BobC and I spent an interesting morning over at Dustin Mounts place off Post Oak in Houston. Dustin is cleaning up the stock on Bob's 450/400 3 inch A. Hollis and Sons double rifle. The stock is looking very good!

While he had the rifle apart, Dustin was showing us the insides of the boxlock.


Bob's action is really nice and the water table on his rifle is in much better shape than the one on my Hollis.


What really made our day was the discovery of another link to Harry Leonard. 400 NitroExpress (Mark) has long put forth that Leonard made barreled actions for trades. The proofed barrel actions were ordered and finished by major houses such as Jeffery and others. That's why Mark's, Bob's and my Hollis look just like a W. J. Jeffery rifle of the same period. They were in fact the same rifle, just finished differently by the retailers.

Dustin removed the bottom plate on Bob's action to show us the lifter, sears and hammers. Much to our delight, stamped on the action underneath the base plate were the same three numbers that are found on under rib near the barrel loop. Leonard's serial numbers.

Remove the bottom plate on almost any Jeffery and I'll bet you'll find 3 numbers that match the numbers on the under rib of your rifle.

Next week I will take a light box over to Dustin's and get some better lit pictures.
This has been a most exciting day!

This is great stuff RUSTY!
Thank you for posting it!

Guess Dustin is back from several weeks at Purdey's. Dustin and Sean(sp) are about as knowledgeable and helpful as anyone you could hope to encounter. They always seem to have an assortment of interesting projects underway,do very fine work, and don't ever seem to mind taking time to share insights and tips. Plus, when Federal 215s were damn hard to come by, Sean loaned me a box, then wouldn't take a replacement box when I could finally get my own.

Rusty
I guess I need to take the bottom off of my Edwinson Green & Sons 450 No2... When I get it back.

A very informative morning! Thanks for helping with the photos. Now to get it to the range before the trip to Katte's. Bob

The first time I saw that rifle, I thought that there had to be a digit missing from the Leonard number stamped on the lower rib, because that number was out of sequence with the date of the proof marks (post-1904) and it's A. Hollis number. I have notes on an earlier gun with a lower Hollis number, pre-1904 proof marks, and a Leonard number in the 600 range. The number showing on the lower rib of this one is "85", which didn't make any sense. It looked to me that the die struck at an angle on the lower rib, making the impression of the last digit very light, which must have then been polished away in final finishing. The number on the action now confirms this, and it fits the rough date. I think it's from 1906.

As to proven barreled action vs. completed gun when "bought in", I'm inclined to the latter. We know, for example, that the majority of the double guns that Webley built for "the trade" left the factory complete, as opposed to barreled actions in the white. This was especially true of double rifles. Because double rifles require more specialized skills, a lot of gunmakers that perhaps made their own shotguns in house tended to order their double rifles from the double rifle specialists in the trade, such as Webley or Leonard, and buying them in as barreled actions would thus have defeated the purpose of doing so.

It's true that the finish details of, say, a No. 3 grade Jeffery (which there is little doubt that Jeffery did not finish) are somewhat different from those of the rifles Leonard built for Alfred Hollis and others. These were still hand made guns though, and what was delivered would have been what was ordered. While it's clear that Hollis ordered the same gun, I think Hollis usually just ordered his built to a somewhat higher grade.

Bob really snuck up on that damn gun.
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"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

Rusty,

Thanks for sharing the pictures with us. This is a great thread.

I built a light box and took some more photographs of BobC and 400NitroExpress actions and rifles.

Note the hammers are cocked.

This forearm and the numbers (Leonard's serial numbers) on it proves 400Nitro's views that the rifles were built, assembled by Leonard and then sold to the Trades.
Both BobC, 400 Nitro's and my Hollis are so marked.


The pictures below are of BobC's and 400 Nitro's stock from which Dustin removed excess oil.
BobC's

400Nitro's

Dustin is doing great work. she sure looks purty now, and no more sweating oil from the stock when it's hot. Now to get loads worked up before the trip to SA. Bob

Mark,

Did you get that recoil pad from Roger Clemens before the steroid abuse scandal broke?

I just love this stuff.

Can someone expand on who Dustin is?

David:

Dustin is Dustin Mount. He's Purdey's man in the US. He's an American, but has trained extensively in Purdey's London shop and continues to do so each year. Purdey is also sending over one of their stockmakers to work in the shop for several months annually, beginning in September.

Mike:

I've had that rifle forever. The only thing about it that wasn't perfect was that it just wasn't long enough, so I had J. J. put a small spacer and a 1" Silver's pad under a leather cover. I do wish the wood was longer, but, it ain't.
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"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

Mark,

I was just giving you some shit. That is a beautiful piece of wood, love the fiddleback -- I wish there was more wood there too just to enjoy looking at it.

I think Dustin messed the Hollis up! See how the barrels are crossing now. That's R1 on the left and L1 on the right. Unacceptable!

This is my plinker, 300 gr Hornady spire point at 50 yds and 2140 fps.

Bob

Picture added. I got the 400 woodleighs shooting at just over 2 inches at 50, so I think I may have the loads set. Bob

WTG, Bob!

Bob,

Sorry you are having such problems with your loads/rifle. Please be patient and keep after it, the groups will tighten up. If not, I will be happy to take the Hollis off of your hands.

Rusty:

My eyes are slowly going, but do I see the Leonard serial number etched into the WOOD on the forend? Rather interesting way to "mark" the rifle.

Also, I can't wait to see Mark's rifle in person after he had the excess oil removed. My Francotte .470 has A LOT of oil in the grain of the stock and forend and i'm SERIOUSLY considering having the Purdey guy working his magic on mine.

Wonder how Harry Leonard was related to S.A. Leonard and Daniel Leonard, S.A.'s father. SAL was, I am told, head stocker for Purdey, came to the US after WWI. He stocked a Krag that I have that bears a gold oval "To my friend Anthony Fiala from S.A. Leonard", it has a "Leonard" stamp in the stock under the magazine box. Fiala was a well known explorer and outfitter, designed the Fiala repeating .22 pistol, went on an expedition with Teddy Roosevelt in South America. SAL was partners for a while with George Hyde in Leonard & Hyde, made bolt action sporters on 1903 and presumably other actions. SAL also made some sidelock shotguns and worked for a while for Baker and Kimball in Boston. The stockwork on the Krag is very nice, Mike Petrov has a 1903 stocked by SAL, the cheekpiece shape is identical.