I have a Ludwig Wundhammer stock that’s missing the rifle that I’m working on to restore. The rifle would have had a Ross 1910 sporting rifle barrel band with combination sling swivel, and I have located one, see picture. (Sorry for the poor picture) The stock has the original buttplate (big help) and I also have the proper long-slide Lyman 48.

The proper rifle for this stock would be a 1903 Springfield “NRA Sales rifle†made from 1909-1917. I don’t want to take apart a correct rifle if I don’t have to so I’m looking for the correct one with a bad or replaced stock. The rifle does not have to have the “NRA†marked trigger guard but does have to be a correct NRA rifle. I want the bore to be close to mint as possible (I know, not easy) and no modifications such as scope holes or Hatcher hole.
I would rather not have one drilled and taped for the Lyman 48 because there is no way to know if it will work because the rear tang, and the front of the receiver will have to be ground to fit the stock profile and the holes might not line up. I am not in a rush, I will take the time to find and modify all the parts to make a correct “Wundhammerâ€.

I cant help with the restoration but I do like the large collection of DGJ in the background.

I think we'd all be willing to help if you took some close up pictures of that beautiful stock and maybe some history on Wundhammer

quote:

Originally posted by Prewar70:
I think we'd all be willing to help if you took some close up pictures of that beautiful stock and maybe some history on Wundhammer

A little cut and paste history of Wundhammer, pictures to follow.

An Introduction
June 1996


When Teddy Roosevelt’s 1908-09 trip to Africa was reported in his book African Game Trails describing his use of a 1904 armory-modified Springfield .30-03 as a sporting rifle the shooting public was becoming aware of the bolt gun potential. In 1910 Edward C. Crossman, a well-known gun writer, did a series in The Outer’s Book in which he wrote about having five Springfield rifles made into sporters by Ludwig Wundhammer, a well known gunsmith of Los Angeles. Of the five rifles one would go to Stewart Edward White, author and adventurer. The other rifles would go to Crossman, John L. Colby, Robert Cameron Rogers and a man named Weld. As the public followed Crossman’s series, Metamorphosis Of The New Springfield , over the next three months every detail of the sporterization was reported: How to order the parts from the government; where wood, sights, buttplates and sling swivels could be had; and how they were fitted to the rifles. All of the imported walnut in America was the two-piece variety used for shotguns, single-shot and lever-action rifles. Wundhammer had to go to Ross of Canada for stock blanks large enough for a bolt-action rifle. Also from Ross came the barrel band sling swivels. Butt plates equipped with compartments were ordered from Sauer & Sohn in Suhl, Germany. White’s gun was done first and off to Africa White went. Between this trip in 1910, and his next trip in 1912 he killed 346 head of big game with the Springfield 30-06. The first installment of The Metamorphosis was just out when Crossman had to publish a letter in The Outer’s Book asking that requests for more information on the new sporters had to stop. He had received one and a half pecks of letters and there was no end in sight.


Ludwig Wundhammer
1853-1919
Published "PS" November 1996

From Wundhammer’s workbench, bathed in sunlight under large windows in his basement shop at 153 North Main St. Los Angeles, California a couple of hundred of the finest sporting rifles ever made came to life. I have handed my Wundhammer-Springfield (Springfield Armory No. 623256 barrel date SA 2-16) to several people and without exception every person has said that the rifle could have been made for them. There is something about the way in which the rifle comes up to your shoulder and fits so perfectly. At first glance the Wundhammer rifle looks no different from other custom sporters of the period. Its balance and feel is like that of a fine English shotgun and it points like it is an extension of your body. If I close my eyes, throw the gun to my shoulder and open my eyes I am looking through the receiver sight at the front sight. When I first became the caretaker of this rifle I thought that I must be physically much like the person for whom the rifle was built. Only after so many people had the same thing to say about this same rifle did I learn that it is different because of all the little details that were built into the gun. We can start with cast-off. What is meant by cast-off is that the stock is built out-of-line to the barrel and action. This gun has cast-off for a right-handed shooter. When the stock was laid out and the centerline was drawn on the blank from a point just in back of where the receiver would be inletted a line was drawn to the end of the stock ¼†to the right . If the rifle would have been made for someone who was left-handed it would have been built with cast-on. From this new center line the bottom of the buttplate was then cast-off 1/8†total cast-off for the toe is 3/8â€. The length of pull is 13 ¾â€. This is measured from the center of the trigger to the center of the buttplate. The drop at the comb is 1 ¾†and the drop at the heel is 3â€. These measurements are taken from a line drawn through the center of the front sight through the rear sight, continuing on to the end of the stock. The rifle weighs 7 ¾ lb. and the forearm is 10 ½†long measured from the front of the receiver ring. I promise not to bore you with other stock dimensions in this or further articles. I’m putting this information in because this rifle was made as a prize to be given away in a shooting match I feel that these would have been Wundhammer’s typical measurements and some record of them should exist. Because of all these little details the eye is then brought more in line with the center of the barrel and the sights. Keep in mind that these were the days of iron sights, and scopes on hunting rifles would be several years away. I think Wundhammer understood how a gun should fit the shooter better than any of the makers of his day. Cast-off and other refinements became standard practice in years to come in the custom rifle field but he was the first to employ them.

