I looked it up the other day, Michael passed away on February 17th, 2014. I've been e-mailing with a member of the forum who corresponded with
him since the early 80's. We thought it would be a good way of honoring him by remembering him. I hope that members will share their memories of
Michael, bring some favorite threats back to the top in his honor. Maybe on the 17th, we could individually honor him by doing something
like taking out a vintage rifle and shooting it, maybe posting some pictures here of rifles that he would have wanted to see, or raise a glass in his honor.
I can recall a thread where he offered a pretty extensive list of recommended reading. It prompted me to organize my books and renewed my interest expanding my own little reference library. I really appreciated it at the time and still do.
I would like to turn my email correspondence with Michael into a paper scrapbook before some computer glitch loses them.
I once bought a very special high wall from a friend now also deceased. I mentioned it to Michael on the phone and within a few days I received from him a copy of a letter describing its' being built for the president of Western Cartridge in the 40's. I later sold it To Mark Bennenson, also no longer among us.
One of the best decisions I have made in 82 years was to take my wife to Alaska for our 50th anniversary. While she attended a big farmers market/craft bazaar about a block from our hotel on Sat afternoon, I was able to spend about 4 hours in Michael's famous 2 tier gun room. This was just a couple months after his surgery and he wasn't supposed to pick up things so he sat in the easy chair while I was able to look at and handle all the guns. We had been emailing and talking on the phone for some years before my visit and I sure learned a lot from him.
I sure miss him!
Dan
Is there someone here that can post photos of Michael's gunroom for me?
Joe
Here are some pictures from Joe, first from the Memorial Service
I thought I’d share my favorite story involving Michael. In my first year in Anchorage I bought a beautiful No.6-1/2 Rigby Ballard whose caliber was only marked as .40 Cal. I was more collector than shooter and actually posted here first looking for help to identify the caliber.
Michael responded asking me to call him. He invited me over to his house. I was excited to meet a fellow collector / shooter in a new town. When my wife asked me where I was going, I responded, “I met this guy online.” She looked at me and said, “maybe you want to try that again ...”. After laughing about it, I drove to Michael’s house.
Michael met me at the door. He was a BIG guy! He was very tall and had a big frame. He was on a call and invited me in and sat me at his kitchen table. When he finished the call, he invited me to see his gunroom. He opened the door to his garage and motioned for me to go first. I was a bit leery because there was nothing that suggested gunroom to me and he was right behind me.
Then he told me to open a door that was in the far corner and go in. Now, a normal person would have excused themselves and left fearing for their lives. I opened the door and walked into a shop room with some small machinery (e.g. lathe, mill, workbenches, etc) but still no gun-related anything. This was when I got scared and I honestly thought to myself, if I run out of here screaming now, will I be saving my own life by not winding up in some guy’s freezer (I’ve seen enough bad movies. I know how this could end.). Michael put his hand on my shoulder and I thought “oh no ... this is it.” He pushed past me with one concealed door left that opened to the room you see in the photos above.
I am so very happy I trusted Michael that afternoon and didn’t embarass myself by running out screaming. He was a great friend and mentor. He took the time to explain things to me and this room held many, many treasures. No matter what their value he was very proud of everything in this room.
I can still here him saying, “Now look ....”
Fred, I love those photos. Thanks for posting them again.
My story from Michael is very different. I never actually met him but I did talk to him about a strange gun.
The rifle was a Sharp Model 74. There were a number of unusual things about, one of which was that it was charred by a fire on the left side. So it was a very identifiable gun. But there was something else about as well and I have forgotten now what it was. Some feature that made it especially valuable, but I have forgotten now what it was.
In any event, the rifle was for sale at a Rock Island Auction. Michael had seen it in their catalog and recognized the burn mark on it. He also was that some things had been added to the rifle -I wish I could remember, but it has been altered significantly in some way, and he sent me photos of the gun with the same burn marks before the alteration. It was obviously the same wood, but it was not the same gun. It was now a fake. And that is why he called.
What he wanted to do, and I agreed to, was to write up a description documenting the fake, put it all in a letter and envelope addressed to RIA, and send it to me. I was to then open the outer envelope, and remail the inner envelope to RIA so that it would have an Iowa, not Alaska postal code on it, no return address.
Apparently, he felt that RIA would see any AK postmark and know it was from him and he wanted to remain anonymous in all of this. I don't know why he was worried about anonymity.
