doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Worst News - Michael Petrov

I'm another that's going to miss him, and will have to find another reason to check in here daily, .....always looked forward to his postings. He was ever the gentleman to go to for advice. He called me about 15 years ago on a rifle, ....met him in Reno, and have talked since. He was an excellent researcher that set the pinnacle we all aspired to.

I'm speechless.
All I can say is I'm going to try and live my life more like Michael did...

That makes two of us Steve, first Mark Benenson and now Michael. It's so sad to think a person will never see either one of these people at Las Vegas again.

I only met Michael a couple of times in person but was always impressed with his knowledge and his willingness to share it. I had a rifle I was planning on giving him someday but I waited to long.

I am also saddened that we will now never see the "coffe-table" book of all the makers in full color that Michael talked of doing someday. I had rat holed a couple hundred dollars for it in hopes it would be published some day.

Mike was such a good man. I wish his family peace in the days to come. He reached out so often to share his knowledge. Would we could all be a bit more like him.

Pete

Very Sad, I learned so much by his posts.

To who will miss him, be glad you have your health, it is the most important thing we possess

Jerry

Such a sad note to hear of Michael's passing. He was a great contributor here and everywhere else. I miss Joe Harz, another regular poster here not that long ago and a great personal help to me and my competition rifles. And Whitey too is missed. And there are others. So, tonight, a toast to Michael and all the others. I miss them all.

Brent

I knew him only on these pages as a gentleman who lived to a high standard of human values. I googled Michael Petrov and Rifleman and Alaska to catch up on his background, thinking his family may have been one of the earliest immigrants to Alaska. There was his photo. It was all there in his face, everything I had imagined about the man.

Michael was a true gentleman. Selfless and always willing to help. May he rest in peace.

I am very saddened. I will miss his post. He was so willing to share and educate. He added a dimension to my wide gun interest. Rest in peace.

-brian

One of my first exchanges with Michael would seem to be of interest in the
present circumstances. I wrote:

"Well Michael,

Now I'm embarrassed. I have been a Precision Shooting subscriber since
about 1964, sticking with it through all the lean years, when it was scarcely more than a pamphlet. Of course, I have read your articles with interest and pleasure, but I just didn't make the connection.

I first came in contact with PS through Crawford Hollidge, a big name in
bench rest shooting in the 50's, one of the founding fathers, so to speak.
Through him I met such luminaries as Harvey Donaldson, Mike Walker, Warren
Page, Brunon Brunowski and others whose names escape me for the moment.
When Crawford gave up shooting, he wanted me to have some of his rifles,
and I still have them, including an elaborately engraved Model 70, barreled by
Taylor and Robbins, and engraved by John Warren, whom Crawf also
introduced me to. Because Crawf was left handed, I couldn't use his stock,
so I had it restocked by Griffin & Howe, and it is one of the favorite pieces of my modest collection.

This brings me to a subject you may have some thoughts on. None of my
three sons is interested in guns or shooting. Over the years, I have
accumulated some guns which are truly out of the ordinary, like Crawf's Model 70, and like his .219 Donaldson Wasp bench rest rifle he which he is pictured
shooting in the various articles he wrote. I feel that there should be a
repository of such rifles of historical interest other than the NRA
museum, where serious researchers could have access to them, and I would
be glad to leave such rifles that I have to such a repository. I wouldn't entrust my prized possessions to the NRA, I'm afraid.

I would appreciate any comments you might have on the subject."

Michael wrote:

"No reason to be embarrassed, can't expect people to equate Michael (no
last name) to a few articles in PS.

Years ago (30) when I first got interested in firearms research I wrote
many letters to the NRA, took me while to realize that they don't know
very much or don't have a way to look it up. They have never even
indexed the American Rifleman. At one time the gal that ran the NRA
museum when it was downtown would call me with questions about stuff
published in the American Rifleman because I had a complete collection
and she did not. Guns that I KNOW are in their collection I cannot get
info on. I would, like you, never give anything to the NRA.

What I plan for my stuff (it's in my Will) is that all my papers,
records, pictures and files will go to the Rifled Arms Historical
Society and my collection will go to auction. It this way the research
is preserved and the guns get to be enjoyed by new generations."

This message from Michael was sent in 2003 and obviously a lot of water has gone under the bridge since then. I have been told that the Rifled Arms Historical Society no longer exists, so obviously this part of the information is no longer valid. My point was that Michael did not want his collection of fine rifles to end up in a museum, but in the hands of those who would appreciate the workmanship and artistry and enjoy using them. This is a sentiment I totally agree with.