Trego's Mountain Ear

Several rifles Dad had on hand needed repairs when he passed on. One was missing at least two parts – and while I might have been able to file out a new firing pin if I had the old one, without the broken template my chances were not good.

So for years, I have been hunting that firing pin. I finally found a used one – so it looks like I’ll be fixing Dad’s last broken gun. It’s from the “good old days” – the “golden age” of 22 rifles. A time when even the small mass merchandisers had their own names stamped on rifles. The stamp plainly identifies Savage as the maker of this “Hiawatha 587.” I think that Western Auto marketed them as Revelation. This is one of the “gill rifles” – named because of the cutouts on the receiver. (This photo is of the model 87, which I ruled out because the Hiawatha has only one gill on each side)

The next photo (which includes the bolt handle that is missing on the Hiawatha) shows the same gill configuration as the Hiawatha, leading me to look for spare parts under the Savage model 187.

The Hiawatha parts fit into the spaces shown for the 187 . . . so I think I’m on the right path – and if things don’t fit right, there is always the file and the dremel.