doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Restoration by Committee!

Today I received a rifle that is need of restoration; I can do whatever I want to it. For fun and something a bit different you guys work out what should be done. I’ll try to answer any questions about the rifle that I can. You decide what needs to be done and why. Remember this is for fun, you have a keyboard not real tools.


Springfield 1903 Serial No. 1230726

The stock is by Ross King of Los Angles. King worked under Wundhammer and took over his shop after Wundhammer’s death. This is only the second rifle by King I have seen.

The Aluminum 1922 type buttplate was first made by Pacific circa 1930.

The trigger guard is fitted with an over-travel screw.

The scope is a Weaver 330 with a Fecker or other make booster front made circa 1938

The mount is a Redfield circa 1937-38


The Barrel .30 caliber chambered for the .30-06.

“H.M. Pope” Marked on the top of the barrel

On the underside is,

W.D. Murphy
594 (Pope number)
FR.
EJ.

14 over 0 (straight 1-14 twist)
10/5/21 (date)
H.M. Pope

MP,

I won't address the restoration issue, but I would sure be interested in what bullet was intended to be used out of that 14 twist 30 caliber barrel.

Ken

Maybe refresh the stock with a little bit of some type of oil/varnish mix rubbed in,very light coat.Clean the crud out of the checkering.Bluing looks ok. Very nice rifle.How's the bore?

I'm a sentimentalist when it comes to nice old custom rifles. If you know its history and want to preserve it, what's to restore? It looks like this rifle has a decent blue job and pretty nice finish on the wood. If it were mine and I bought it because I liked it, I would carefully take it apart and clean out whatever old crud might be adhering to its parts, apply a light coat of oil (I live in a very damp climate), and put it back together in its current configuration. If it has a good bore and I wanted to try it out at the range, I might load up some cartridges with fairly light bullets, possibly hollowpoints, that might stabilize well in the 14:1 twist, and have at it. I have not had great success with 3/4 inch Weaver scopes and power boosters, but I might try it first with its current (ugly) scope configuration, and be prepared to try a more modern scope on it just to see what the rifle can really do from the bench. If I were not going to shoot it frequently, I would put the original scope back in its place. Beyond that, I wouldn't do a thing to this interesting rifle.

Ken,

I have the next Pope barrel after the one on Michael's R. King Springfield. Pope #595, dated 11/14/21, twist 14/0 is on a highwall. The chamber seems to be a .405 Winchester necked to .30. Smith's book says on page 171 that combination used 41 grains of Laflin & Rand W.A powder to drive a 220 grain bullet. Machine rest, 200 yards, ten shots look like about a 1 3/8 group.

Michael, I'm with Dennis on the scope - too ugly to retain. No other changes needed!

Leave it alone !!!

You should leave it absolutely original and find someone who will not change the provenance, especially the original ownership provenance. Glad to give my advice. William Murphy. MP, can we see a picture of the W.D. Murphy marking, please?

Awe heck, I'd whip out my pocket knife and whittle a 20=point buck on the right side and I'd put my initials on the left

Awe heck, I'd whip out my pocket knife and whittle a 20=point buck on the right side and I'd put my initials on the left

Awe heck, I'd whip out my pocket knife and whittle a 20-point buck on the right side and I'd put my initials on the left. Then I'd cut about 4" off the end of the forearm. Maybe put a pewter cap on it.

Just kidding. Sorta.

A Winchester A5 would be about right maybe. And that buttplate may be historic, but it sure is ugly. That would have to go too.

Brent