I have posted photos of this rifle here before but just finally found the proof of it's history tucked away in an old magazine.

Does that mean it's ready for a new barrel and re-blue?

Nope! bore is still way serviceable from good care all it's life. Prints as good as the shooter can shoot. The blue and wood speak to the above history, any smith I would label a butcher to touch it!!!

Very nice rifle and story. Great history. If it could only speak.

What a great gun. Love to see a rifle with that much blue worn off. They don't get that way in the safe.

Sweet!
Yep, if that rifle could talk it could tell some entertaining stories ...

I have a Ted Williams Model 100 30-30 WCF that is almost that nicely de-finished on the metal.
Those were made by Winchester for Sears & Roebuck, so it is really a Winchester M1894.
The Ted Williams line of firearms was discontinued in 1978.
Being a Ted Williams brand gun subtracts $100 from collector value for the comparable model of Winchester brand.
Soon Sears&Roebuck will be discontinued too ... Thank the internet and Amazon.com, I reckon ...
What will they do with the Sears Tower in Chicago?


There is more than one way to skin a wildcat.
Riflecrank Incurable Permanente

Great rifle and interesting history.

If only they could talk (besides saying boom!).

You must never touch a bit on that rifle, the rifle has a soul, and if you do something with it the soul will die.
This are a very fine rifle, and you can imagine all the adventure this rifle had went thru.
you are lucky to own such rifle.

Wow what a great rifle with tons of history, you are very fortunate to own such a unique piece.

That's too damn cool!

I have seen the picture of the rifle before. Thanks for posting the letter about its history. Quite a story!

One like that deserves to be taken out an used. Reblueing would certainly detract from it hard earned beauty.

I wish others would post their work worn rifles more often.

I hate to look at a reblued or in many cases a refinished rifle if it has any history at all..

Even my personal rifles tell me a story of a hundred hunts and twice that many memories, the nicks and dings all have a story, the lack of blue is a badge of honor..

My favorite story is the guy in camp that saw my old o6 in the rack in the tent, said "Ah Ha you old bastard you do have a stainless steel rifle, you can no longer deny it" My reply, "Nope take a better look, its a custom rifle with exibition marble cake drift wood and it left all its blue in my saddle scabbard!!"

Never redo that fine rifle...

Well Ray when one gets to our age it is a privilege to show up in huntin' camp with a well used blue steel wood stocked rifle. Often, also for me, I get asked "Is that your ELK rifle?" I reply, well no, it was my fathers but it still kills elk just fine.

This is my grandfather's Mod 54. He bought it new and hunted deer with it until he couldn't see well enough to use iron sights, then he quit hunting.
I remember being in the back of his 49 Chevy pickup which I also have on a deer stand when I was old enough to carry a BB gun and he was using this rifle.

Very cool!

I have spoken to Mr Thomas a few times, as he owns one of the largest gun stores in this area (Gun Sport Ltd in Odessa).

He has an african room behind the counter with only fine rifles...but the rest of the building has tons of old and new firearms.