Ludwig (Louis) Wundhammer was born in 1853 in Bavaria, Germany. At a young age he apprenticed to Joe. Bart Kuchenreuter, a respected gunsmith of Regensburg, Bavaria. From Regensburg he went to Styer in Austria and worked his way into the Styer Custom Shop where guns were made for the royal families of Europe. After Styer, he opened his own shop for a while. Then at the age of 32 Wundhammer immigrated to America. There he found himself in Milwaukee and in his own words moved to California in order to learn to speak English.

On his arrival in California he went to work for one of the best gunsmiths in the state, Henry Slotterbeck of Los Angeles . Slotterbeck and Wundhammer were kept busy catering to the wealthy sportsmen of the then rich-in-wildlife area of southern California. A lot of their work was in the repair of fine English and European double barrel shotguns where Wundhammer would have learned much about how a gun could be made to fit the shooter. Wundhammer continued working for Slotterbeck until that tragic day June 21, 1888. Wundhammer and Slotterbeck were at the rifle range where Slotterbeck was adjusting the front sight on a rifle when it discharged, striking him in the chest and killing him. Wundhammer carried on at Bullard Block, Los Angeles, until 1912 when his address was listed as 153 North Main St. I don’t know if this was an actual move or if the city renamed its streets.

Identifying a Wundhammer:

I know of no work by Wundhammer that is marked with his name. In order to identify a Wundhammer rifle we have to have a better understanding of his work. When inletting a stock he smoked the metal over kerosene, pressed the blackened metal into the stock and removed the darkened wood with a small gouge. Now this sounds like how most stockers did their work but with Wundhammer that was all he used, just his little gouge. No scraper was used and the wood was not sanded smooth. In areas such as the flat receiver bottom, a flat chisel was used. Looking at his inletting you will see hundreds of little gouge marks. Wundhammer’s inletting is first class. Every little turn and bend of the rifle is reflected as a turn and bend in the wood. In a Wundhammer, wood and metal are as close to becoming one as possible. When looking at a rifle that may have been done by Wundhammer keep in mind that he died in February of 1919. Most of his sporters are made on Springfields that still have the original barrel; the barrel date will be present just in back of the front sight.

Many of these early sporters had Lyman 48 Long slide sights. The first model 48 Lyman made was introduced in 1910. Many of the pre-WW I custom guns will be found with this sight on them. Bolts were normally blued , not polished bright or engine turned. The underside of the bolt has a half-inch circle with checkering inside. The safety and magazine cutoff are both serrated, as is the buttplate. Forend tips of this period were normally made with a schnabel. It would be a few years before horn or ebony became common on sporter forend tips. The barrel was reduced in diameter to remove the rear sight spline. There was much published information on the damage to the shooting qualities of a barrel if it was turned down on the lathe and heavy cuts were used. Wundhammer did this work with a file and on the underside you can see the file marks. The top was smoothed and rounded using abrasive cloth. The front sling swivel is mounted on a band around the barrel and through the forend. This band is loose and not soldered to the barrel. Many of the early Wundhammers had a raised portion of wood on the outside of the stock that ran the length of the receiver, much like German Mauser sporting rifles. It was soon leaned that this extra wood was not needed for strength and it was dropped. Although most of my research and writing is focused on the customizing of the Springfield rifle, Wundhammer and other smiths of the day would make a large bore rifle on the Mauser action. Wundhammer advertised the Mauser In caliber .404 and .333 Jeffery. In 1914 a custom Springfield by Wundhammer would cost $55.00; to look at in a more realistic way it would cost a working man one month’s pay. Henry Ford’s Wundhammer with engraved trigger guard and floor plate and craved stock cost $100.00 If money were no object and you wanted the best you could get , you got in line and hoped that it would not be long before your name was at the top of the list. Among Wundhammer’s well known customers were Edward Crossman, Townsend Whelen, Teddy Roosevelt, General Ainsworth, Henry Ford and Stewart Edward White. These rifles were made to be used. They were not show pieces made to grace someone’s gun rack and used only as conversation pieces. White carried his across Africa . Jay Williams of Alaska, while working in bear country, said “ My Wundhammer was picked up in the morning as regularly as my hat.†Williams’ Wundhammer was his daily companion for thirty years and was used so much that at the time the rifle was lost in a boat fire it was on it’s fourth barrel and second receiver. In 1929 White met Williams and saw this rifle and expressed surprise and appreciation at meeting the companion to his own gun.

I did learn a couple of other interesting things while doing research on Wundhammer. Slotterbeck bought out the business from the founding gunsmith of LA, Henry Schaffer who retired in 1872 to grow flowers. The business went from Schaffer to Slotterbeck to Wundhammer to Ross King who later moved the shop to Roseburg, OR. Then in 1936 King retired and sold out to a young man by the name of P. O. Ackley. In the fall of 1916 one Mr. Russell Mott after a successful hunt in the Alberta wilderness packed his Wundhammer-Springfield in a case and hurried out to see how the war was going. He made camp late one night and left early the next morning. That evening he realized that the Wundhammer had been left behind but the camp site could not be found.

I have seen rifles that had better checkering , finer wood and engraving from one end to the other but of all the rifles I have handled none have the balance and feel of a Wundhammer. Crossman wrote in Outer’s Book of June 1911 “ Never a rifleman tried one of Wundhammer’s sporting Springfields that did not marvel at the perfect hang of the rifle and the perfect proportions of the stock, the shape of the grip, the sharp, even, checkering and the finish of the wood.â€

Ludwig Wundhammer is on my list of endangered gunsmiths; his name is at the point were he is almost forgotten and only a few rifles are now identified as having been made by his hand. The name Wundhammer means very little to the riflemen of today. If anything his name is remembered in reference to the Wundhammer swell, developed by him. This is a raised part of the pistol grip that fits the swell of the palm of your hand. Wundhammer took a homely weapon of war and turned it into a graceful and beautiful sporting rifle. Many people have taken the same parts and assembled them to make a gun but very few, like Wundhammer, can be called a gun-maker.


I could not end this better than Mr. W.A. Rathbun did in a letter to the Editor of Outdoor Life March 1919 : “With greatest regrets to you and brother readers of our magazine I wish to announce the death of Ludwig Wundhammer, an artist in all pertaining to firearms. I had worked with Mr. Wundhammer a considerable time before his death, which occurred on February 26, 1919. I can truthfully say that I never was associated with a more able man in his line or a more perfect and kind-hearted old gentleman. Even tho he has left this world of life and labor for a spiritual existence, of which we mortals know little, I know that this departed artist will be remembered by all gun men.â€

For those who may not know what a "NRA" sales rifle is.

“The pre-WWI Springfield Model 1903 rifle we commonly refer to as the “N.R.A. Sales Rifle†was originally designated the “U.S. Rifle, Cal. .30, Model 1903, Specially Selected, Star Gauged, and Targeted.†Most rifles were not originally marked “N.R.A.â€; the marking was applied much later.

Sale of these rifles was originally limited to members of the armed services and Life Members of the National Rifle Association (NRA). The rifles were manufactured by both Springfield Armory and by Rock Island Arsenal. The first rifles were selected for sale in 1908. The rifles were generally manufactured in special batches with several larger and later batches being consecutively serialized.

Examination of extant specimens shows that the rifles were superior to regular service-grade rifles. In addition to having star-gauged barrels, the rifles also had a higher grade of wood in the stock and handguard and the fit and finish were superior. Some later rifles had a fine blued finish on the receiver in lieu of the standard casehardened finish found on service-grade rifles.

A few rifles are found today fitted with vintage Lyman 48 long slide rear sights. The quality of fit and workmanship suggests the sights were fitted at the armories and were perhaps offered on special order. In addition, a few rifles were converted by fine gunmakers into vintage custom sporters or international free-style match rifles.

In about 1915, a Model 1903 rifle was seized and the owner charged with possessing stolen government property. A subsequent investigation showed that the rifle had been purchased legally through the sales program. Following dismissal of the court case, Gen. William Crozier, Chief of Ordnance, ordered that all sales rifles be marked. Owners were contacted and arrangements were made to have the trigger guards marked “N.R.A.†along with the Ordnance Shell and Flame on the forward portion of the trigger guard. As might be expected, not all rifles were located and marked.

The exact quantity of rifles sold has not been determined. A survey of extant serial numbers suggests the quantity was about 10,000 or more. Sale of Model 1903 rifles to Life Members of the NRA was suspended in 1917 following U.S. entry into World War I.â€


The practice of stamping a small star at the six o’clock position on the muzzle on star gauge rifles was started years after the “NRA†sales rifles were made.

Michael

I'd imagine what your asking for would be a very personal and hands on job

I hardly realised you had a gun stock in the photo, there was a lot of other stuff in that photo, that was one very busy background.

Take some more pictures of the stock with a plain white background, use a bed sheet or towel, a few close ups of the inletting any cracks you might see etc.....

Then you might get some more input

regards
S&F

Great info on Wundhammer and the NRA Springfields. A very enjoyable read. Thanks for posting it!
Larkin

ShortandFat,

I couldn't help but think from your post that you are unaware of who Michael is exactly. If anyone knows how to take a picture of a rifle it's him. I'm guessing he was in a bit of a hurry is all. Kinda funny actually.

Michael, do you own any other Wundhammer rifles? If so, it would be nice to see them. I have to go grab your book and see if he's in there. What a fun gunmaker to research and try to find. With no name markers, it would be a very gratifying find indeed. That stock looks beautiful.

I did not make myself very clear, nothing new there. What help I need is locating a proper rifle that I can fit to this stock. I only need the rifle.

Thanks.

Sorry for the bad (fast) picture.

quote:

Originally posted by Prewar70:Michael, do you own any other Wundhammer rifles?

Yes, I have Townsend Whelen's, Stewart Edward White's and a couple others at this time. I will try to post pictures.

Wow, that is my kinda wood! Awesome. If you don't have anything better to do, I'd be interested in seeing how the inletting is done to see his method that you described. Inside the trapdoor butt would be nice too. You sure figured out how to hang a white sheet awful fast, nice work!

Here is what the "NRA" markings look like.

Prewar 70

Your right I don't know who Michael is exactly, but I do know he owns a beautiful classic rifle stock and I for one wanted to see more of it

Michael

Thats exactly what I wanted to see.

I really can't help you with the restoration work but have a picture file full of classic rifle stocks and beautiful work

And that my friend is a classic, beautiful wood stock

I'm glad you got around to sharing that with us believe me those photos have been copied across to my album

I was just hoping, that you weren't going to be like a "poker player" and only show us the first photo, cause it didn't do it justice, that would have been teasing

regards
S&F

Mike I like your new stock better than all the rest.

Thanks guys, I like this stock a lot and want to do it right. What work I can't do I have others that can and will do the work. To get it right one has to understand how Wundhammer built his rifles and I'll learn more about that as this project goes forward. As I have time I'll post a few things that make a Wundhammer unique and some of the things that will have to be done to the rifle, when I find one.

This stock also had some things visited on in it by someone who did not understand how the original maker did things so there will be some restoration work to the wood and yes I have someone who not only understands the work but has a Wundhammer as well.

Someone tried to inlet the receiver into the stock by removing the wood taper at the front of the action. luckily they did not fool with the rear tang. The barrel band was also enlarged but both of these can be fixed.

I have not had time to set up my good camera and lights so here are a couple with my little digital.

The compartment under this trapdoor is one of the largest I have ever seen, not sure what the owner had planed to carry under there.

that is 1 beautiful piece of wood!!!!

Wish these examples were shown at the ACGG show in Reno..Monte Mandarino had lots of Hoffmans and G&H's and some Bob Owens' on display. It's amazing that what looked good in the early 20th century looks good now and will probably look good in the next century...thanks for your post...oh....by the way..where can I get some of those buttplates? HAR!

If you will take notice, the length of the top peak is much longer than normally found on these trapdoor butts. It's also boarderless around the door, very unusual. Monte has seen one, I have only seen this one. The regular German trapdoor buttplate found on the majority of pre-1940 American sporters has to be the number one thing folks ask me where they can buy one. Of course my answer is there are none. I think these would sell well, hint, hint.

The one I wish someone would make,

Have.a.Wundhammer.Krag.here.and.if.I.ever.figure
out.how.to.use.a.dig.camera.I.will.post.pics.

