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Thread: Is Hawleys's Kalamazoo the FIRST example of a .22 airgun? If NOT... WHAT???

  1. #1
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    Is Hawleys's Kalamazoo the FIRST example of a .22 airgun? If NOT... WHAT???

    Does anyone know for sure, or can anyone suggest another as the true 'first' in this caliber?

    I've raised this as a separate thread following a little bit of a quest on the history of the caliber across both GENERAL and COLLECTABLES. Mainly because this is something so generic to what we shoot - and i really can't find the answer.

    If you want to check out the previous posts on these, the topics were as follows:

    Under GENERAL:
    http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....is-the-history
    To identify HOW and WHEN the calibre of .22 (and .177) came from. The end point we've reached is c. 1845 via FLOBERT and the first example of rimfire cartridges. But you'll see the debate has followed quite a varied course.
    [with thanks to, and a lot of input from bighit amongst others]

    Under COLLECTABLES:
    http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....e-from-and-Why
    To identify who 'invented' and/or produced the first example of a .22 airgun. And after much debate covering patents and dates of when different models were commercially available for Quackenbush, Haviland and Gunn, and Hawley (amongst others)...
    ...the winner at the moment appears to be HAWLEY.
    [with thanks to, and a lot of input from bighit and ccdjg amongst others, and by searching though a lot of jimmiedee's fantastic articles on his website]



    So - the question is:

    Is Hawleys's Kalamazoo the FIRST example of a .22 airgun?

    I found on garvin's gallery the following:
    http://forum.vintageairgunsgallery.c...r-rifle-boxed/
    It is described as America's first commercial pneumatic pistol. Available from 1870 (so before the Quackenbush 1871 patent), and the first PIC (all of which are just glorious by the way) shows gun and ammunition - the latter presumably made specifically for the Kalamazoo.

    But when i read all the way through, the only caliber i can see mentioned in this instance is .25.
    NOT .22.

    .....aaaargh.....

    Does anyone know if the Kalamzoo was available in .22?
    If NOT, WHAT was the first airgun made for .22?

  2. #2
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    A possible candidate would be the Haviland & Gunn combination air/rimfire rifle of the 1870's.

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    Quote Originally Posted by draitzer View Post
    A possible candidate would be the Haviland & Gunn combination air/rimfire rifle of the 1870's.
    To quote ccdjg from 'earlier':
    " Hawley's patent is dated 1869, Haviland & Gunn's first patent appeared in 1871, and Hawley's Kalamazoo was already being sold in 1870 in .22 calibre, so I think we can safely say that Hawley pre-empted H & G in introducing the .22 calibre onto the airgun scene."

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    Quote Originally Posted by chieffool View Post
    To quote ccdjg from 'earlier':
    " Hawley's patent is dated 1869, Haviland & Gunn's first patent appeared in 1871, and Hawley's Kalamazoo was already being sold in 1870 in .22 calibre, so I think we can safely say that Hawley pre-empted H & G in introducing the .22 calibre onto the airgun scene."
    Which means - WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!
    YeaaAAHHH !!!

    THE FIRST PATENTED AND COMMERCIALLY SOLD AIRGUN EVER TO BE MADE IN .22 IS THE HAWLEY KALAMAZOO

    garvin's magnificent Vintage Airgun Gallery has pictures:
    http://forum.vintageairgunsgallery.c...r-rifle-boxed/

    Patent granted to Mr E.H. Hawley June 1st 1869. Manufactured and sold from 1870-1880.
    Predates any and all airguns in this caliber either patented or made by Quackenbush, or Havilland and Gunn.
    Available in .22 and other calibers:
    "The earliest airgun catalogue I have is for Hawley's Patent Target air pistol, otherwise known as the Kalamazoo, from 1870, and the pistol was advertised as available in three calibres .22, .26 and .28. [The calibres are actually expressed as 22-100, 26-100 and 28-100, in other words 22 hundredths of an inch etc.]"
    Source: ccdjg from post #5 of another thread:
    http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....e-from-and-Why


    Now why couldn't someone just tell me that when i originally asked the question?

