I need some advice.

[JGaynor]

Jim, Not Niedner-Shelhamer.

Dang! Well I was sort of cheating anyway! Always appreciate your posts and also thanks for preserving this important aspect of '03 history.

Regards,

Jim

[Michael Petrov]

Jim, Now that's what I call timing!! The rifle was made by the man on the cover of the book.


Seymour R. Griffin made rifles for a long time while he was employed at The Hotel Bretton Hall in Manhattan at 86th Street and Broadway. He both lived and worked at the Hotel, this was before he started the firm of Griffin & Howe.

The rifle with the bolt-peep has a stock by Fred Adolph.

[m1a1mstrgn]

While my first thought was: "Why the Heck would you want to ruin a beautiful surplus M1903?" After looking at your photos, I've decided that your work enhances these rifles rather than ruins them and I wish to applaud you for your artistry!

Thanks for posting. I'll stick with my current hobby of Milsurp rifles as close to issue condition as possible, but for a hunter, your rifle is amazing!

[Michael Petrov]

For as long as I can remember it's been the military collectors against the sporter collectors .

The sporter guys screw up the military rifles and the military guys mess up the sporters. This last empty stock lost the metal to someone who is trying to restore it back to military.

I seldom if ever talk about the value of these sporters and wounder sometimes if I did maybe folks would not be so quick to part them out.

If it helps to sleep at night most of the pre-WWI sporters were never complete rifles, the gunmaker or owner just ordered the metal parts needed to make a sporter.

[Michael Petrov]

All this restoration talk reminds me to say that there are times when it should not be done IMO.

This rifle is a good example, crack stock, worn smooth checkering and much of the bluing is gone. The rifle was made by Wundhammer for a a young Lt. in the Army named Townsend Whelen. The rear sight is a prototype Lyman 48.

[Mike D]

I think I would keep the Whelen gun the way it is, too.