I agree, it’s a super Krag, here is the other side.

WOW, that is a very nice looking rifle, I'd have never guessed that a Krag could be that handsome. How about you send me that stock and I'll put my little Krag Lovell in it.

Thanks for posting.

John

I love threads like these. Some beautiful rifles.

I've got to get a copy of your book!

Thanks for sharing,
Terry

Mr. Rigby, I have one of Rosenberg's Krag sporters. His Merkel/Gibbs Farquharson that was written up in the American Rifleman in the 1930s was sold in the US two years ago - I was too broke at the time. I am just learning how to use a digital camera and have sold a few odds and ends of rifles - no Krags - with photos on auctionarms.com. But the photos are not good enough for this forum IMO, especially compared to Mike Petrov's ..........

Come on Mark if I can do it I know you can, SDH helped me so I had a leg up. It's funny I'm still not happy with my pictures, but I'm working on it.

I took a lot of pictures this winter, now that summer is almost here I need to spend more time shooting and less time talking about it. Instead of starting a new thread I'll add some now and then to this one if it stays active.

This rifle is for Mark, one of his favorite
1903's.

Kirkwood Bros (and sister) Boston.




This rifle has a lengthened top and bottom tang, a sterling silver trapdoor grip cap I think it held a compass originally. The flatten bolt is not a European influence. Before WWI many men of means hunted out west and in Canada on horse back, this style was popular for use in the saddle scabbard.

Mike didn't you show me TWO Kirkwoods when I was in Anchorage?

quote:

Originally posted by vigillinus:
Mike didn't you show me TWO Kirkwoods when I was in Anchorage?

OK, just for you... Kirkwood No.2. I hope the background color does not hurt your eyes, I was experimenting.

Michael, there is only so much a man can take.

First Kirkwood was acquired by Bob Smith's, and now Bob Smith's is gone as well.

NICE rifles. Why can't we get good gunmakers like Kirkwood in Boston?

(We say the same thing about pitchers, as in:

Why can't we get good pitchers like Roger Clemens in Boston?)

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
Michael, there is only so much a man can take.

First Kirkwood was acquired by Bob Smith's, and now Bob Smith's is gone as well.

NICE rifles.

Yes, the world moves on with or without us, the Kirkwood gunshop was in business for 99 years when Bob Smith's took it over. Kirkwood best know for their shotguns made a few rifles as well.

Those Kirkwood rifles are beautiful too.
I love the good lines of these rifles, along with great workmanship, and good wood.
Who really cares what kind of groups they shoot.
These rifles are BEAUTIFUL....

Don

Thanks guys, there were many regional makers who never made it into the mainstream press and today are all but unknown. Many did nice work and IMO some were as good or better than the well known makers of the day. Don't discount a rifle because there is not a well known name on it.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Petrov:
I agree, it’s a super Krag, here is the other side.

The Krag!

Love the stock on this one. WOW! Nice gun. Still a 30-40 Gov't????

Yes, it's still a 30-40, this rifle is in a private collection. I have a soft spot for Krag sporters when I came to Alaska back during the gold rush, OK a little later, I used a 30-40 Krag sporter for hunting, worked well until I lost it in a house fire.

August Heym (F.W. Heym Company) Suhl, German 1932 My photos do not do this rifle justice, this is an outstanding rifle in everyway. Barrel by Heym using Krupp steel .300†X .308†with a perfect 06 chamber. August was a good friend of Bob Owen who traveled to Suhl more than once to visit him. The Gibbs rifle has what I would think of as German engraving, this one, possible done by August looks more English with the small scrolls. Trapdoor buttplate with a Lyman 48 inside and a trapdoor grip cap.

Michael

STOP IT! NOT!!! Thanks for sharing these beautiful rifles with us along with the history. I have a question about Kirkwood 2. What type of rear sight is on the cocking piece. Kirkwood 1 has what appears to be the Lyman, but I am not able to recognize K2's sight. Again, thanks for sharing and keep em comming

the second cocking piece sight looks like a rigby, but I'm guessing.

quote:

the second cocking piece sight looks like a rigby, but I'm guessing.

That was my thought, but I figure Michael can set us straight on it. And for those who might misunderstand my STOP!, I am being facetious. I have his book and the Precision Shooting articles where he provides the history of many of these fine makers, along with enough eye candy to keep you drooling for awhile. If you don’t have his book, I highly recommend you get it. It and SDH’s books will definitely give you a lot of beautiful gun porn and information.

No misunderstanding on my part, you sharp eyed readers will notice that all the rifles pictures have already been published. I’m sharing them in color and at the same time gathering material for the Big Book.

Regarding the rear sight on the Kirkwood rifle. I call it a Rigby type and the reason is that this sight and both the barrel mounted ones from both rifles came from A.O. Niedner when he was in Malden. In his shop books the barrel mounted sights are noted as “Rigby†when he sold them to Kirkwood. The rear sight is also listed as “Rigbyâ€. However the knurling on this unmarked sight looks like other Niedner work of this time. Did the sight he sold as Rigby come from Rigby or is it a Niedner copy I can’t tell for sure. If someone has any good pictures of Rigby sights from this pre-WWI time period I might be able to tell, one way or the other.

