Brief History
Firearms International Corporation, not to be confused with modern-day International Firearms Corporation (IFC), sounds like it could be a shadow company for a villain in a Bond film. But back in the 1960s, it was just another importer of fine firearms. Records and catalogs show that the company was based in Washington, D.C. and imported all sorts of guns, from FN and Sako rifles to Astra handguns.
The company started production of this gun in 1967, reportedly selling the little rifles for under $10. The Gun Control Act of 1968 would see a serial number added to the gun and a slight price jump, but you could easily find them for under $20. In 1970, a company called Garcia – later of the famed fishing reel maker Abu Garcia – took over production and donned the moniker “Bronco” for the gun.
While sub-$20 is cheap for any firearm at any time, it wasn’t as cheap as its predecessor.
The design dates back to the Hamilton Model No 7, also referred to as a “bicycle gun” at times. Those single-shot guns were so cheap that they would be given away as promotional items, with some feed companies randomly selecting customers to get one in their order. If you weren’t so lucky to randomly get one in a bag of feed, you could pick one up from Sears for $2.55 or less by mail. Their marketing strategy largely revolved around youth sales and gifting culture, where I think Garcia also tried to focus its efforts.
Production of the Bronco halted in 1978, and it would be a few years until we saw anything like it again.
Features
This Bronco is a post-1968, pre-1970 model, as it has a serial number but also comes in a Firearms International box with a certificate from the company. I love little details like that, and you can find lots of gems like this in our Collectors Corner. The frame is made of cast iron and resembles more of a skillet than anything that should be made into a gun frame. But that is also part of the allure and charm of this little bugout gun.
The model that landed in my lap is chambered in .22 LR, but they were also offered in .22 WMR, .410 bore, and a combo model that was .22 LR/.410 bore. What at first appears to be a second trigger is the way you unlock the pivot barrel to swing it out and load another round. It also cocks the bolt for the next shot. It’s a single-shot rifle with an extractor rod – like many revolvers – for unloading spent rounds. The rudimentary block safety worked well enough for me.
The barrel is 16.5 inches and features some crude sights with a bladed front and a stamped metal rear. The box says the gun “weighs only 3 lbs,” and I found that to be true when stacking it on the home scale. The skeleton frame helps keep down on weight, giving more credence to the idea that this is a great prepper gun.
I understand why these companies marketed to youth shooters. The simplistic nature, single shot, and the low price point all make for a great rifle to learn the fundamentals of marksmanship and safe gun handling. It’s a gun I would use to teach my daughter the fundamentals when she is ready to learn. There is very little that can go wrong with a gun like this for a first-time shooter, and the light recoil of .22 makes for a great first caliber.
Specs
- Caliber: .22 LR, .22 WMR, 410 bore, .22 LR/.410 combo
- Capacity: One round
- Weight: 3 pounds
- Barrel length: 16.5 inches
- Overall length: 34 inches
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Length of Pull: 14.25 inches
Initial Range Time
Enough tiptoeing through the daisies here. Let’s get down to brass tacks: how did the gun shoot? Upon getting to the range, the prepper gun revelations started to make a bit more sense. It’s an incredibly simple rifle to operate. The lack of moving parts means that if safely stored and maintained, there is little that could deter this gun from effortlessly running through thousands of rounds.
My initial range visit took me to an outdoor range where the shortest distance I could shoot was 50 yards. This was a bit out of my comfort zone for such a basic rifle without great sights. I’m by no means an expert precision shooter or avid small game hunter, so this was a bit long for my taste. Either way, I was excited to shoot the gun, so I eagerly hung the target and ran back to the bench.
There was no recoil from the rifle, not that I was expecting much from .22 LR, but the skeleton stock still had me wondering what the felt recoil would be. The accuracy results at 50 yards on a day with a mild intermittent breeze were less than ideal. Out of 20 shots that day, I was able to put a grand total of four on paper.
Now, a spotter could have been helpful, as it was tough for these old eyes to spot impacts at 50 yards. But the crudeness of the sights won’t do you any favors, either. I found aiming lower than what was anticipated is what got me somewhere on target at the end. Accuracy could have been affected by the bulk .22 LR hand-me-down ammo I had on hand from a friend.
In a prepper scenario, only a deer-sized target would warrant a shot from 50 yards. Even then, I would likely want to try and sneak closer.
Controlled Environment
I wanted to try it again at a more controlled indoor range, with better ammo, and at ranges I would consider more realistic for small game or pop cans. One target would be 20 feet and one at the max range distance of 50 feet. I also wanted to try two different shooting methods, both from the shoulder and off a bag.
Finally, I used two different kinds of ammo just to see if it made any difference. One was the bulk hand-me-down ammo mentioned before, and one was Aguila 38-grain Super Extra Hollow Point .22 LR. In fairness, the latter was probably never meant for this barrel since it’s moving at 1,280 FPS.
Below are the results:
A couple things became abundantly clear after shooting this rifle a second time. First, while the light weight of the rifle is great for carrying or stowing somewhere, it makes it more difficult to keep on target, especially when shouldering. Secondly, it’s tough to get a great sight picture due to the crudeness of the sights, and at distance, it caused me a bit of eye fatigue.
If I were to own the gun and wanted to use it as a tool to teach my daughter how to shoot, I would probably add a bit of orange paint to the front blade. That would help to pop and track it, because the rear sights are very rudimentary, too. Because of the eye fatigue and slow-loading nature of the gun, I couldn’t see it being an all-day range plinker. Even so, it was a fun and challenging gun to shoot and drew more than a couple looks and conversations when I pulled into my stall.
Modern-Day Equivalent
If you don’t want to wait for one of these to pop up in our Collectors Corner, or if you don’t want to pay auction prices, where we’ve seen them listed for as low as $200 but get as high as $1,000, there is another option. Italian firearms manufacturer Chiappa makes a model called the Little Badger, which is essentially an upgraded version of this rifle.
It comes complete with Picatinny rail for mounting accessories and adjustable sights. You can also stash up to 12 rounds of ammo in the buttstock of the gun, a nifty feature not present on the Bronco. What’s more, you can easily break down the modern version, making it even easier to stow as a bugout gun.
But if you’re like me and love the nostalgic aspect of certain guns and the stories they can tell, then you might want to wait for one of these older Broncos. There is something incredibly unique about the finish and function of this gun, not to mention shooting it. It yearns for simpler times, and the stories it could tell are apparent when looking at the box. It gives a sense that it was a well-loved rifle, something you won’t find immediately when you get it brand-new in the modern-day Chiappa version.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Easy and safe to use for first-time shooters
- Last-ditch prepper gun
- Cool antique and collectible gun
Cons:
- Poor sights and no place for an optic
- Better and more modern versions now available for less money
Conclusion
Overall, whether I end up keeping this gun or sending it back to let some other collector of weird and kooky guns have it is TBD. But I have enjoyed my time with it and may even keep it around to see how it compares to that Little Badger in a future review. Ultimately, there are arguments to be made that it’s a great last-ditch prepper gun. I see it better as it was originally intended: a teaching tool for new and youth shooters to get them used to the experience and learn marksmanship.
