doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What's behind your buttplate??

Years ago my dad gave me his old Rem. M-10 pumpgun, which his father had given him. A few years later I removed the buttplate and found a 1918 Minnesota hunting license, signed by my grandfather about a week before my dad was born. This was a pretty special find for me.

Not quite the same thing, but in the same vane- About 20 yrs. ago at an automobile flea market I bought an owner's manual for a 1939 MG-TA. Inside of it was a receipt for work performed at the MG factory. (It was common back then to send a car back to the factory for routine maintenance)It was dated September, 1940(the heighth of the Battle of Britain). The owner's name was Flying Officer So-and-So, RAF. Scrawled across the face of it was "No charge for work performed. Owner killed in action."
Sent a chill down my spine.

I wonder how many birds he got THAT season?

Not many I bet.

Brent

I had a recoil pad put on a 20 ga. Sterlingworth to lengthen the stock. When I picked it up the gunsmith told me that he found a note with a name and tel # under the buttplate. He put it back under the new pad but didn't think to write down the info for me. Someday I will pull the pad and take a look at it. At the time I thought this was somewhat unusual but I guess it is fairly common.

I buy and sell way too much!

Terc, I had that gun as well and the reciept was from Niles, Ohio, about 15 minutes from me. Fin, that 20 didn't have anything underneath the plate but I had one that did one time. It had the dads name and 1916 and the sons name and 1936. It's just a shame these guns don't stay in families for more than a generation or two.

I etch or scribe my SS number under the butt plate, if ever the gun is stolen I can identify it to the police or other person who might locate it. Doing this does not detract from its value. I could even identify it in a shop where it might be for sale.

I did not take the horn butt plate off my 1877 W&C Scott hammer gun, but Bob James in Montana did when I gave it to him for a new stock because the original stock is too short and too low. I imagine he was looking for a stock bolt! By the way he did not put it back which is understandable since a horn plate is put on wet and dries in place.

I also ordered a POW grip. I got a nicely fashioned pistol grip that fits anyone who fits a size small glove. I take a size large.

danc

Ortolan....Brilliant!!!I have a collection of 'Stuff" I have found under Butt-Plates& Pistol Caps. Some of the neatest things I've found have been the names of the Stockers, I;ve made'Pulls"(smoke-black and scotch tape, then put on white card) Dallas used one or two,I think, In his'Purdey'Book.To me its Gunmaking history. Some of my earliest'Pulls" are from the Duelling pistol period & Purdey no 208 c 1819,Greener c 1829,Boss when he was stocking for Purdey c 1829, Some of my Colt pistol-grip collection is 'Most Interesting'I have A H FoxNo 121, Im restocking "back to original" the stock that was on the gun has names written in pencil that are not 'Real'. Back in the 'Dark-Days' at Purdeys 1953-1960.My 'Gaffer' Bill O'Brien,took off a steel pistol cap from a Double Rifle, very old...It had a Half-Sovereign with a hole drilled through it under the Cap...We always wondered about that one. Bill put it backunder the cap.I think it was dated around 1850. C/C

My George H. Daw 12G #526 cica 1861, still has the spare firing pins and nipples,under the butt plate as placed by the manufacturer. This is the second Daw gun I have seen that contained the origional spares.If you have a Daw hammer gun you may find that you have these hidden spares because this was a standard practice on early Daw guns!
On at least two occasions I have found early hunting licences under butt plates.

About 15 years ago at a midwestern yard sale, I came across an old but good Browning A5, FN as I recall, 12 ga., with plain barrel, at a price far too low to pass up. I prefer light doubles afield, so bought and cleaned it to resell. In the hole behind the butt plate shone a gilded Indian head penny, cased in a gilded ring stamped "Lucky Penny--1904 St. Louis World's Fair". Soon after, I sold the gun for a fair profit, but still have the penny.