This rifle was built by a one arm gunsmith in my area. He was active in the 1950's and 1960's.

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Now that's beautiful! I especially like the forend.

I know!!!!!......

Nice pics Freddy! What cartridge?

Kevin

Wow, must be one of the best checkering designs I've seen. I think this smith had something to prove to himself.

Beautiful, imagine what he could have done with two arms

It probably would have gotten in the way.
Very lovely.

Looks great Freddy! Is it yours?
Butch

Yeowza, she's a beaut.

The gunsmith was Paul Morton. He was somewhat of a legend among gun enthusiast around these parts. Early in his career, Paul was working on a Winchester model 11. This is the one with a mechanism similar to the Rem model 11. You can recognize it by knurling around the barrel just in front of the fore end. Some gunsmiths called them the Widowmaker and rightly so. They had a fiber buffer riveted to the rear of the receiver. When the buffer got old and started coming apart it exposed a rivet that could bump the firing pin as the barrel reached the rear of its movement. It did not cause any problems when the gun was being fired because an empty would be in the barrel at that time. But if you were cycling the gun manually by pushing the barrel to the rear with live ammo in the gun, it would fire when the barrel reached its rear position. Paul had pushed on the barrel with his left hand on the muzzle, blowing off his hand and part of his forearm.

Paul had a short temper and no patience with people who tried to bluff about their knowledge of guns. He was very opinionated and would throw you out of his shop for the slightest infraction. It is really funny how older hunters and shooters around here would brag about being thrown out of Paul Morton's shop, they spoke of it almost as if it were a right of passage.

He was very prolific and built a large number of custom rifles in addition to providing general gunsmithing. A lot of his rifles are still floating around here, I know of one person who owns 7 or 8.

This one is the only one I have been able to get my hands on. I think he was probably in his seventies when he built it and his abilities were fading. His inletting had been much better than this one. It is in 300 H&H, Douglas barrel, Mark X action. I added the modern scope. The checkering was more elaborate on this one because he built it for his father in law.

I know the styling is not pure classic but I look past that and see the great talent this craftsman had. The carved schnabel fore end was one of his trade marks.

I know of one that is a mannlicher with an octagon barrel and integral rib, I am trying to arrange for the opportunity to photograph.

Paul was good friends with another gunsmith here whom I bought my current home and shop building from, Bill Mowrey. Through Bill I obtained Paul's checkering cradle which is unusual to say the least, I will post a picture of it one day.