Excerpt from Micheal's Custom gunmakers volume 2
"I've only seen a couple of rifles that I know were made by Howe when he was in Philadelphia. One rifle is marked in a single line "JAS. V. HOWE PHILA. PA." It is also marked ".400 Whelen" & "No. 11". I believe this to be one of the four original .400 Whelen rifles."
My rifle has the same JAS. V. HOWE PHILA. PA. as Dan's but also has the No. and date marking in the line and is stamped below the wood line.
Here is a rifle that could have had the No. 1 Barrel and also is now missing its original .400 Whelen barrel.
https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/col.-townsend-whelen-s-custom-james-howe-1903-spr-195493c930
