Vintage .22 Restoration

Some projects start with promise. Others start as a pile of rust and missing parts — like this Reliance .22 Long Rifle, built by Paige Lewis sometime around 1910–1915. Often called a “boy’s rifle” in its day, these little single-shots once sold for a dollar or two and were meant to be used hard. This one certainly was.

For essentially nothing but time and effort, this forgotten little .22 is shooting again — and shooting well. At 20 yards, it prints tight, ragged groups despite a rough bore. Proof that even the humblest rifles deserve a second chance.

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