The Sheridan Knockabout

You probably know Sheridan as the maker of the classic Sheridan Blue Streak pump-up air rifle in .20 caliber. Today, Sheridan and Benjamin are both a part of Crosman, and many of their classic designs are available in .177 and .22, like this version of the classic Sheridan CO2 pistol (now sold as a Benjamin). But between 1952 and 1960 they manufactured a very simple and inexpensive single shot .22 LR pistol, the Knockabout. Made largely of stampings, it originally cost $17.95, which is about $150 in 2012 dollars.

It was advertised as a great tackle box gun, or a good gun to carry on the trapline, and sold well enough to keep the gun in production for nearly a decade. What eventually killed it, I suspect, was the flood of cheap guns from Europe. For the price of this crude single-shot gun you could buy a cheap imported auto, and for the price of two, you could buy the new Ruger automatic pistol, a far superior gun.

Personally, I'd still like a Knockabout for my own collection. A Knockabout and a few boxes of Aguila  Colibri shells would make for great low-noise, low-energy plinking fun. But Knockabouts are rare, and what examples I have seen go for close to $300. And for $300, I can buy something more modern and reliable.