doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Shelhamer Escutcheon

It was -9 outside the other day so I stayed in the house and played with some guns. The topic comes up from time to time so I thought I'd snap a few pics of the little brass doohickey that Shelhamer used for his forend screw.

First an early single shot varmint rifle.


Then a Mauser 25 Roberts built probably around 1935.


Then a restyled Armory 1922 stock. Note the large pores of the American walnut.


Finally a very late model 70 375 H&H likely one of the last stocks he made.


A word on the checkering. Not much checkering will stand up to that much magnification without showing some minor flaws. Toms early checkering while generally rather plain point patterns was executed very well and always attractive. The last rifle was done in 1964 and looks to have been cut with a rotary tool and while very good, is not up the the quality of the early work in my opinion, but he was 74 years old when he made it.

Hope you enjoy.

John

Looks like the checkering in the first picture has much longer diamond shapes to the checkering? I've always liked that style of elongated checkering.

While you have those rifles out, it would be ever more interesting to see the whole of them. As a separate suggestion, we could post Shelhamers from far and wide. If we ran out or got tired of them, we could pick another maker and post him. This could go on a while.

I'm fine with that, but no making fun of my photography skills. This is the only one I currently have pictures of online. An NRA sporter that Shelhamer restyled the stock on and refinished the metal. It has a Niedner buttplate. The only remarkable thing about the rifle is it's condition. For a rifle approaching 100 years old, it looks like it came out of the shop yesterday. Checkering is still sharp and clean. The Niedner blue still looks perfect. Dad got this and its 1922 Hornet twin at a gun shot in I think 1974. The hornet still has the original Armory blue, and has been used a little, but still is in remarkable shape. The Hornet is what started my fascination with early hi velocity varmint rifles and 1922 Hornets. I sent a picture to Michael and he used it in his second book in the chapter on Depression era Sporters. I think dad got a kick out of that.

Those brass escutcheons are a nice touch. I like the scalloped edges. Call it artistic flair or architectural detail, I like it!

What great information on a way to spot a Shelhamer stocked rifle. Thank you.

If you are interested in duplicating the brass piece, there is what is called brass splined shafts or rods available.

In this case form follows function. I have seen those on other guns and wood working pieces. The scallops or ridges grab the wood to prevent twisting, obviously. But the up close photos do look nice. Very nice rifles and I do like Shellhammer's work.

I've got 2 rifles that I believe are early Shelhamer work that do not have them and I have see a few others that did not, so it's not 100%, but the vast majority of them do. And I have one rifle that actually has two.

John