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The Firearms Engravers & Gunmakers Exhibition in Reno, NV Jan 25,26, 27, 2008 at the Silver Legacy Resort will feature a historical display of American custom gunmaking.
Jointly sponsored by the American Custom Gunmakers Guild and the Firearms Engravers Guild of American the annual Exhibition consists of custom guns and engraving by the members.

The ]Special Historical Retrospective will include some 30+ American custom rifles and shotguns largely from the between the wars era. Well recognized craftsmen represented will include: R.G. Owen, Fred Adolph, Rudolph Kornbrath, Joseph Fugger, Wundhammer, Adolph Minar, Alvin Linden, Zischang, Tom Shellhammer, John Dubiel, and others. Well know firms such as Kirkwood Bros., Griffin & Howe, Sedgley, Hoffman and others will be represented.
This display will surely be one of the finest groupings of earlier American custom gunmaking ever seen in one location.

Guest curator Michael Petrov will attend and autograph his book on the subject along with other extremely knowledgeable collectors available to discuss the firearms.
I urge all those attending the Safari Club Int. Show in Reno that week to note the location and attend this unique event.
A truly singular opportunity to view the finest historic and contemporary American custom gunmaking!
More info: ACGG

(Michael, Terry, all, please chime in with photos or info on some of the guns to be shown)
Respectfully,
Steve

Is this the same display that was at the fine arts museum in Minneapolis a few years ago? If so, it is a great display.

An entirely different display than Minn.

Steven, This should be a wonderful display. I'm looking forward to seeing it and meeting Michael also.

Anyone that has a chance to attend should try to make the show. It's a great show for both the exhibitors and the guests - lots of room for everyone to move around.

I'm looking forward to this myself with special thanks to several folks who have worked hard to see this happen. I'll post some pictures of a few of the rifles and guns that will be on display.
There will be custom shotguns from makers such as Bob Owen and Hoffman Arms. Also included in this display will be IMO two outstanding single-shot sporting rifles, one by John Dubiel and one by A.O. Zischang.

As I get time I will post a list of what is going to be on display.

Reno Show 2008

Anonymous:
Jack O’Connor’s Adolph Minar 1903 Springfield.


Charles
Unknown 1903 by same maker who made the rifle both I and Monte have.
A Griffin & Howe Take-down
VL&D marked rifle made by Owen
Two, Tom Shelhamer Mausers
Alvin Linden Mannlicher style rifle
Sedgley 1903 Springfield, a typical one.

Terry
1891 S & W pistol, engraved by Lynton McKenzie, cased with 1908
Olympic gold medal
Zischang Borchardt sporter .25-35
Bob Owen Shotgun
Griffin & Hobbs and/or John Dubiel low wall sporter(s) .25-20 or .22 LR (bring them both or pick one)
G & H 1897 Westley Richards .222
Pope Mauser/Griffin sporter 7 x 57
G & H Mauser/Fugger engraved .257 (Did we photo this and #24, the .350 G&H? Both are cased)
Hoffman/Kornbrath 28 gauge
Hoffman/Kornbrath 20 gauge

Paul
Wundhammer 1903 Springfield

Michael
Kirkwood 1903 Springfield
Bob Owen Remington Model 12


Mark
Full Military 1903 Springfield by G&H
John Dubiel High-Wall
Krag by Shelhamer
Ned Robert’s Krag Sporter
Townsend Whelen's Adolph Krag
Bob Owen .257 Mauser illustrated in Dunlap's book
A fancy Sedgley of his choosing

Monte
Harvey W. Rodgers
Plus, Will fill every blank space with as many Kornbrath & Fugger rifles as we may need 10-15

This is one of my favorite sporting rifles, one of the best I have ever seen. Both the metal and woodwork are outstanding. Made by Zischang, caliber 25-35 WCF. Notice the safety in the triggerguard.

There will also be one rifle by an “Unknown” maker with the hope that someone will be able to shed some light on the maker.

Wish I could be there, looks like it will certainly be drool worthy. That unidentified rifle is fantastic, hopefully you will get some good leads on it.

Hopefully there will be some pictures to post after it’s over. I know where three rifles are by this “Unknown” maker, this one is mine. Not being able to ID this maker has driven me to distraction.

MP, can you identify the engraver of the "unknown maker" rifle ?

Steve,

Thanks for starting this thread. The depth of knowledge here is always amazing. One of the few places where learning occurs on a daily basis. I wish I could be in Reno, but am happy with this virtual sampling, thanks to Michael.

Pete

Although I've been to most of the Guild shows, this one is going to be a particular treat. Not only am I looking forward to the historic pieces but I finally get to meet Mr. Petrov, after 15+ years of correspondence and phone conversations!

Also note the Safari Club (Jan. 23-26) show with (probably) H&H, Purdey, Hartmann & Weiss, D.M. Brown, Hofer, Fanzoi, Olendorf, Westley Richards, etc. some of the more recognizable foreign names, as well as Galazan and many of the elite American dealers.