Mr. Petrov:
Sorry, as i can not be of help in your search for a period rifle, hope it works out for you! I just recieved your book a week or two ago and found it very educational and informative, and fun reading about the old timers. I understand that you plan on expanding on this in the future in another book, (i look forward to seeing it come out.) I like what you are doing for the gunbuilders of this period, and hope someone picks it up from there to present day work, so maybe the research wouldnt be so trying. Nice stock, and to a worthy gunsmith, to having it restored, best of luck!

Vigillinus,

I for one would love to see a Wundhammer Krag.
Enjoyed meeting you in person at the show.

I found, or I should say the proper rifle found me, it’s a nice RIA-NRA sales rifle from 1913. The bolt is missing so I need to locate the proper one. Have to deal with a threaded muzzle but well worth the work as it has a perfect bore.

Michael,

Looks like she's all set up for a nice muzzle brake! Just kidding, of course. Glad the right gun found you, that's going to be a great rifle. The stock is just beautiful!

Regards,

Jeff

Michael

Great that you can restore that piece. I am curious, what did Wundhammer do, if anything, to the groove on the barrel that aligned the rear sight originally?

Many thanks

quote:

Originally posted by Idared:
Michael

Great that you can restore that piece. I am curious, what did Wundhammer do, if anything, to the groove on the barrel that aligned the rear sight originally?

Many thanks

He reduced the diameter of the barrel to well below the spline cutout.

I see from the serial number that it's a "low number" RIA rifle - below SN 285,507. I know that these rifles are hard to find, but wouldn't you prefer a higher number for safety reasons?

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
I see from the serial number that it's a "low number" RIA rifle - below SN 285,507. I know that these rifles are hard to find, but wouldn't you prefer a higher number for safety reasons?

Wundhammer IMO was one of the greatest American custom gunmakers of his day. He made over two-hundred custom sporters, today I know where nine are. This restoration project needs to be done right so the rifle that this stock will take needs the right type and vintage rifle. The one “Safety Issue†I have is that if I do this wrong the heat in hell might affect my safety.

Each person should educate themselves about the low-number 1903 Springfields and decide for themselves if they should shoot or not shoot. When I get a 1903 sporter I check the headspace, use modern brass and load to factory pressures, the serial number of the rifle is not a factor.

The project moves forward, slowly but forward. My good friend John Wills put the barreled action between centers and did the work. He has a larger lathe than me and is a more careful worker. The action was beveled and the barrel turned to a close profile the rest done with file work. We then reshaped the rear tang to fit the stock, kind of weird putting inletting black on the wood instead of the metal. I then spent the better part of a day inletting the bottom metal. Lots of polishing still to come as well as sleeving the threaded barrel end. I repaired a couple of large moth holes in the grip cap also need some wood repair which will come later. I located the proper bolt and that will have to be checkered.

"The first installment of The Metamorphosis was just out when Crossman had to publish a letter in The Outer’s Book asking that requests for more information on the new sporters had to stop. He had received one and a half pecks of letters and there was no end in sight."

I wonder how many emails an editor of today would need to recieve to equal 1 1/2 pecks of snail mail letters?

Nice looking rifle MP. PM sent as well.

Please keep updating this thread as you progress. I love the old works of art such as this one.

quote:

Originally posted by 333_OKH:
Please keep updating this thread as you progress. I love the old works of art such as this one.

Thanks, I will. The next step is the woodwork and it’s well beyond my ability to do a proper job so it will have to take a trip to the lower forty-eight.

Michael how did you clean up the pistol grip cap? Is it buffalo horn?

quote:

Originally posted by remp:
Michael how did you clean up the pistol grip cap? Is it buffalo horn?

Yes it's horn that had a lot of moth damage. I used Brownell's two part epoxy with blacking color, I tried to put a touch of green but could not get it just right. When I have some time I'll try to take a better picture.

Ross Model 1910 sling swivel band and swivel fitted. If Wundhammer had spent half the time it took me to install this he would have starved. The swivel is not in the best of shape and I know these are darn hard to find but…anyone have one?

Michael,

Who does your wood refinishing and rust blueing for your restoration projects?

quote:

Originally posted by Prewar70:
Michael,

Who does your wood refinishing and rust blueing for your restoration projects?

I will do the small parts, there is a fellow here in town doing some rust blue so I'll try to get him to do the barrel/action if not I'll send it to Charles Danner. Any suggestions?

Monte Mandarino will do the wood repair on the Wundhammer.