doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Griffin & Howe garage sale find

found it in Florida

where it had been stored leaned against the wall in a enclosed/utility trailer



its definatly shootable.....guy I got it from told me "this one will knock the acorns right off the tree!"


gonna try emailing those pix 1 at a time..

Could we see the caliber markings and the buttplate?

that is going to take some serious time by some who knows how to polish and a good engraver to put it right. Looks like it was a really nice gun.

Griffin & Howe:

Before Seymour Griffin teamed up with James V. Howe he, in the later years, started marking his rifles �S. R. Griffin New York" in a banner on the forward part of the floorplate. In the very beginning of G&H this same practice continued with two banners on the forward part of the floorplate "Griffin & Howe, Inc. New York". These floorplates were completely engraved and some of them have the original owner�s names engraved on them as well. An early G&H flier shows many of these engraved floorplates in stock and the forward banners can be seen in the photos. When the barrel numbering started some of these engraved floorplates were used on the rifle as well and will be found on guns for several years after the start-up of G&H. I have reports on three and have pictures of one rifle that has no engraving on the floorplate or trigger guard save �Griffin & Howe, Inc. New York� engraved in a circle around the floorplate release hole.

There was a lot of experimenting in the early days on how the rifles were to be marked. It�s appears that the original numbering plan was to number all the rifles with the same number but different calibers. A number �1� in caliber .30-06, .25-Whelen, .250-300, 7x57, 35-Whelen, .400-Whelen then start over with number �2� and have one of each caliber with that number. I have observed several identical single digit numbers which adds confusion to the rifle owner who might think he has the 3rd rifle made by G&H because the number on his rifle is 3.



Examples from my database:

Barrel No. Caliber
3 250-300
3 35 Whelen
4 25 Whelen
4 35 Whelen
6 250-300
6 30-06
7 30-06
8 35 Whelen
10 35 Whelen
10 7x57

For some reason G&H started using the two digit numbers again in 1925 on new calibers they introduced that year and on others using the commercial Mauser action.

Barrel No. Action Caliber Barrel No. Action Caliber
13 Mauser 375 H&H 23 Mauser 275 H&H
15 Mauser 375 H&H 24 Mauser 350 G&H
17 Mauser 375 H&H 25 Mauser 35 Whelen
18 Mauser 350 G&H 27 Mauser 400 Mag
19 Mauser 375 H&H 27 Mauser 416 Rigby
20 Mauser 416 Rigby 31 Mauser 350 G&H
20 Mauser 375 H&H 32 Mauser 30-06
21 Mauser 375 H&H 32 Mauser 350 G&H
21 Mauser 300 H&H 33 Mauser 350 G&H
21 Mauser 35-Wheln 34 Mauser 350 G&H
23 Mauser 350 G&H 36 Mauser 350 G&H


Griffin & Howe next assigned blocks of numbers to particular calibers.

Barrel Number Caliber Highest No. Recorded
101-150 .30-06 147
151-200 .35 Whelen 166
201-250 .400 Whelen 228
251-300 7X57 300
301-350 .250-3000 314
351-400 25 Whelen* 351
401-500 .30-06 494

* The .25 Whelen was a version of the modern .25-06 or .25 Niedner.

As you can see the popular calibers such as the .30-06 used up the blocks of numbers whereas calibers like the .25 Whelen show only one number, the first, out of a block of fifty numbers. This practice was abandoned at number 501 with the numbers from then on in sequence regardless of caliber.

This is Griffin & Howe No. 611, which came into my possession in slightly better condition than that of your find. I sent it back to G&H for a full refurbishing job.







Considering the fact that your investment in the rifle stands at -$40.00 by my calculation, having it redone by G&H would cost far less than its actual value in refurbished condition, and I would not hesitate to do the same with your rifle.

XAUSA....I spoke with G&H a few days ago and will most likely end up sending it back to them...

But when I talked with them they were talking stock replacement, acid dipping and retouching up the engraving then reblue..


I mean, I understand wanting to return the rifle to its original glory..but at the same time, I have a hard time wanting to alter this rifle in ANY way given its history

Maybe Im not looking at this in the right fashion....That being said, I'd also like to add in that the cost of the restoration is NOT the issue


any and all input is welcome

THanks!

Scott

IIWY I wouldn't consider replacing the stock unless it has suffered some disaster that would prevent its safety in shooting. If the wood has shrunken away from the metal then it's a fairly simple matter to greatly improve its looks without replacement, and any cracks can be repaired easily during the process.

You'll need to have the engraving touched up but not necessarily COMPLETELY redone, depending upon the desired appearance after it's completed. I personally like a certain look of character provided by the visual evidence of long-term but careful hunting use, but others like a brand-new appearance. You have a golden opportunity to have this rifle look exactly as aged/used as YOU wish it to look, without compromising the pedigree if you have G&H do the work.

WONDERFUL find!
Regards, Joe