doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Posting Pictures for Gary.

That's a great letter. I wonder if that Shelhamer-stocked Farquarson has come to light?

He's some pics of the last one of the 'Niedner' type buttplates I picked up at a gunshow some time back that I mentioned above.
They were lying out on a parts purveyors table among the Mosin Nagant trigger guards and SKS accessorys.

I just thought they were nice butt plates for custom projects no matter who made them so I bought the bunch.

The checkering is entirely uniform and sharp (without being painful!), not cast.
The edge border appears to me to have been milled out to the depth of the checkering.
I think these were done on flat stock already checkered by what ever means. The border milled to the correct outline (you can see milling marks or some sort of machining marks in the closeup pic), then the flat piece was formed to it's present shape.
On first look the screw holes look punched out with the flashing on the back side, but they are drilled and countersunk.

Just my guess of course. A lot easier than pounding one out of semi round stock and checkering it, but that is the way I heard it done too.
Maybe just copys made later for sale 'to the trade'.

I have no idea if these are Neidners or not but thought they might be interesting.

Dr. Smith owned 100's of custom rifles from many makers. I have an inventory of his collection. If anyone ever needs a provenance on one of his rifles let me know.

I have a taped interview I did with Carlyn W. Behrmann where he tells how the buttplates were made.

In a nutshell the put a big piece of tubing (pipe) between centers in a lathe and knurled the whole thing. They then cut it into lengths, formed it into shape with a lead hammer, cut the edge and screw holes then case hardened.

That answers my question about the checkering pattern being used more widely than on my two. I like Model 70's but I think the Niedner and Shelhamer 03's are more classic.

Kutter,

I picked up the exact same butt plate as yours from an auction about 6 months ago. Seller was in Michigan and my plate has all the same marks as yours and is CCH. It is different from the Nieder type butt plates that Midway is selling especially the reverse side.
Bob

I finally took the stock off the C W Behrmann rifle and find that there is no other marking under the barrel. The inletting is superb as Shelhamer's was and very tight. I took the opportunity to oil the inside and outside of the stock with Shelhamer recipe stock oil which was bottled in 1940 by C W Behrmann and is still as good as new. I also found that the swivel studs are color case hardened.

I plan to shoot the rifle when the stock is ready and will ask Michael to post pictures if the rifle groups Ok.

Some more pictures from Gary,

Let me be the first to say "that gun is the cat's meow!"

Nice cat