

And I've had my Blue Streak for almost 40 years. Alleykat, does your's have the automatic thumb safety? Mine has the rocker. Didn't know anything about these Knockabouts, though. Interesting to say the least. I definitely think .22s are the most fun you can have firing a gun. I've got a bunch.:D

[slabsides]

Stevie-Ray:
Yeah, the Sheridan Streaks...Blue for us ordinary folks, and Silver for the uptown crowd! It was because of Sheridan's great reputation with their air rifles, that I was persuaded to go without lunch for a couple of weeks to buy the Knocabout (Note: the pistol was officially the 'Knocabout', no "K" in "knock"...Sheridan played cute with the name.)
Despite the fact that the gun was made with a cast barrel, and the most uncomfortable grip I've ever felt on a pistol, it was reasonably accurate. I don't know if I was just lucky and got one that shot to the sights, or if they all were like that. The fixed sights were cast as part of the barrel. No adjustments possible. Much later, my nephew, frustrated that it shot high for him with the HV ammo he used on dump rats, filed off the front sight and glued on a piece of plastic in its place. Carefully trimmed, it took care of elevation problems. Windage was handled 'Kentucky style'. Safety was handled by a side mounted tab that rotated a hefty round pin in front of the hammer, lifting it from contact with the frame-mounted firing pin. The sear/hammer metal must have been rather soft, because over the years the trigger pull got lighter and lighter. It's now in the 3-4 ounce range. I cock it now with the safety ON, and don't take it off 'til I'm about to shoot. The other fragile part of the gun was the rod that protruded through the front of the trigger guard, which you depressed to tip up the barrel for loading. Somewhere along the line, this rod broke off inside the frame. For years, I kept a small screwdriver handy when shooting it, to pry the locking block out of its mortise and open the gun. Later, I drilled out a hole in the block, and JB welded a new rod into the hole. It took a few bends with Visegrips to get the rod just right to unlock the barrel and not bind in the trigger guard. Yep, I served my gunsmithing apprenticeship on the Knocabout!

[ƒORTE]

Sheridan must be doing something right, they are STILL in business.