With the passing of Mr. Petrov, I am not sure where to turn to, I picked up this stock for a 1903 build. The quality of the work is impeccable and thought someone might recognize the maker by the stock?
Many thanks!

a nice looking stock

look in the barrel channel, under the butt plate, grip cap for a name

gary goudy?

I'm no help at all but I really like that stock. I can picture one of my '03's in it with little difficulty.

I agree, when I first saw it I was sure it was made by someone with incredible talent. Everything for the project is coming together. Only piece I really need is a 48 Lyman then I can start rust bluing and final fitting and finishing.

You didn't happen to find several of those did you?

Very nice stock and well worth a proper restoration. I would be very interested in seeing the inletting, and if the tang was reshaped. It is very fortunate that the stock has never been cut for a modified bolt handle. You might try posting over on the doublegunshop forum.



John

Andrew,

I have a long-slide Lyman 48 (105 slide) like the one in that picture that I could probably be persuaded to let go. PM me if interested.

Clarence

quote:

Originally posted by gasgunner:
Very nice stock and well worth a proper restoration. I would be very interested in seeing the inletting, and if the tang was reshaped. It is very fortunate that the stock has never been cut for a modified bolt handle. You might try posting over on the doublegunshop forum.



John

I have tried registering several times to no avail. No markings under buttplate or gripcap or in barrel channel. I'll snap some inetting pics shortly, looks very nice hand done with small chisel marks

The inletting is a big clue. Wundhammer slimmed the tang and rounded the front of the receiver which sets his apart.
The stock looks a little like my Minar and it has a very small and light pencil marking in the bottom of the inletting with superimposed Letters A and M.

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
The inletting is a big clue. Wundhammer slimmed the tang and rounded the front of the receiver which sets his apart.
The stock looks a little like my Minar and it has a very small and light pencil marking in the bottom of the inletting with superimposed Letters A and M.

Your MINAR!, now you have my attention. Would you happen to have any pictures?

John

I apologize for the poor cell phone pics but its late and I just got home from work, some inletting pics

quote:

Originally posted by gasgunner:

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
The inletting is a big clue. Wundhammer slimmed the tang and rounded the front of the receiver which sets his apart.
The stock looks a little like my Minar and it has a very small and light pencil marking in the bottom of the inletting with superimposed Letters A and M.

Your MINAR!, now you have my attention. Would you happen to have any pictures?



John

John, if you look at Steven Dodd Hughes' website. finegunmaking.com and scroll down to bolt actions and then to Minar goes hunting you can see photos of my rifle with photos of the details and the inletting.

Very cool, thank you. I had seen that page before, just never put 2 and 2 together that it was you. I was able to look at Michael s Minar at the auction last fall, but that is the only one I have seen in the flesh. That is a very special rifle, glad you took it out and used it. Also glad you did not have to use it as a walking stick when crossing that stream.

John

The savage m 99 in the photos is my sons and I took a photo of him crossing that stream and he was actually carrying it !

Of course he had it by the barrel in one hand in case he suddenly needed a walking stick !

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
The savage m 99 in the photos is my sons and I took a photo of him crossing that stream and he was actually carrying it !

Of course he had it by the barrel in one hand in case he suddenly needed a walking stick !

.458, the donor rifle I'm using has a modified handle for a scope which I wont be using. What would be period appropriate on a rifle like this , the straight down 03 handle or the one with sweep to it? Thank you for your time.

Since that appears to be a first rate stock and an early pattern I think I would stick with the standard straight drop of the original 03.

I think the stock is very early, and the style is very much Wundhammer or King. Michael Petrov was of the opinion that in the early sporters, the ones out of shops west of the Mississippi generally had a Rock Island receiver, and those to the east a Springfield. So, for me, I would try to find a low number RI barreled action with a early teens barrel date. If it was a NRA sales rifle with the NRA stamp on the forward part of the trigger guard, then even better. I would also find a long slide (150) 48 for it. As mentioned the correct bolt would have the straight handle.

But, that is just me. If you have reservations about shooting a low number action, or if you already have a barreled action you are going to use, then by all means use it. Mostly just be sure to let us see it when you are done.

Good Luck with the project,

John Holliger

I got the donor rifle in yesterday. Only using the barreled action. I removed the scope, stock, bolt, shroud with low swing safety and front sight. I have a Lyman 48 rear and 17 front, straight 03 bolt handle, timney trigger, and the stock ready to fit. Still need to buy 03 bottom metal and a standard shroud and safety. A note on the stock maker, the inletting was perfect, it was like when you pull or install a barreled action into a glass bedded stock. Scary tight. I am impressed.

Sooooooooo disappointed. I picked up a NOS long slide 48, but must be a different version as the inlet on the stock with the sight installed leaves a gap. Looking at the rifle above it appears the older ones had a larger block. Back to looking for another. IF anyone has a lead on an older 48 that is not outrageous let me know

Yes, you will need a older pre-war sight. Like this.



