It all started out with a Springfield stock which I saw advertised on eBay. It came with barrel and bottom metal, so obviously it had been sacrificed for the action alone.

For some reason I reacted just as I had when I went looking for a dog at the animal shelter. Once this basset bitch fixd her gaze on me and mentally telegraphed the message, "Get me out of here!" I couldn't resist.

The stock sat around for several years, until finally the urge struck me to have a .35 Whelen, and not just a store-bought rifle, but a replica of the rifles I had known in the '50's and '60's. The stock was the obvious starting point.

I had an unmolested Springfield action which I had picked up some time ago also, a period Lyman 48 sight, a Noske scope and side mount and a Redfield banded ramp and Sourdough patridge front sight.

I contacted Mark Penrod and told him about my project and asked him if he sould supply the barrel and bring my collection of parts together. He was tied up with hunting season, but agreed to let me know when he would have time to deal with it.

That time finally arrived and the parts were shipped to Mark. The action was missing a trigger, but Mark referred me to a Canjar model he found listed on eBay. It was promptly bought and shipped to him. Finally yesterday, after a great many eMail and telephone consultations, Mark sent me photos of the finished product. It was exactly what I wanted, but more than I had expected.

Mark had to create a new base for the Noske side mount and he replaced the mounting screws with screws whose heads were perfectly timed. I was more than impressed. Mark even fabricated the blank slide for the Lyman 48 and engraved the Lyman logo on it.

Anyway, here it is in all its retro glory.

Time & money well spent, great looking rifle !!

Very nice! What is engraved on the mount underneath the scope?

Very nice job; makes me sad for the 03 though.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
Very nice job; makes me sad for the 03 though.

I'm not sure what you're referring to, but I bought the action as an action. I didn't tear down a rifle to get it. My first match rifle was built on an 03 action with a Sako barrel and that's what I used until I went on active duty with the Marine Corps and started to shoot an M1.

It's just me. I restore them back whenever I find one that was town down as long as it hasn't been drilled. Yes I have all the parts to do so. A personal fault.
Yours is a nice rifle for sure.

Then I guess my personal fault is wanting a scope mount which leaves the top of the receiver clear for iron sight use when the scope is dismounted.

That said, I prefer to start with a receiver which has already been drilled for a side mount or, even better, already has a side mount in place.

If you ever want to trade that trigger for an 03-2 with a narrowed shoe let me know. If that was recently purchased we were almost fighting over it. Lucky you, nice rifle.

My trigger was purchased on January 17, 2020 and described as "M.H. Canjar Trigger Denver CO 1903 1903a3 1903a4 Springfield Tuned Custom (GM-8)". I believe it has a narrow shoe.

That's the 03-3, mine are 03-2 with the wide trigger shoe, no safety, shoe has been narrowed. You did good with that purchase, still looking. 03-1 has a side safety, no bueno.

That's a nice looking gun.

Beautiful! May I ask what caliber the original
barrel was, and did it have a maker's name, etc?
Great job of turning that stock and parts into a nice rifle!

John

I bought the Springfield 03 action as an action, so I can only assume that the original barrel was .30-'06.

As far as the barrel which came with the stock is concerned, it appeared to be a military 03 barrel which had been polished and blued. No marks of any kind on it.

quote:

Originally posted by BaxterB:
Very nice! What is engraved on the mount underneath the scope?

Sorry to have taken so long to respond, but the rifle just arrived back yesterday. The "engraving" on the scope mount consists of a name (presumably the original owner's) and the date 1940, scratched rather crudely into the steel. That makes the scope and mount one year younger than I.

I'm happy to report that the rifle/stock fits me like a glove and contrary to my apprehension, is not too heavy for a .35 Whelen. Without having shot it yet, I would say it's just about perfect for my needs.

I'm curious as to whether anyone recognizes the rather strange treatment of the cheekpiece as a characteristic of a specific stock maker. There are no marks on the stock, including under the buttplate, to identify him.

quote:

Originally posted by dpcd:
Very nice job; makes me sad for the 03 though.

I have two very nice full military 03s sitting in the safe.

If someone loved them more then I do they could end up owning them.

quote:

Originally posted by xausa:

quote:

Originally posted by BaxterB:
Very nice! What is engraved on the mount underneath the scope?

Sorry to have taken so long to respond, but the rifle just arrived back yesterday. The "engraving" on the scope mount consists of a name (presumably the original owner's) and the date 1940, scratched rather crudely into the steel. That makes the scope and mount one year younger than I.

I'm happy to report that the rifle/stock fits me like a glove and contrary to my apprehension, is not too heavy for a .35 Whelen. Without having shot it yet, I would say it's just about perfect for my needs.

I'm curious as to whether anyone recognizes the rather strange treatment of the cheekpiece as a characteristic of a specific stock maker. There are no marks on the stock, including under the buttplate, to identify him.

Looks like one of Floyd Butlers creations.

Thanks, gasgunner! I did some investigation of Floyd Butler, whom I had never heard of before, and it seems that he knew many of the leading lights in the gun world in the '40's and '50's and that "rams horn" curlicue seemed to be his trade mark. From what I've seen, he appears to have been a very talented stock maker.

Yes, I was also pretty sure it was a Floyd Butler rifle. Nice find!
John