doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Pope barreled 1903's

I am posting some pictures for Dan, he will be along to tell you more about the rifles and what he hopes you might know.

Really interesting grips, but the forearms are unique. Made for a Schuetzen shooter, perhaps?

On the top rifle, I’m curious to know what material the grip cap is made of? It has the color of brass with patina.

Those are both wonderful rifles, and the Pope provenance is nice too!

They are both 32" Pope barrels with consecutive Pope numbers. The top one came out of the Pachmayr estate and I had assumed it was made by Gus but the other one came from Jack Livengood collection and was supposedly built for Lucian Cary with the stock made by someone in Philidelphia. It's obvious that the same person made both stocks, any idea who it may have been?
The grip cap on both are horn that matches the fore-end cap.

I wonder if Lucian Cary didn't have something to do with the building of both of those rifles. Being that they are consecutive Pope serial #'s, both the same unusual barrel length and that Cary was such a good friend of Pope's makes me think that they were ordered at the same time by one person. Then being stocked in a similar fashion probably shows that the same person was involved with the build of both these rifles. Great rifles done by masters.

Are the Pope barrels marked under the wood, or visible? Or maybe marked visibly with his stamp, and his number and code under the wood? I have 4 Pope barreled rifles and one 1891 Rolling Block .22 target pistol, and they're all stamped in both places with his HM POPE name, and barrel serial numbers and codes underneath.

Yes, both barrels have the H M Pope mark on top and on the bottom under the wood are the number, date and all his markings. I have 7 - '03 Pope barreled rifles and one Hi Wall and they are all marked this way. Actually, one has the bottom marks on the side of the barrel, partially visible above the wood. Would anyone have any of the Lucian Cary books to see if he ever included any photos of his guns?

Dan

If I recall correctly, you are a pretty accomplished rifle shot. How do these Pope barreled rifles shoot?

Did anyone know this Jack Livengood?

Fred,
I have only tried them with cast bullets using the Pope designed Ideal bullet that you just stick into a unsized case neck with a light powder charge. This load was worked up by another guy who had really good luck in '03 Springfields with 1:10 twist barrels. Unfortunately, Pope made these barrels for jacketed bullets and they have 1:14 twists and I believe the bullets are too long and heavy for the 14 twist but I do get around 1" 5 shot groups at 100 yds with them. That is a project that I am still playing with. Nearly all of my shooting is with cast bullets.