Hope to see you there!

Daryl,

I believe that the same person that built the stock, carved and checkered it also did the engraving. Pictures to follow.

Mike, if that is the case, then the "maker" of the rifle must have been mostly known for his engraving. At least it seems to me that engraving well is the hardest part of the gun, but of course the carving and checkering are very rare in that quality. Well, more photos will help judge the gun better.

Daryl,

It's hard to tell what he was known for, if you took away the engraving and the carving you still have one heck of a well made rifle. The third rifle has no carving but is both engraved and finely made. Made by someone who understood how a rifle should be made.

My rifle and the rifle going to Reno both have a connection to Chicago so I would not be surprised to learn the maker was working there.

The owners name is on the floorplate, a well know person who lived in Chicago.

You can see that the curls are closed on the end in both the wood and metal and they both have a hole in the end, punched in the metal or cut in the wood.

Fascinating. Can you place a date on the rifle, knowing the owner ? I think we recently talked about a Chicago engraver who had a German background. Hmmmmm

I think that all three were made late teens or early twenty's. My rifle was made in 1919 so sometime after that it was customized. I have one suspect in mind but not enough evidence to even say his name, not an engraver however.

The 28 Gauge Hoffman-Kornbrath.

Re; The R.E. Maypole '03 Sporter: Could the floor plate w/name have been a later addition. The floorplate engraving appears (from a distance at least :>) to be a bit cleaner cut along with the fact of the entirely different style of oakleaf & acorn. Not that mixing styles isn't done and done often, but it just seems to be a harsh break in this engravers/carvers style. Great looking rifle. Nothing better than a well done prewar style 03 or Mauser sporter IMHO. Possibility of an ID inside the barrel channel. That would be too easy I suspect.
Thanks for (all) the great pics!

I LOVE that rifle, I really hope you find out who made it, talk about the total package. Very well may be my favorite Bolt action I have ever seen.

MP, who built the rifles for Russell C. Smith? Wasn't he from Chicago? He had a boatload of nice custom rifles, some probably built close to his home. The last RCS gun I "didn't buy" was a wonderful ebony stocked gun that a neighbor of mine sold to Jim Parker at Ohio Gun Collectors several years ago. I didn't notice the gun at the Jim Parker auction so it's out there somewhere. The wood is as black as the ace of spades, real weird gun but nicely put together. I don't remember whether it was engraved but most of Smith's guns were engraved. I wonder where it is today? Bill Murphy

Kutter, I have for some time believed that the gold name and the banner around the name (I'll try to do a good picture)were done by someone else. The gold is very well done,looks like whoever it was did a lot of gold work. The rifle headed to Reno also has some gold work on the floorplate so I'll get to look at more then pictures.

Bill: Dr. Russell Smith used a lot of different gunsmith but most were between the wars and a little later. If you have a serial number on the rifle with the dark stock I would be glad to try to find out if I have any information on it. I have an inventory of Dr. Smith's rifles taken around the time he died so if it was there then I have the info. The inventory has well over two hundred guns on it.

MP, I didn't record the serial number or particulars of the gun because I thought it would be there when I got back to it. My neighbor from across the field is a serious collector, asked me about the gun and the inscribed (probably gold inlaid) initials. I told him that it was a Russell Smith gun and told him who Smith was. He didn't know. Thinking no one would buy a black gun, I thought I would make him an offer later on. In the meantime, Jim Parker snapped it up and buried it under his table. Oh, well. Murphy

Note that the "balls" at the end of the scrolls in the border around the gold name do not hae the "dot" that both the wood carving and the trigger bow contain in similar locations.

I agree with one of the above posters that this rifle is about the ultimate bolt action rifle. I hope Reno sheds some light on the maker!

Michael,

I have lived in and near Chicago all my life. Who is R.E. Maypole? The name does not ring any bells for me. The only thought I had was there is a Maypole Avenue. Not sure who it is named for.

Pete

Robert E. Maypole Compact Disc #108 Pin #1006137
Sex: M
Event(s):
Birth: 1878 Place: Chicago, Cook Co., IL
Death: 17 Nov 1950 Place: Evanston, Cook Co., IL
Burial: Nov 1950 Place: Mount Carmel cemetery, Cook Co., IL
Parents:
Father: William T. Maypole Disc #108 Pin #1005792
Mother: Amelia Catherine Lendabarker Disc #108 Pin #1006134
Marriage(s):
Spouse: Lillian M. Wulff Disc #108 Pin #1006994
Marriage: bef 15 Apr 1910 Place: Chicago, Cook Cnty., IL?

Personal Information:
Occupation: Place: A founder of the Stutz Automobile Co.

Stutz and the rifle seem similar.

I always pictured Mr. Maypole running around in his Stutz with this rifle in it. Truth is I just have not had time to any research on Maypole.

Stutz Bearcat and the Maypole rifle. Life would have been good. He appreciated quality.