I new thought I would own a rifle with a Pope barrel. The opportunity came to me at the recent Colorado Gun collectors Show in Denver.
It is on 1903 Springfield receiver number 14063xx receiver, which was manufactured in 1932. It numbered among 1903 sporters. Without miking the barrel it appears o be a service barrel and not a sporter barrel. It has a Lyman peep sight and a King ivory bead with mirror. I was informed the caliber is 35 Newton. It has he name H. M. Pope om the barrel.
I don't do pictures.
I forgot to say it has a reversed safety, and a headless cocking piece
Does it have the Pope numbers on the bottom of the barrel?
This is one instance when you simply must do pictures!
I'd assume with just the "HM Pope" marking it is likely a Jersey City Pope barrel. Not all of those had the numbers on the bottom side that Hartford Pope barrels usually had. But I'd be interested also in finding out what marks might be on the underside of this barrel?
There are no markings on the barrel covered by the stock. It is obviously an ordinary Springfield Armory barrel. It does have he grove from the ping hat held on the standard rear sight
As to James V. Howe's Modern Gunsmith. There are no pictures of any Pope barrels. He does say:
"The fact hat Harry Pope was able to produce his matchless barrels with no other machine than an old lathe, that he could fashion makeshift barrels with a makeshift contrivance would excite no wonder, but that he could and did make barrels superior to those produced by machines designed and built for this particular purpose is a tribute to his patience and ingenuity, and should dispose of the word 'can't' forever" Volume 2, page 3)
Just got back to your post Paul and sorry I missed your reply. Guessing if it's an original barrel that Pope rebored and rifled it to get it to the .35 Newton. That seems to be something Pope did often, and more so in later years.
I also picked up a Pope barreled Ballard at Denver in May. But mine is one of the Stevens-Pope barrels made while he worked for Stevens.