It all seemed quite legitimate to me (that is Michael's story), so I agreed and deed was done. RIA never changed their listing of the rifle on their website, and I was never able to learn what it sold for, but it appeared that the rifle was sold as was claimed and not as what it was.
I wish I could remember the details of what was wrong with that rifle and why it was so much more valuable for the alteration. Maybe it will come to me. But think Michael was really unhappy to see that rifle sold as a fake.
Anyone know why some of the single shot rifles in the one gun rack have those "flags" tied to them? Were they someone else's guns?
Michael was a very dear friend and we shared numerous emails on Schuetzen Firearms and everything related to their use. Michael was a real Saint of a man and the Targets he shared showed he was also an extremely excellent marksman. The emails and the content he shared are true treasures and I truly do miss this wonderful Man who was also my very dear friend.
John Louis
hello Vall ...
Re: purpose of the red flags
Michael had decided before his death that he was going to send the majority of his single-shot rifles to Amoskeag along with our firend’s John Wills collection after John passed. He figured while Amoskeag was willing to make the flight he would include those rifles as the majority of John’s collection was high quality single-shot rifles.
Joe
Thanks Joe! I knew Michael once told me he had very few old single shot rifles, and suspected those might be someone else's.
I introduced my self to Mike in 1983, when I'd found a Neidner rifle in a shop while in Missoula. That letter began a correspondence that ended when He died. I still have an inch thick file of his letters, the first was in his long hand. After 1999, It was more frequent emails. We helped each other with our research and writing. I got to see the prankster and joker side of him that I think he liked to hide from the public. I met him once in Vegas, we bunked together for a fun few days.
Absolutely not being a smart a$$, but Michael would have replied:
Niedner
"Absolutely not being a smart a$$, but Michael would have replied"
To what? are you referring too.
Looks like someone - who should have known better - misspelled Niedner
I got to see the prankster and joker side of him that I think he liked to hide from the public.
I have to ask, any good pranks or jokes of Michael's to share?
Yes, it was sometime about 1997 when he sent me a page from a newspaper he had made up, reporting on my death, his hand in it, and how our local police dismissed the case because they agreed with the "Mad Russian" that I had it coming. At the time, I had an Adolph-Springfield, and from time to time, I would send Alaska-bound a picture of it captioned "did you know I had this?". I knew he wanted it, and it was just our natures to screw with one another in a friendly way. Maybe I did have it coming.
Anyway, I retaliated and made up my own newspaper and sat still for the local "reporters" interview after he'd witnessed my resurrection and out on the lookout for the Mad Russian. Anyway, we both got a kick out of it. I suppose I could recall some lesser stuff - and I may.
Well, I am sipping some whiskey, raising a glass to Michael Chris Petrov. I had a good day, I did some gun work that I would have been happy to share with Michael, I supervised my kids as they practiced with a bb gun gifted by a member of this forum.
Thank you all for your contributions, I especially enjoyed Joe's story and loved seeing pictures of Michael's gun room and Krag 1902's story of Michael and his pranks. I hope this thread continues.
My friends Zischang sporting rifle in .25-35, if you look close you can see the safety in front of the trigger guard. When Niedner did DST on a Borchardt sporting rifle he made a cocking knob instead of a safety.
Regards,
Michael Petrov
923 West 74th Ave.
Anchorage, AK 99518
907-522-4628
It's Mr. Niedner's Ballard and the stock was done by Tom Shelhamer.
Regards,
Michael Petrov
923 West 74th Ave.
Anchorage, AK 99518
907-522-4628
This is the first group I fired, in the rain, when my late friend John Will made me a mould for my birthday.
The first five shots were not much bigger than a bullet diameter and I started breechloading another bullets and John who was watching through a spotting scope said for me to stop so I would not ruin what was sure the smallest five-shot group I every fired, I said "Hell it has to be ten" ;-).
Regards,
Michael
Michael Petrov
923 West 74th Ave.
Anchorage, AK 99518
907-522-4628
As I stated earlier Michael could also Shoot!
And enough for now I might add some more later for everyone to continue to enjoy.
Dr. Bakers .25-HP Niedner
The cocking piece is Niedners way of having a safety on a sporting rifle when he installed DST's and removed the Borchardt safety.
Zischang made a safety for the front of the trigger guard when he installed DST's on a sporting or hunting type rifle. Attached picture is a friends Zischang .25-35 sporting rifle with a safety.
Regards,
Michael
Michael Petrov
923 West 74th Ave.
Anchorage, AK 99518
907-522-4628
