doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com What’s your holy grail?

Mine may not exist. I've been looking for years for a rifle by Harry Pope while he worked with Joseph Singer in Los Angeles following the San Francisco Earthquake. To further complicate matters, I hope it will be on a highwall action with Singer's triggers. Any center fire caliber will be acceptable!

There is a G&H HiWall in .35WCF that is famously engraved by Joe Fugger with a miner panning gold, there are inlaid gold flecks in the pan. I saw this rifle around 1955 in Judson Darrow's shop in Connecticut. It is illustrated in Prudhomme's Gun Engraving Review and the 1958 Gun Digest, and appeared in Safari Outfitters 1972 catalog. For a while it was out West but made its way to Long Island a few years ago where it was in the hands of Tom Bertolino, a friend of decades. Tom had no idea I was interested in it and sold it to a well known collector for what rumor says was 15g.

There is a G&H HiWall in .35WCF that is famously engraved by Joe Fugger with a miner panning gold, there are inlaid gold flecks in the pan. I saw this rifle around 1955 in Judson Darrow's shop in Connecticut. It is illustrated in Prudhomme's Gun Engraving Review and the 1958 Gun Digest, and appeared in Safari Outfitters 1972 catalog. For a while it was out West but made its way to Long Island a few years ago where it was in the hands of Tom Bertolino, a friend of decades. Tom had no idea I was interested in it and sold it to a well known collector for what rumor says was 15g.

My wants are relatively mundane (and yes, I've "found" them all at various times but never at times when I could afford them....): a fancy pistol-gripped "Special Sporting" Win 1885 Lo-wall 25-20 SS or .32-20 in great shape; a Colt Bisley 7 1/2" .38-40 in great shape, and an LC Smith Ideal Grade "short 10" (did I mention, the "great shape"?).

What I mean by "great shape" is lightly enough used so you can get some sense of what they were like when they were new, but used enough that I feel OK shooting the heck out of 'em and can invent great tales about their former uses and users.....(How many Beesleys DID 'ole Doroteo Arango pack, anyway? I've got at least one of them and have been offered several more....plus Lugers, other thumbusters of several brands, etc).

Well Guys this is tougher than choosing your bride, but here goes... mine is Ernest Hemingway's Griffin and Howe 1903 Sporter. I understand after his widow Mary died they [his guns] were sold to several FAMOUS antique dealers, not firearms dealers and they kept selling rifles and shotguns for several years, long after the real rifles were gone. This obviously confusing the issue of the real Hemingway guns. There was bad blood between Mary and Hemingway's sons so she received his entire estate and did not share. Bad move for History! Jerry

There is a story in the latest Shooting Sportsman (Sept/Oct 09) about Hemingway guns.

My Holy Grail would be any rifle built by the late Ray Price. I worked for Ray for a few years just after he retired from Phelps Dodge Mining in Bisbey AZ when he opened his shop (Cochise Custom Guns )in Sierra Vista, AZ. He later moved to Wenatchee, WA. A couple of Ruger #1s are on Puglisi's web page, that he had a hand in building, which were engraved by Ken Warren. http://www.pugsguns.com/findItem.action?id=1772
Terry

Mike, I have the best Ideal Grade short ten in the country, in my opinion. I would have a hard time turning it loose, but you never know. I like oddball Parkers, especially big ones. Unfortunately, my Ideal is Damascus, but it is close to new and you would love it. I would love to own another Oberlies rifle if you know where one may be hiding.

Eightbore, I'm still looking for 1903 by Oberlies for myself. seems when I find them I'm gun poor and when I'm flush no Oberlies.
There are several people looking for them as well so that makes it a little harder. No article from me about him until I acquire one ;-).

Which one, he had about five .270's?