doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Leonard Mews

I was fortunate to pick this rifle up recently. It is not signed, but I believe it to be a Leonard Mews stocked rifle. I believe Buckstix is our resident Mews expert and can likely provide more information that what I know. I have been looking for some time for a Mews rifle. While Mews is probably best known for being the man behind the Weatherby style stocks, he was a well established stockmaker before Weatherby hired him. As near as I can tell, his earlier stocks were much more classic in style. I do not know the details of how the relationship between him and Weatherby developed, but you can certainly see why Weatherby might have chosen him to design the racy stocks he wanted for his line of hi-speed cartridges.

Mews was certainly not afraid to challenge conventional stock design. This stock shows several non-traditional features, the slightly acute angle at the front of the grip cap, the monte Carlo, the racy checkering pattern, and the fit of the forend tip. Yet in spit of all this, it is still a rather classic styled stock, form mostly follows function, and to my pleasant surprise, is one of the most comfortable and natural pointing rifles I own.

Another pleasant surprise was the quality of execution. Up till now I had only seen Mews work in pictures so I was not sure what to expect. The design may be unconventional, but the execution can hold its own against any of his contemporaries that I have seen. I have included a picture of a letter from Tom Shelhamer to Russell Smith in which he mentions Leonard Mews and his opinion of his work.

The rifle is built on a shortened military mauser and chambered for .243 which would have been the hot set-up when this rifle was built. Not my favorite cartridge, but very usable, and I think appropriate for a rifle by a forward thinking gunmaker such as Mews.

Again maybe Buckstix can add to or correct my information on Mews as needed. Most of what I know is from Kennedy's checkering book and some internet searching.

John











[img]https://i.imgur.com/fuFjkYv.jpeg[/img]

The workmanship on the Mews rifle is really special. I wish I could have watched him as he checkered. The Shelhamer letter is a brief glimpse into his life and work. I hope someone has a thick file of his correspondence. It would make a great article. Thanks for posting this.

Hello, closely examine the barrel channel with a magnifying glass for Leonard's stamp. Many times its very, very, light. Definitely Leonard's "Buck Rogers Rocket Pattern"

http://www.buckstix.com/buckpics/ackley6.jpg

Thanks John, I am not a Monte Carlo fan however this is a very nice rifle in execution and appearance. The slight snarble is a nice complement to the overall appearance. The checkering is so "Alive" in appearance or I should say just full of "Life". So many checkering patterns can be complicated or simple but are flat. However, to achieve the "life" aspect is only the work of a master. BTW let us give Mother nature her credit, nice stock wood.
The metal work is excellent, thanks for the detailed closeup of the workings and craftsmanship of the safety. Do you know who did the engraving?
I liked the Tom letter. Glad he critiqued Leonard's work against his own. (a little self centered) Also, his comments about ridiculous inlays and carving. Little did he probably know where Leonard was heading. The second page of the letter is challenging to read, what was he saying about ivory? What did Tom do a "white line spacer"?

buckstix, your image link does not work.

Try the direct link I added

Whether by Tom S. or any other gunmaker, Dr. Smith's guns are the best. I missed one of his great guns at an Ohio Gun Collectors show years ago. It was a very black stock on a 1917 action as I recall. Different, but a beauty, in .300 H&H. It was for sale for $1400. I was on the hunt for more John Oberlies rifles at the time.
Oh well.

Somewhere I have seen a Shelhamer rifle with an Ivory grip cap and forend tip. As I recall it was one of the Smith rifles. It seemed Smith didn't mind a bit of the "ridiculousness" in his stocks.

John

Here is a Mews 1917 but the stock is anything but black. This one is is also in 300 H&H.

It's rifles like this that bring a big smile to my face that my wife will ask what I'm looking at! Every aspect of the rifle, the wood, the checkering, the engraving & other "touches" all come together so perfectly. The caliber is right for my bad shoulder too! I'd be tempted to swap out the bases, rings & scope for a Hensoldt, etc or Lyman Alaskan... