doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Unusual G&H 1903?

I acquired this Springfield 30/06 G&H rifle awhile back and there are some things that puzzle me. Bob Beach informed me that #486 is too early for his records, however it has a double lever windage adjustable mount with a Zeiss rail mount scope, I assume it was added later but appears to be G&H work. The express sights are mounted on a band that is level with barrel at the back and a step at the front. The front sling swivel is mounted to the barrel like a model 70 thru the forend. The stock is shaped differently than the usual G&H around the rear of the action, checkering is typical G&H, no cheek-piece, horn forend tip and gripcap. It has a pad now but the spur of the original buttplate is visible, I have not removed the pad so don't know if it had a trap buttplate or not. As you can see the metal is in need of a quality refinish but the stock is in very good condition. I am sure that Mike could have told us when it was made and probably who made the stock but that resource is gone, any ideas?








More photos at http://s36.photobucket.com/user/james-l/library/Griffin%20and%20Howe?sort=4&page=1

The fore end is a bit large for my tastes but I really like the lines on the remainder of the rifle. The lack of a cheek piece makes it look a bit more graceful that a typical G&H. I can not offer any insight as to who the craftsman might be. Thank you for sharing.
Steve

Sure looks to me like something James Howe might have had a hand in. Particularly the metal work.

John

I like it. I believe the rail mount is likely original and that this is JVH metal work. The step is due to the bore of the rear sight sleeve being straight or no taper and a section of the barrel turned straight as well leaving it close to flush at the rear with a step as you describe it at the front. The comb seems odd to but I am reluctant to mention a name because while stylistically it would be accurate I don't think you could make the connection. I forget this sometimes, but you could order what you want. If the bore is good I would clean this up and shoot it. I would not blue....that's just me.

When I look at a gun I look at it, as if I don't have any idea who made it beforehand. The things that are glaring to me about this rifle is:

1. The comb does not look quite right for a G&H, it is a tad too far forward, too high and too sharp/thin. Just not there.
2. Of all my G&H's, I have 2 G&H's that have multi leaf rear sights, a 1928 and a 1950 and both are on QUARTER RIBS, in fact it is hard for me to remember seeing more than a handful of their rifles, with this setup on Multi Leaf Rear Sights.
3. I don't believe the floorplate/trigger guard metal are G&H work, THERE IS NO CHECKERED THUMBPRINT and no G&H ADDRESS IMPRIMATUR.
4. The rear leaf sight looks aftermarket to me, not G&H WORK, NO ENGRAVED GOLD DISTANCE NUMBERS,NO SERRATED EDGES,GOLD NOTCH LINES ETC..
5.The STOCK lines ARE A LITTLE HEAVY AND FULL AS NOTED THROUGH its' LINES in the forearm and the action area, as noted.

ERGO...

1. An entirely built Virgil Howe rifle equipped with a NEW cadged G&H BARREL shortly after he left.
2.a PRE-WAR CUSTOM 1903 Stock with a mated G&H Barreled Action or a take off/orphan G&H Barrel on a shot out rifle.
3. I'VE GOT IT WRONG AND IT IS 100% G&H ...GO FIGURE!!!
ADDENDUM
Some other things I've noticed are, the Initial plate seems placed very high, almost under your hand at the pistol grip and the pistol grip has a little of that "attached stock" look, in its' shaping [the grip is too long in length, behind the bottom of the grip and it is, too closed a grip]. The forearm checkering looked a little large in its' coverage, for G&H. BTW I forgot to close last night, by saying as long as you got it at a fair price, I think you got a VERY NICE RIFLE, REGARDLESS OF ITS' PARENTAGE. GOOD LUCK! Jerry

Jerry, the points you stated have already been thru my mind but with the gun in hand I believe it is all G&H. I have also owned a few G&H rifles and in 50 years of fooling with collectable firearms have seen many more, trust me they don't all have the checkered thumbprint or G&H address on the floorplate. I am fairly sure the express sights are original to the gun as much of the original blue is still on the barrel, the lettering is crisp and shows no sign of tampering. As I stated above, in my opinion the G&H mount and Zeiss scope were added later, the double lever mount was mid 30s, another interesting note is that the rear receiver bridge is set up for a model 98 Lyman 48, the gun did not have the original 48 sight when I received it. The answer I think is as Gary stated "you could order what you wanted". I also think he is correct, leave it as is, well maybe do something about the ugly pad.

I forgot to mention what I think is the key so some of these different, if not odd features (stock details) and it is in my mind significant. The monogram. You could order what you want. If I go to the expense of requesting a monogram I am at lease likely to not let you put your name there above my monogram, you can have the top of the barrel. So this guy clearly knows what he wants, his monogram, a very specific set of sights and stock details. Its as good a guess as anyone else's and their's as good as mine. What a hobby.