doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Fleur-de-lis checkering

How early in the history of bolt action rifles was fleur-de-lis checkering begun? There is a small picture in MP's book captioned Early G&H .30-06 which looks to have a fleur-de-lis pattern. Are there samples pre-Griffin & Howe?

Maybe this was a normal progression from Parker shotguns and high grade Winchester and Marlin rifles? I'm curious about the development of this style of decoration.


- stu

The actual use of the FLEUR DE LIS [FLOWER OF THE LILY]checkering element; [there is no such thing as "FDL CHECKERING"] as best as I have been able to trace, goes back to its' use on dueling pistols and then early long guns symbolic of the French Bourbon Kings. Its' major modern proponent, and one of those most likely responsible for bringing it into its' wide use in the late 1920's and early 1930's, in the form we know it, is Lenard Brownell of Sheridan Wyoming. He was designer of the original 77 Ruger stock [recently screwed up by Ruger] and the Ruger NO.1 stock and a lot of the exterior metalwork and internals included. He stocked many guns for Hollywood Stars [Clark Gable,Gary Cooper] and Studio Heads [Daryl F. Zanuck] and August and Frank Pachmayr began using it as did King Gun Shop.Fred Adolph used it early as well but it was a common element on Schuetzen rifles. When you say "in the history of bolt action guns" I'm presupposing you mean WHO FIRST USED THEM ON THEIR GUNS, THEY BUILT AND CHECKERED? ANSWER: WE'LL NEVER KNOW. Probably someone back east. However it was Lenard Brownell who spread their prolific use through gunwriters, other gunsmiths and movie stars and their West Coast gunmakers, then these monied types returned east to G&H AND HAD RIFLES BUILT! Hope this helps! Warmest Regards Jerry

Jerry,

In researching my Lenard Brownell stocked High Wall a while back, I didn't find any reference to him making any stocks until AFTER WWII. The date in the Billingsley brochure says '48. There are a lot of guns with it shown way earlier than that in various publications.

Good shooting.

STU: Lenard did not start making guns with Billingsley till 1947 he was making guns much earlier on his own, out of a saddle shop in Sheridan Wy. I have a 1903 N.R.A. SPORTER DONE BY HIM IN 1938 WITH FRENCH FLEUR DE LIS in the checkering [he was almost 17].I have also seen a Winchester Model 61 pump done by him when just barely a teen, though with the skill and execution of one much older with FDL's. Needless to say he was making guns prior to 1948 and selling guns to Californians prior to WWII. I once had the chance to buy a beautiful 03 sporter in a custom H.H. Heiser case, both built for William Boyd [Hopalong Cassidy] by Lenard in 1942 and passed on it, like an idiot. He was only 60 when he died in 1982. Hope this helps. Warmest Regards Jerry

Tough question and one I have not thought a lot about. I’ve spent the last three months working on S.R. Griffin and his life before G&H and have not seen the fleur-de-lis in any of his work, I’m not saying he never did it I just have not seen it. Many of the early G&H’s when they just started the barrel number = caliber have it. I don’t know who brought it to G&H but you can be sure that Griffin approved it. Many of the early Bob Owen rifles have it. Mielcarek flat out copied the Parker shotgun up too having a Parker grip cap and skeleton buttplate. Of the very early makers before WWI I’ve seen it on Adolph and Wundhammer so I’ll say as soon as the bolt gun was customized in America the fleur-de-lis pattern was used.

Jerry's meionten of Hopalong. Bought up a question. Does anyone know what happen to all of Roy Rogers.Rifles He was a real collector of custom rifles made by the masters.Including SS rifles.Whitey

Jerry, thanks for the information on Brownell and others. I too never thought of Brownell as being a pre-WII maker. Thanks for setting me straight on that.

Michael, I had to re-read a few chapters in your book. Sure enough there are quite a few more pictures of f-d-l patterns than I thought, plus your mention of Parker styling in the Mielcarek section.


Thanks all,
- stu