It’s a bit funny to review a Canadian Rimfire rifle that’s about 90 years old, yet here we are. The Cooey Ace 1 is a single shot, bolt action 22LR made in Canada between 1929 and 1934. It was preceded by the Cooey Canuck and succeeded by other Ace’s, Model 39, and whatever other names there were for Cooeys single shot, manual cocking bolt action 22’s. For those interested in the history of Cooeys, check out Calibre Magazine’s feature or join the Cooey Collectors FB group.
Video Review
Today, single shot Cooey 22’s go for around $100-$200. That means they’re still able to compete with new single shot 22’s like the Savage Rascal or Chiappa Little Badger on a price/value perspective. One thing you’ll find on the Cooey that’s a bit different is that you have to manually cock the bolt. It doesn’t cock on open or close, you have to pull back on the knurled tail to ready the action for firing.
Interesting point of history from my area of the world, a Cooey Ace was used by Bella Twin to protect herself against a world record Grizzly in Slave Lake, Alberta.
One thing I noticed about the Cooey Ace was how light and handy it was. It’s only 1.5 kg (3.4 lbs). There are very few protrusions as well: the front sight is rounded, and the rear sight is compact and doesn’t really snag on anything. This combination makes it really nice to haul through the bush in pursuit of some rabbits or squirrels. And that’s what this little rifle is great for. Throw a few rounds of 22 in your pocket, and take it out small game hunting and it’s in its element.