    Does make me wonder why it was offered in 3 different calibers. Nowadays we are used to having a wide range of manufacturers making airguns in different calibers for different uses - with different fans and exponents of each discussing the merits of each and every pellet, size, specification, discipline, trajectory profile, tuning opportunity, etc.

    So what on earth possesses someone like Mr H to not only invent and patent a new type of airgun, but then also decide to introduce a totally new caliber as well to make manufacture a choice of three. Especially when its only use at outset would have been (basically) 'plinking'. Can you imagine the endless debate that would have occurred had the Forum been around then about which one to choose!!!!

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    Thanks for the feedback! You've made me blush... lol

  6. #6
    ccdjg is online now Airgun Alchemist, Collector and Scribe
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    Quote Originally Posted by chieffool View Post
    Which means - WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!
    YeaaAAHHH !!!

    THE FIRST PATENTED AND COMMERCIALLY SOLD AIRGUN EVER TO BE MADE IN .22 IS THE HAWLEY KALAMAZOO

    garvin's magnificent Vintage Airgun Gallery has pictures:
    http://forum.vintageairgunsgallery.c...r-rifle-boxed/

    Patent granted to Mr E.H. Hawley June 1st 1869. Manufactured and sold from 1870-1880.
    Predates any and all airguns in this caliber either patented or made by Quackenbush, or Havilland and Gunn.
    Available in .22 and other calibers:
    "The earliest airgun catalogue I have is for Hawley's Patent Target air pistol, otherwise known as the Kalamazoo, from 1870, and the pistol was advertised as available in three calibres .22, .26 and .28. [The calibres are actually expressed as 22-100, 26-100 and 28-100, in other words 22 hundredths of an inch etc.]"
    Source: ccdjg from post #5 of another thread:
    http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....e-from-and-Why


    Now why couldn't someone just tell me that when i originally asked the question?

    Does make me wonder why it was offered in 3 different calibers. Nowadays we are used to having a wide range of manufacturers making airguns in different calibers for different uses - with different fans and exponents of each discussing the merits of each and every pellet, size, specification, discipline, trajectory profile, tuning opportunity, etc.

    So what on earth possesses someone like Mr H to not only invent and patent a new type of airgun, but then also decide to introduce a totally new caliber as well to make manufacture a choice of three. Especially when its only use at outset would have been (basically) 'plinking'. Can you imagine the endless debate that would have occurred had the Forum been around then about which one to choose!!!!
    There is an interesting page from an 1870 Scientific American magazine currently being offered on you-know-where (item number 371876285953) which illustrates and discusses the Kalamazoo pistol. The article gives a rare insight into the state of the air pistol market in 1870 America, as it says that until the appearance of the Kalamazoo, air pistols were very expensive, prices ranging from 20 to 60 dollars. The Kalamazoo, at 3 and a half dollars, was a major breakthrough!

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by ccdjg View Post
    There is an interesting page from an 1870 Scientific American magazine currently being offered on you-know-where (item number 371876285953) which illustrates and discusses the Kalamazoo pistol. The article gives a rare insight into the state of the air pistol market in 1870 America, as it says that until the appearance of the Kalamazoo, air pistols were very expensive, prices ranging from 20 to 60 dollars. The Kalamazoo, at 3 and a half dollars, was a major breakthrough!
    Original 1870 article here, John.
    Vintage Airguns Gallery
    ..Above link posted with permission from Gareth W-B
    In British slang an anorak is a person who has a very strong interest in niche subjects.

  8. #8
    ccdjg is online now Airgun Alchemist, Collector and Scribe
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    Quote Originally Posted by Garvin View Post
    Original 1870 article here, John.
    Thanks Danny. What an amazing resource the Gallery is proving to be.

    John

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