A few weeks ago a friend sent me a text asking if I was still looking for a Linden stocked rifle. He knew that I had been looking to add a Linden rifle to my collection for some time. He also mentioned that it was a Hornet, which immediately took me back 30 some odd years when I was studying Monty Kennedys checkering book and trying to teach myself how to scratch up stocks with my dad’s old checkering tools. Well, with the help of Kennedy, Fisher, Shelhamer, Hearn, and the others in the book, I was able to teach myself to do a passable job of checkering.

I’ve always had a soft spot for the Springfield 1922 trainer Hornet conversions. Michael Petrov once told me he tried to collect particular rifles from the individual craftsmen when he could. White’s Wundhammer as an example for him. Well for me, one of those rifles is the Linden stocked 1922 in Kennedys book.

I’ve been looking off and on for that rifle for the last 30 odd years. I can’t pass up a custom Springfield without checking, and “1922 Hornet” is a popular search on gunbroker for me. So when my friend told me about a Linden Hornet, my first question was “is it a 1922?” In due time, pictures were sent, the connection was made, and I was able to bring home a rifle I had been looking for for over 30 years. Other than the addition of a side mount for the Zeiss scope, the rifle is as it is pictured in Kennedys book.






To say I am tickled is an understatement. I never really expected to find the rifle, much less for it to be in the condition it is after all these years. I can’t wait to get some rounds down it and maybe get a ground hog or prairie dog or two with it.

John

Congrats! Is that jeweling in the cocking piece groove?

Greg

Cool gun!

John,
You did great young man!

Wow, what a great story!!! Congrats on the find. A very cool rifle, made even better by the tale.

I love it when a plan comes together. Great story.

Wow- that's not just a piece of history, but a piece of artwork!

I recently picked up that book, and I liked that particular rifle, too. I have almost given up finding any 1922 I can ustify the price of, let alone a custom cover girl.

Congrats on your successful quest.
Beautiful rifle and worthy of the wait.

Hi--very nice--I have always enjoyed looking at rifles from that era
thanks for posting
sydney

A narrowed rear tang. Nice.

Love Story...update 2017.

Beautiful rifle!

Congrats.

Feels good when the plan works... doesn't it?

Lovely piece of Americana.

A wonderful acquisition, but you might want to consider removing the Zeiss and substituting a Unertl Small Game scope or its Fecker or Lyman equivalent, to put it back in original condition.

Is it a single shot, or does it have a working magazine?

quote:

Originally posted by xausa:
A wonderful acquisition, but you might want to consider removing the Zeiss and substituting a Unertl Small Game scope or its Fecker or Lyman equivalent, to put it back in original condition.

Is it a single shot, or does it have a working magazine?

I have thought about that, but wood was removed from the stock for the side mount, so the base for the side mount will have to stay. Trying to fill the void with wood I think would be a bigger sin than just leaving the base. Although the optics in the Zeiss are very good.

The rifle is a repeater. Appears to be done in the same style as G&H, likely by them. I've got a bunch of these and the G&H magazine was by far the best. Just amazing how well they feed those little Hornets.

Thanks everyone for the comments.

John

quote:

Originally posted by xausa:
A wonderful acquisition, but you might want to consider removing the Zeiss and substituting a Unertl Small Game scope or its Fecker or Lyman equivalent, to put it back in original condition.

Is it a single shot, or does it have a working magazine?

Why it is what it is.

Glad you got that rifle, it was fun to handle it at the SCI.

quote:

Originally posted by Evan K.:
Glad you got that rifle, it was fun to handle it at the SCI.

That is a long way from Minnesota.

Hope all is going well.

John