Naughton fieldman semi 22lr

[Nednil]

So first off I'm from Canada and came across this site while researching a rifle I just purchased. I've read a couple pages but I still have some questions. So I'll get to the rifle it's a Naughton Fieldman semi auto loading 22lr with heavy barrel and micro groved it is also in a thumbhole stock. From what I can tell it is all original but has multiple serial numbers and I'm not sure which one to use to find the manufacturing year. Secondly I was wandering what they are worth and if I should have the blue in redone

[deanp100]

The naughton rifles were a very well made package with some nice features for the time. What you have is very rare as most semi autos were destroyed in the 96 buyback so most of us have not even seen one. The manufacturer was a smaller operation and very little exists in the records for serial numbers, build numbers etc but he made bolt action , lever and semi auto 22,s both left and right handed. He also made scopes and scope mounts user the Field name. They are very desirable to collectors and certainly worth re blueing. They are a good thing.

Deano

[pomemax]

https://www.usedguns.com.au/Product.aspx?p=66375
have a look at a bolt action one thought i had see the name

[COLLECTOR 1]

Now im going back here a bit from memory..

They were made in South Australia In the 60's by a guy named Merv Noughton. Most were bolt action heavy barrelled .22 rim fires. They were also built in .22 magnum (22WMR). They were left and right handed with thumb hole stocks. Semi autos were made but from memory only in right hand configuration. I do believe he made lever actions as well.. I don't think they ever built a centre fire. A lot of Merv's ideas came from Sportco rifles here in Australia.

Production was by hand, as a matter of fact everything was by hand . Production stopped in the mid 80's

They were extremely accurate, and as a carry rifle/bunny buster/ plinker a rifle well before their time. Well built and are definitely collectable here in Australia.

Depending on how bad the bluing is I may be inclined to leave the gun original.

Strange to see one has made it to Canada, so im assuming its a private import from an ex-pat.

You sometimes see them for sale at our gun shows and the link above usedguns.com.au

Hope this helps.

COLLECTOR 1

[Nednil]

Thank you for the reply. The blueing and stock show its age that's for sure. I had it at the range the other day and it sure had people wandering what it was. with bulk cci blazer ammo it was shooting 3/4of an inch groups at 50 yards.

[COLLECTOR 1]

I had one years ago, and was checking my records, If you can source some Winchester "Super Seed" (which hasn't been made for some years now) it will do a lot better than that at 50....have fun.

COLLECTOR 1

[headwerkn]

Production in their heyday (late 60s/early 70s) was 10,000-15,000 firearms per year; by no means unobtainium though less common than their Slazenger and Sportco contemporaries on the secondhand market. There's usually a number of bolt actions for sale at any given time, semi autos are somewhat rarer due to their relative lack of saleability these days (and god knows how many got destroyed in the 1996 buyback) with the lever-action being arguably the rarest of the breed.

Values are around AUD$400-AUD$600 depending on condition, action type, stock type and whether or not it comes with a magazine. Mags can be tricky to get hold of and quite expensive when you do. They're also necessary (as far as the bolt action is concerned) for ejection of spent rounds; the 'ejector' is nothing more than a pointed lip of metal on the left edge of the feed ramp. Never seen anything like it; very efficient in terms of production but sensitive to any damage/bending of the mag and obviously doesn't work at all when removed.

I have a bolt-action, thumb hole example with the earlier microgroove steel-lined alloy 16" barrel (later production ditched the microgroove system apparently). Hoping to add both a self loader and lever action into my Aussie collection one day. As Deano mentioned they're a wonderfully accurate rifle, very comfortable and 'pointable' and a highly usable hunting gun.

About the only thing I don't like about them is the trigger guard was plastic, and a lousy, brittle type at that. Mine, like pretty much every other one I've seen, is badly cracked and has been glued a few times. A current project to machine a new one from aluminium is underway - just need to get the mill set up properly.

From memory Merv toyed with some centrefires (.222 if memory serves) but never really left the prototype stage. He passed suddenly in 1988 which ended the business.

Cheers, Ben.