Hot diggity dog, Did I read that right? A "Big Book"? Put me on the list for one. I know these take lots of planning and then the pain of publishing, but any hint as too when we might see it?

I would like to see it finished in the next couple of years but that’s what I said two years ago. I’m still writing articles and have about a dozen to go, at least. I need to set a deadline and stick to it. The other consideration is I would like at least part of the book to be in color so I have to decide how much money I am willing to lose on the project. No matter when I finish there are a pile of rifles whose maker is unknown to me.


Alvin Linden made for his friend Art Vinje, pictured in Kennedy’s book on Checkering & Carving.

That is one cool get-up. Don't think you'll have to worry about the scope falling off. Thanks again for sharing.

John

this is a rigby sight on a rigby rifle-

seems different, altho it's hard for me to see it.

Michael,

Those two rifles you just posted by Heym and Linden are magnificent. Just look at the checkering on Linden's stock.. Amazing!

Thanks for posting the pix.

Don

MP-

On th eHeym rifle, is that a decorative filler block in the base of the Lyman 48? I have not seen soemthing like that and was wondering if it was some sort of block to fit in the slot when the aperature arm was out of the base.

OK, you have teased us enough-is there an ETA for the "Big Book?" Are you taking orders yet?

quote:

Originally posted by Marc_Stokeld:
MP-

On th eHeym rifle, is that a decorative filler block in the base of the Lyman 48? I have not seen soemthing like that and was wondering if it was some sort of block to fit in the slot when the aperature arm was out of the base.

OK, you have teased us enough-is there an ETA for the "Big Book?" Are you taking orders yet?

New book is in the future, when I know everyone will know.

The sight filler was a standard Lyman item although I don't see them much anymore, the sight staff is under the buttplate.

These are beautiful rifles. I have had need for a real Springfield sporter ever since i read Green hills of Africa a long time ago. They are pretty rare over here in Finland. Please excuse my ignorance, but do they cock on opening or closing? How about the Krag?

Boha

both cock on opening. Krags were very well finished.

Krags are fairly common in Sweden and Norway, is it hard to purchase one across the borders?

Thanks! Always nice to get swift answers on these forums!
No problems to purchase across the borders, by the way, some paperwork though.

Boha

quote:

Originally posted by boha:
These are beautiful rifles. I have had need for a real Springfield sporter ever since i read Green hills of Africa a long time ago. They are pretty rare over here in Finland. Please excuse my ignorance, but do they cock on opening or closing? How about the Krag?

Boha

If you like a good read about Africa with the 1903 Springfield may I suggest two Books by Stewart Edward White “The Land of Footprints†Doubleday 1913 & ‘The Rediscovered Country†Doubleday 1915.

SEW with his Wundhammer Springfield

The rifles that cause me the most heartache and enjoyment are the unknowns. I have no idea who made this rifle, the workmanship is IMO great. It’s unusual for a rifle of this vintage (pre-WWI) to have a plain forend tip without schnabel or horn.

The workmanship might be good, but the grip, comb and forend are "odd" and not nearly up to the qualities of the other rifles you have posted.

the receiver sight on that one sure doesn't lack elevation- is that a particularly l-o-n-n-n-g slide?

Steven,
Your right, the rifle does look odd, many of the custom rifles from this period were made by folks who had never seen or made a custom bolt rifle. From about 1910 until after WWI when such folks as G&H , Owen, Hoffman and others set the style there were only a couple of big name makers like Adolph and Wundhammer.

I am fascinated by the rifles of this early period were everyone was experimenting and learning what was good or not in a custom sporter. It later became common for the rear sight spline to be filled or the barrel turned down until it was gone, notice on this rifle the sleeve that covers that area. Even the well known makers had a transition in their style, an early Owen or Griffin does not look like their later work. I may never learn who did the work on this rifle but it’s still an interesting (to me anyway) part of the American Custom rifle history. If I have the time I’ll try to show a few that will not make it to the hall of fame.


TC,
The Lyman 48 (with long slide) was granted a patent in July, 1911 and released a few months later for sale, a shorter slide was not offered until 1919.

thanks for the info; on the subject of that stock, forends in that style were seen on commercial rifles of the period, IIRC.

quote:

Originally posted by tin can:
thanks for the info; on the subject of that stock, forends in that style were seen on commercial rifles of the period, IIRC.

What commercial rifles are you referring to?

The earliest R.G.(Bob) Owen I have seen.

quote:

What commercial rifles are you referring to?

savages, I believe- from memory, now

One time I bought a rifle for the rear sight, sight unseen and was told that the grip had been repaired with tape. When I got it I was a little taken aback by how bad it was and still in one piece, someone had (crudely) inletted a ½†x ¼†x 2†steel flat bar below the surface held with a couple of screws, then everything was wrapped with tape. There was large piece of the toe gone and if it had not been for the very nice buttplate and the engraved floorplate the stock would have go to the wood pile. I removed the tape, two screws and flat bar and the stock fell into two pieces. No way could I justify spending money to have this repaired so like the G&H I refinished I tackled it myself. Thank goodness I was not working on a high quality rifle but I did learn a lot. Maker is unknown however I did trace the owner who’s name is engraved on the floorplate and he was a Chicago attorney.

Learning as I went along I was thinking after it was done I should have made the inletting longer and rounded at the ends so it would blend in better. What say the experts?