doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com A question for all!

The connection is that Colonel Sheldon and Paul Curtis were friends and shooting buddies and, according to the letter, Curtis received the rifle from Owen for Sheldon. Crossman, Curtis, and Sheldon were members of a shooting expert mafia of the time, some whom were in the military, some were civilians. Most of them wrote for the outdoor and shooting press. The three named were very savvy about what guns to buy, unlike some others who wrote about guns but didn't seem to pay attention to their own collections.

Thanks - much appreciated.

Two of the earliest Owen rifles I know of, the Remington 12 was Bob Owen's personal rifle until he sold it to Sheldon.

If Curtis used the pictures of this rifle in an article I do not have a copy. In 1926 Crossman wrote an article about an Owen rifle which was published in 1927.

Anyone have the F&S's from this period and can look for a Curtis articular on Owen?

Sorry I missed this the first go-around or I may have just ignored it ;-). Bob Beach solved the puzzle of the Owen numbers that have eluted me for decades. The back of the letter ties together the information that Bob has.

Guys:
I am not very computer savvy. So please excuse my butting in to this topic with an unrelated question. I couldn't figure out how to start a new forum with a question. I had searched the sight and found that you guys have quite a bit of information regarding 1903 Springfields involving A.O. Niedner. I have a 1903 Springfield Niedner. It has Springfield serial number 1285472. Under the barrel is a niedner stamped number 1063. It is apparently 25 caliber but I cannot figure out what cartridge to use. The closest fit is a 257 roberts but the chamber fails the go/no-go/field gauge test. I have photos if that helps.
Thanks,
Al

chief al, I can't help with Neidner information but Springfield Research Service information shows that 1903 Springfield #1285472 was a 1903 NRA Sporter sold to one R. Bradley on Jan. 29, 1929.

Re: A question for all! [Re: Michael Petrov]
John Can.
Sidelock


Registered: 01/08/02
Posts: 491
Loc: Canada
Glad to see you back Micheal, never miss one of your posts.
Only because I have one, I think the "Holy Grail" of the bolt action rifles are the pre WW1 Commercial Mausers used as sniper rifles at the beginning of that conflict. Not only the guns but the provenance attached to them is IMHO quite outstanding.
As far as is known only 3 out of 4600 have thus far surfaced. --- John

Hi John,
make that four as a friend in England has a commercial Mauser used in WW1 with a letter of provenance showing it had been captured from a battle field in France.
Up to around the sixties you could own a rifle in England without a firearm license if it was a war souvenir but it had to be registered with the Police.
Around the sixties this changed and was the reason my friend was able to buy it from the estate.
It had the bases for claw mounts but they were missing along with the scope. Its around forty years since I last saw this Mauser and it had from memory a round brass pate set in the rear of the stock showing to use the latest type of military ammunition.
A German scope from that period was found along with claw mounts which with a slight alteration were fitted by him.
I'll try and get a photo when I go over to England for a holiday next year.
No good getting my friend to email me one as he's computer illiterate and doesn't even own a camera.
Regards, Roly.

So Michael, what about the back of the letter that ties it all together? Can we see it?

You bet, it will be in volume III..............;-).