doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Article on Springfield Sporters in GunDigest 2017

I don't know if anyone else has seen the 2017 Edition of Gun Digest, but there is a very nice article written by Phil Shoemaker (Alaskan Guide) titled" Springfield Sporters; A Tribute to the Sporterized 1903 Springfield".

The article includes photos of rifles by Fred Adolph and Wundhammer.

I like to think that Michael petrov may have inspired new collectors of these fine arms and am very happy to see others writing about them.

... Joe

I think you're right Joe! It seems that the high quality Springfield Sporters were appreciated previously, but not thought of as collectables. It also seems that the many poorly sporterized Springfields were dragging down opinions about sporterized military guns in general.
There certainly weren't many people who did as much as Michael to inspire others to collect them as he did. I wish someone would do something to bring appreciation to the various other nicely sporterized single shots of the past. Seems most people look at the old sporterized guns as abuse of an original, and want to disassemble them and restore them to original. That's great for the poorly done guns, but sacrilege to do so to a finely reworked old gun!

Agree with Vall that the finely customized single shot varmint rifles of the 'tens thru '50s should be collected and cherished on their own merits and not "restored" to mis-matched "original (NOT) condition." That includes single shot conversions of the Krag, which could be a collection all on their own.

Same goes for converting Springfield sporters back to "original" military configuration. Bubbulated ones? Sure.

But there are some that are just as much works of art as any rifle could be. Let THEM be. (And if in doubt, leave it alone!).