If you like the pre-war classics

24 March 2011, 09:44

Michael Petrov

I'm trying something new at the invitation of Steven Dodd Hughes.

I've posted some information and pictures at his web site. As we both have time I will expand with questions & answers with articles.

I've posted pictures of a couple dozen of the better known pre-war makers.

http://www.finegunmaking.com/

24 March 2011, 17:47

Dall85

Michael,

Thanks for the info! Is there a new book in the making? I sure hope so.

24 March 2011, 18:04

xausa

Michael,

Looking at your fine collection of rifles reminds me of a question I have raised with European friends. They seem to think that the 22mm German scopes (Zeiss Zielklein, Hensholdt, etc.) were meant for .22 caliber rifles and not for high power sporting rifles. Noske and Lyman obviously thought otherwise.

I have always preferred the small diameter scope tubes because they don't overwhelm the design of the rifle and don't make a beautifully balanced rifle/stock combination look top heavy.

All of the scoped rifles you display are using the 22mm scopes, although the larger diameter German scopes were clearly avaliable at the time. Do you have any comments?

24 March 2011, 18:48

michaelj

Thanks Michael Great stuff as always

Michael J

24 March 2011, 20:41

Prewar70

Mike,

Beautiful stuff there, just amazing. It seems like the custom makers forgot or intentionally dsimissed Winchester's Model 54 action. Springfields, Mausers, and then the model 70s but the 54s are rare. You know way more about it than I do as it's just an observation on my part. Have you had any discussions or research on why the 54 action wasn't in favor?

When you acquire a rifle, do you always refinish or if the overall condition is of a certain level do you leave it as is? I'm not very old, but the older I get the more I appreciate originality and character.

The next time you post pictures throw some good prewar Model 70 actions in there. Maybe a Swift with a 10x Unertl on a G&H stock or the like!

24 March 2011, 21:21

butchloc

boy oh boy - michael & steve together, what a great combination

24 March 2011, 22:17

Doc224/375

Very Nice collaboration Very Nice indeed . Spectacular examples an pictures !.

25 March 2011, 17:41

xausa

quote:
Originally posted by Prewar70:
Have you had any discussions or research on why the 54 action wasn't in favor?

``````````````````````````````````````````
Stewart Otteson, in the first volume of his work "The Bolt Action" enumerates the weak points of the Model 54:

1. Springfield breech and gas handling.
2. Direct pull trigger
3. Sear bolt stop
4. Two-piece firing pin
5. Steel strap floorplate assembly.
6. Lack of a low-profile bolt and safety.

When you consider these drawbacks, together with the fact that the Model 54 came out in 1925 and the Model 70, which dealt with all of these issues except the first, was on the market in 1936, I would think that the custom gun makers of the time preferred to stick with the 1903 Springfield, rather than switching to the Model 54, since the Springfield shared only three of these weak points.

25 March 2011, 22:53

Michael Petrov

quote:
Originally posted by xausa:
Michael,

Looking at your fine collection of rifles reminds me of a question I have raised with European friends. They seem to think that the 22mm German scopes (Zeiss Zielklein, Hensholdt, etc.) were meant for .22 caliber rifles and not for high power sporting rifles. Noske and Lyman obviously thought otherwise.

I have always preferred the small diameter scope tubes because they don't overwhelm the design of the rifle and don't make a beautifully balanced rifle/stock combination look top heavy.

All of the scoped rifles you display are using the 22mm scopes, although the larger diameter German scopes were clearly avaliable at the time. Do you have any comments?

Well, Like you said they look better

.

These smaller scopes preform well on the 30-06 class of rifle and I've never had or heard of a problem.

I'm not sure how much bearing this has on the subject but most of these early scope were not carried on the rifle but in a belt holster. I've seen many of the holsters and they are all made for the smaller Hensoldt and Zeiss scopes.

25 March 2011, 22:57

Michael Petrov

quote:
Originally posted by Prewar70:
Mike,

Beautiful stuff there, just amazing. It seems like the custom makers forgot or intentionally dsimissed Winchester's Model 54 action. Springfields, Mausers, and then the model 70s but the 54s are rare. You know way more about it than I do as it's just an observation on my part. Have you had any discussions or research on why the 54 action wasn't in favor?

When you acquire a rifle, do you always refinish or if the overall condition is of a certain level do you leave it as is? I'm not very old, but the older I get the more I appreciate originality and character.

The next time you post pictures throw some good prewar Model 70 actions in there. Maybe a Swift with a 10x Unertl on a G&H stock or the like!

I've seen 54's by most of the custom makers who were working at the time the 54 came out. The main reason they were used in the first few years IMO was because the stock was badly designed. Many writers of the day suggested that they be restocked. There is a pictured 54 by G&H on page four of my book.

26 March 2011, 03:13

Michael Robinson

As you say, Michael, "classics" indeed.

Great fluid lines on those stocks. Those reddish stocks with oval cheek pieces and schnabel fore ends are a delight to the eye.

The scopes are odd anachronisms, IMHO, but the rifles themselves are timeless.

31 March 2011, 04:28

SDH

Thanks guys!
We get an awful lot of traffic from here and it's much appreciated!
Best,
Steve

03 April 2011, 00:04

Aaron Little

Now I see how Barney Worthen does it...

05 April 2011, 01:29

kifaru

Add another thanks to Steve and Michael for finegunmaking.com and the addition of the Petrov material.
I love the essentialquality of the pre-war rifles and the quality of the photos really helps to see what the old-timers were up to.