I'm not certain if this is the right forum for this question, but does anyone know anything about a William J Welker of Seattle.
A recent and quite nice acquisition has that roll stamped on top of the barrel.
Any information regarding this chap would be greatly appreciated as I would like to know when he did business or if he is still around.

Kevan, I've seen his name on a couple rifles, both chambered for the .240 PSP (Peterson Super Pooper). Must be a gunsmith that liked that cartridge.

I knew a William Welker here in Las Vegas once. He was very rich, but he wasn't a gun maker.

I've lived in Seattle for 65 years and never heard of him. I have known several fine gunsmiths here, many of whom have passed on. I've also known of a few mediocre guys, but no need to go there.

I'd never heard of the cartridge. So put it into Google.

There is a 240 PSP by the man on Guns America that was originally 243 and re-chambered by another and not him.

Listing Item Number: 937011224 and you can buy it for US $ 2,300! What?

Brice,

did you know Manley Oakley? He was one of the founders of the "Puget Sound Snipers Congress." Imagine starting a gun club today, and calling it that!

Rich

The .240 PSP was invented by Warren Page, of Field and Stream and benchrest fame, and was called the .240 Page Souper Pooper. It is basically a .244 Remington case blown out to .243 Winchester shoulder dimensions.

Page touted it as a long range big game cartridge, but I have used one for years as a varmint cartridge, in a pre-64 Model 70 Winchester I bought in 1966 for $75.00. I had never heard of the cartridge and was buying the rifle for the action, but did some research, tried loading for it, and on the first trip to the range shot a 1 3/4" group at 300 meters with it.

The PSP's predecessor was the .240 Page Pooper, which was essentially the same as .243 Winchester, adapted from the then experimental T65 cartridge which was the predecessor of the new .308 Winchester cartridge. Page discusses the evolution of the 6mm cartridge in an article entitled "A Pair of Sixes" in the 1956 Gun Digest (the first one I ever owned).

I got a .240 PSP , A pre-64 243 FWT, rechanbered and the action converted to left hand by Tom Burgess. I bought it to get the action. (Then never did anything with it except put an '-06 FWT barrel on it for a sheep and goat hunt.) I considered it neither "fish nor fowl". The bore has gotten a little bad and I stuck a pre-64, .243 FWT barrel on it for target practice. Yea, it'll outdo a .243 a little, but doubt you can tell it on game use.

In Seattle since 1946, interested in guns and the trade since the 60's. I have not heard the name.

Dear xausa,
Sure is nice when someone pops in with the correct history regarding a firearm and/or cartridge. This is history the kids will NEVER learn as they are too busy with their i-pods xpods and whatever pods are out there. Never listen to the old-timers who have the wonderful knowledge to share. Too damn bad for sure. Thank you xausa for sharing!!!
Aloha, Mark

quote:

Originally posted by kevan:
I'm not certain if this is the right forum for this question, but does anyone know anything about a William J Welker of Seattle.
A recent and quite nice acquisition has that roll stamped on top of the barrel.
Any information regarding this chap would be greatly appreciated as I would like to know when he did business or if he is still around.

Don't you think perhaps he was the original owner of the rifle? FS

How about Bill Welker... does that ring a bell ?