Those are really hard to find. An easier alternative would be this.


I suspect you have one of these.


That would be way to late of a sight for your stock.

Hope that helps,
John

A few in progress pics. Until I can find the age appropriate action that I can afford I will use this one in the meantime. This is the donor rifle. I have a straight bolt handle and appropriate safety to replace the modified pieces:

I used positive stop filler screws to fill in the D&T holes and dressed them down flush:

I also installed a Lyman 17 front sight that was grossly oversized to the ramps dovetail, so I dressed it down to be flush with the ramp:
BEFORE:

And AFTER:

Still will need to locate the older 48 Lyman and rustblue all the metal.

It looks like all the parts are coming together and will be anxious to see how it turns out.

I just found a photo that Michael Petrov sent me last year for an article I am writing on the the Springfield sporters and as it turns out it is one of the Wundhammer rifles of his that I got from the Amoskeag auction






and here is a photo of my Minar 1903 with a Lee Speed taken on a spring black bear hunt two years ago

Phil,
I think that Wundhammer was one of Michael s favorite rifles. Glad you were able to get it. I believe it is the one that he, Monte, and his friend Jon put together from a stock they found at a gun show. Much like the subject of this thread.

Looking forward to the article.

John

quote:

Originally posted by gasgunner:
Phil,
I think that Wundhammer was one of Michael s favorite rifles. Glad you were able to get it. I believe it is the one that he, Monte, and his friend Jon put together from a stock they found at a gun show. Much like the subject of this thread.
Looking forward to the article.

John

You are correct and Michael put is little circle stamp around his initials MP, inside the trapdoor of the butt plate just as he did on any rifle he and Monte restored.

As I didn't want to do anything to the forearm of the stock, I picked up a Talley barrel band and worked it into a half-moon custom barrel mounted sling band.
Before:

After:

After fitting to barrel contour and rounding off sharp edges and polishing. Ready for solder.

Duane, I had no desire to sweat the front ramp off and back on just to fit a band.
Also I have 3 or so german built guns with similar half moon setups that looks nice without doing exactly what everyone else does.

Yes, I ordered their catalog last year, luckily I can read german. Seems to be the last bastion of custom classic rifle parts. As I just do the gun building thing for myself and I am untrained Reckangel money gets put into talley bands, lol

Phil I absolutely love that rifle.
I have a 400 Whelen built on a Springfield action that needs to be in a stock like that.!

This stock appears like some of Clyde Baker's work. Look in the Modern Gunsmithing by Baker last publ. 1940's. He has several Springfield's views with the peep sight. The styles from the early 1900's. I believe that Bob Owens has some of these shaped rifles in some of the books.

I don't know if these early gunsmiths marked their stock work.

Just a couple of cents worth
Les

Got the band soldered on and cleaned up a bit. Tried to position not too far from Schnabel and with a sling have muzzle just slightly higher than top of my head.

About halfway done now, finally got an older Lyman 48 enroute

Looking very good! Thanks for sharing.

I really love those Springfield sporters.


.

The rear sight arrived today. Vintage Lyman 48. Needs a little cleaning up and the base will be reblued but adjusts smoothly and positively.

Looks early 20th century style. I've seen similar designs from Howe, Griffin and Howe, and Alvin Linden.

quote:

Originally posted by Andrew Maxwell:
With the passing of Mr. Petrov, I am not sure where to turn to, I picked up this stock for a 1903 build. The quality of the work is impeccable and thought someone might recognize the maker by the stock?
Many thanks!

The fluting on the right side of the comb is very different, that should be a clue to who the stockmaker was. Every stockmaker has little quirks for lack of a better word that usually identifies his work..other than that it's mostly guess and by gosh. the fact that the wood is good black walnut is another clue of the times, it was the wood of choice in the days of the springfield customs for most.

It is a nice stock for sure and worthy of restoration for sure..the nice checkering has the mullard borders fore and aft and that dates back to the early 1900s as I recall, but has been reinstated over the last 20 years is certainly a most desirable feature IMO. However not many of that era use that feature, so that could possible be a clue to the stockmaker. a good investigation is your best bet and keep after it, sooner or later you have a good chance of positive identication, but it won't happen overnight unless you get lucky..

I really enjoyed looking at these old Springfield customs, they are such elegant rifles..I wish I had a good action to build one for myself in a 250-3000, 7x57 or maybe the 30-06 is required!

1903 trigger guard, pits draw filed out & polished. Ready for trigger bow engraving & eventual rust bluing

Well done, looks great. What rust blue will you use?

quote:

Originally posted by A7Dave:
Well done, looks great. What rust blue will you use?

I've had great results with Pilkington.