SS KRESGEE MODEL 151 SHOTGUN

Yes Johnny, you could buy guns at K-Mart when I was a kid.

My first shotgun.  I bought this little gem at a gun show around 2000 for $60.  I did not own a shotgun at the time and the price was attractive so I decided what the heck.

These were sold in K-Marts back in the day.  SS Kresgee was the founder of K Mart, so it only makes sense.  Just as JC Higgins guns were sold through Sears and Western field were Monkey Wards.

These guns were made in Brazil  by Boito and marked with the Kresgee name, much like many Jc Higgins guns were re badged High Standards, Marlins, etc.  I have always been impressed by the quality of the metal and wood in these guns.  They are not high end by any means.  But they have good blue and the wood is decent.  The plastic parts are not that great and some of them on my gun have broken. What can I say?  It's a cheap gun that is 30 years old.

I like the way that the gun functions very much.  It opens very smoothly and easily.  I need only pull on the release and it falls open and ejects any empty shell well to the rear.  Lock up is still plenty tight and I have not had any issues with it digesting any ammo I put in there.  Trigger weight and take up are nice.  I love the way the gun is taken down as well.  There is no screw to remove from the forearm.  It is held tight by a spring mechanism.  To remove it, you need only grasp the front and pull down smartly.  The forearm pops off and the barrel can be removed by opening the action at that point.  I think it is a superior design to the screw retained arm on the NEF Pardners.

These guns were offered in 12 and 20 gauge, as well as .410 bore.  I have seen them all for sale and none of them command much money.  That is a reflection on the low cost of the guns initially, but also the fact that most people don't know anything about them.  I like the NEF guns, but I would choose the Kresgee over them.  It's just smoother.

My gun came with a fixed full choke.  It disintegrated clays, but was a bit hard to hit with at short ranges.  You had to be very accurate, while others on the range could nick the target with their improved cylinder and modified chokes and score points.  I removed about 1 inch of the barrel to open the choke to approximately modified.  It seems to hit more easily now.  I did not pattern the gun before, so I guess I really don't know if my work did much good. But hey, it's a $60 shotgun, I'm not getting too technical.

My only complaint, other than the broken plastic, is the hammer.  It is a low profile design that is somewhat hard to get a grip on if you are trying to lower it on a live shell.  Coupled with the very strong hammer spring, it makes for some interesting de-cocking.  My thumb slipped off the hammer once and the gun blew a hole in the ground in front of me.  I had it pointed in a safe direction, so no harm was done, but it was embarrassing and a bit scary.  The gun has a transfer bar, but that doesn't help if your thumb slips off the hammer.  I have debated cutting deeper groves into the hammer to prevent a reoccurrence.  I do not like accidental discharges.

SAVAGE STEVEN'S MODEL 62, 64f

Around the year 2000, my Nephew and I were looking for a low cost, semi auto "critter-getter".  We both had experience with the Ruger 10-22 and loved it, but they were too pricey for our budget.  So, we headed to Wally World to check out the selection of cheap rifles.  We ended up coming home with a Savage - Stevens Model 62 in .22lr and a Simmons 3x9x40 scope.  Newer guns are marked as Savage model 64f.  As far as I can tell the guns are the same.  http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/models/

There is nothing too special about these little rifles.  They have a slender steel receiver with standard models wearing a generic looking tapered barrel.  Sights are your standard crappy leaf sight with an adjustable ramp at the rear and a fairly nice steel bead front sight. Both are fitted into 3/8 inch dovetails that are cut into the barrel.  The rifle is fed by a detachable box magazine that is made of aluminium and holds 10 rounds in a staggered stack arrangement.  I do not like the magazine or its release.  They are around $30 each and there are no larger capacity models available.  Basically, the release is counter intuitive.  After 10 plus years of ownership, I have learned to get the mag out quickly, but it should be easier to use.

I do like the safety and its position right where you can reach up and click it off with your trigger finger.  Savage offers different models with different stocks and even a heavy barrel.  Mine has a plastic stock that allows the barrel to float, lending to accuracy.  The rifle is far more accurate than I am, so I can't complain there.


Our initial shooting impression back in 2000 was not too favorable.  We had several failures to feed and failures to eject.  We cursed the gun for a while until we learned that all cheap .22 rifles need a little work to function smoothly.  Once I cleaned up the feed ramp and the magazine lips, she fed fine.  Lesson learned.  It rarely fails today, so long as it's kept clean and fed a diet of decent ammo.  Powder fouling in the bolt will cause jams if it is allowed to build up.

We originally mounted the scope on a set of see-through rings so that we could use iron sights up close or go to the scope for distance.  This arrangement was very effective until the scope was cannibalized for the Mauser.  The rifle currently wears a $6 tasco scope from Wal-Mart.  Woo HOO!  I am in the process of finding a decent set of sights for it.  Truglo or fireights or perhaps a red dot?


I have found the gun to be very accurate, though the trigger is not the best in the world.  I have done some work on the sear to get the weight of pull down.  It's not terrible, but it is not as smooth as I would like.

My main complaint with this rifle is that it is a pain in the ass to clean.  You can hold the bolt open in the recess and just clean the bore, but to really clean it there is more involved.   An Allen wrench will get the stock separated from the action, but to really clean the action, you must remove the trigger group, mag well, and barrel.  It's not technically challenging, just a pain. The trigger group and mag well are secured with screws.  One is a large flat blade, the other two Phillips with scar washers underneath.  Once you have that accomplished, you will need a wrench to remove the large nut/screw that holds the barrel on via a clamp.  Yank the barrel out of the receiver, pull the charging handle out and the bolt drops out.  If it's really dirty, a 20 gauge bore brush and patches may be needed to scrub out the inside.  The bolt gets dirty very quickly, as .22 rifles tend to do.  I have become pretty good at this operation, but it seems like a lot to go through, just to clean a gun.  Especially a  .22.

The action broken down for cleaning

Despite having thousands upon thousands of rounds sent through the barrel, it runs as well today as it ever did.  Accuracy has not suffered either.  Reliability is great as long as it is kept fairly clean and decent ammo is used.  Federal copper plated hollow points and Remington thunderbolts work well for me.  CCI is great stuff too.  These days you shoot what you can find.

 

Would I buy it again?  At the right price, sure.  I would not pay over $125 for it.  And yes, I would still rather have the 10-22.  The great thing about the 10-22 is the fact that everyone makes everything for it and everyone has been there, done that when it comes to customization.  The Savage is a great, accurate little rimfire rifle, but it is not a 10-22, so you are on your own with modifications.