doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com It's slow, how about an old auction to look at.

Winchester (?) swivels maybe. I think they came in two widths,,the Super Grade was a bit wider than the standards.

I see a lot about the rifle that would cause me to stop and look at it were it sitting on a table at a show.

Not that I know anything about it's builder,,there's nothing there that would jump out at me, not that I'm any sort of knowledgeable collector or expert.
A few I would know,,quality is clear no matter the source.

I'd be interested for what it was,,the potential to be,,the asking price,,and I'd be looking to rebuild what was there.
But that's just me..
I don't see it as that nice of a looking sporter in the way it's shaped out right now.
But it has potential..

So I'd be destroying some sort of holy grail ??

"So I'd be destroying some sort of holy grail ??"

I'm not sure many custom rifles make it to "Holy Grail" status but this maker is a household name.

I'm going to let this hang for while unless the new owner wants to enlighten you folks.

Well,it must be a Howe. The checkering does bare similarity to some patterns in the book.

It's my gun and Michael has been posting the photos for me. Yes both guns were made by James V Howe. For those who don't recognize the books, they are the two volumn "Modern Gunsmith" by Howe. The bottom rifle has a sling marked Hart Arms Cleveland.
anLH

Thank you for sharing Dan. His rifles all seem to be different, but they all somehow have a similar look to them. He was definitely a better metal smith than wood worker. Very nice pair of rifles you have.

Thanks again,
John

Is it possible to date these two rifles? This has to be one of the earliest examples of a Monte Carlo on a rifle. As the name suggests, they were originally fitted to trap guns.

The cheekpiece of the lower rifle is identical to the one on my 1916 Newton Rifle (a factory option), but one I had not seen on a custom rifle other than one built by Robert Milhoan shown in Phillip Sharpe's book, The Rifle in America.

Howe was using the Monte Carlo in 1930 and may have started earlier. That is the only date I have that I positivity know is right.

I used to have a Barney Worthen built Hornet (one of the first, per the Mark Benenson article in Gun Digest a few years ago)on 1922 Springfield action. It has a rather lumpy Monte Carlo.

The Howe stocked 1922 .22 LR I had did not have a Monte Carlo, but did have some of his ivory inlay work.