Pistol-Grip Stock No. 25s

Original style frame with pistol grip stock.

Sometime in 1928 or 1929 Daisy must have decided to make some major changes in the No. 25.  In February 1930, they ran ads in major magazines for the new “Improved” pump gun (see ad below).

This comprehensive change included a new pistol-grip stock, remodeled frame with stock tang, longer trigger, re-styled rounded trigger guard, completely new rear screw-elevated sight, and a different six-groove pump handle.

As Daisy acquired the new parts and ran out of old ones, they must have begun adding the new parts to production guns before the announcement of the big 1930 change, thereby creating legitimate production variations.

Pistol-Grip Stock Variation 1

Original Frame with Pistol-Grip Stock

(1929) 

This particular variation represents the first of these early changes.  This gun has all the characteristics of a long-throw, late 1920s gun with the old, original-type frame, but it has the new pistol-grip stock, secured with the through bolt.  This gun is difficult to find. 

Features:  Old frame with shorter trigger, square trigger guard, No. 40 style, large rear sight, fixed front sight, round claw, case-colors, five-groove pump handle, new pistol-grip stock, stock through-bolt.  Markings remain the same.  The stock does not have the sure-grip grooves on the butt stock.  These did not appear until 1933.  For this variation to be original, it should not have a tang screw hole in the top of the stock.  The tang was part of the next style frame. 

Pistol-Grip Stock Variation 2

New Pistol-Grip Stock, New Frame, and Longer Trigger. Old No. 40 style, large rear sight.

(1929) 

This variation has the new pistol-grip stock and also featured the more modern frame.  While not specifically identified in the February 1930 ad below, that would later introduce these changes, the gun in that ad clearly shows an improvement thought by some not to have come along until 1932 or 1933.  A strap of metal, commonly called a “tang,” had been added to the top rear of the frame.  This strap extended rearward over the top front of the stock and was secured with a screw, making the fit tighter and more stable.  The frame also had a redesigned, more streamlined trigger guard and a longer trigger.

Top gun is a 1929 or earlier gun. Bottom gun is a 1929 or later gun.

The 1930 “Improved” Daisy frame (bottom gun) had a reinforcing tang that screwed to the top of the stock.

Features:  New frame with tang, No. 40 style rear sight, fixed front sight, round claw, case-colors, five-groove pump handle, new pistol-grip stock with through-bolt.  Markings remain the same.

Pistol-Grip Stock Variation 3 – New Screw Elevated Rear Sight; Five-Groove Pump Handle (Late 1929 or Early 1930)

The variation is nearly identical to Variation 2, except that a new screw-elevated sight has replaced the No. 40 style rear sight.

New sight (foreground) compared to old sight (background)

Features:  New frame with tang, screw-elevated rear sight, fixed front sight, round claw, case-colors, five-groove pump handle, new pistol-grip stock with through-bolt.  Markings remain the same.

Pistol-Grip Stock Variation 4

“Improved” Pump Gun

(1930-1932) 

In 1930, Daisy formally introduced the “Improved” No. 25 pump gun.  Finally all the changes were in place.  This variation is identical to the one before except that, for some inexplicable reason, Daisy changed the pump handle to a six-groove version instead of five.

The American Boy – Youth’s Companion – February 1930

Excerpt from February 1930 American Boy ad

Showing new frame, trigger, trigger guard and

Pistol-grip stock.

Top five-groove (1914-1930) compared to

bottom six-groove (1930-1952).

Note that 1930 “Improved” No. 25 retains the claw anchor.

One little recognized change in this variation is that the shooting barrel, otherwise known as the shot tube, was improved and strengthened so that it could accommodate either lead or steel shot. 

Features:  New frame with tang, screw-elevated rear sight, fixed front sight, round claw, case-colors, six-groove pump handle, pistol-grip stock with through-bolt, and modified shot tube.

Markings changed to include patent numbers:

Pistol-Grip Stock Variation 5

Welded Barrel Anchor and Non-Slip Butt Grooves

(circa 1933) 

In approximately 1933, the claw-type anchor, which attached the handhold slide bar to the barrel, was changed to a smaller anchor, which was simply welded to the barrel.

Welded (top) compared to claw (bottom)

In the same year, ads appeared showing the new, non-slip grooves in the butt stock.

No grooves compared to grooved.

Pistol-Grip Stock Variation 6

Fancy Engraving

(1936-1942 and 1945-1952) 

In 1936, the pump gun had only one basic change and it was entirely cosmetic.  But, oh what a change it was!  Daisy added scenes and intricate scrollwork to the frame.  On each side, there is a hunter with his gun and dog and also a pair of birds.  Flowing around these scenes, is scrollwork that includes vines, leaves, and flowers, including, of course, a daisy flower.  Even the indented frame in front of the trigger has this pleasing engraving. 

With the advent of this engraved frame, Daisy ceased producing cocking levers that had the case-coloring.  Some left over case-colored levers were probably used up on the early, engraved guns, however.  Specimens, believed to be original, exist with this combination.

Pre-engraving gun (top) with 1936 style engraving (bottom)

Identical engraving appeared on both sides of receiver.

By 1936, Daisy had started using types of wood besides walnut for the stock.  The replacement wood was a type of hardwood, which has been reported by varying sources to be Poplar, Gum or Birch.  Oak was occasionally used but we doubt it was regularly used for normal production stocks.  All stocks of this variation had the non-slip grooves on the butt.

As early as May 1937, ads appeared saying that the jacket was “gold -engraved.”  Indications of this gold filling appeared in various ads and catalogs up until near the beginning of World War II.  The last pre-war sample we have seen is in the Daisy 1941 catalog.  Manufacturing of the No. 25 ceased in 1942 and did not begin until after World War II.

No. 25 pump gun with No. 300 2-power scope

(available starting in 1938).

In November 1945, following World War II, Daisy resumed production of the No. 25 Pump Gun using the same pre-war “gold engraved” jacket.  This “gold” fill in the engraving gave a very pleasing affect and continued up through about 1954.  By the early 1950s, the No. 25 pump gun had enjoyed such continued popularity and sales that Daisy billed it as the “King of All BB Guns.”

Post World War II pump gun with gold-filled frame.

1946 Daisy Handbook No. 1

Markings remain the same:

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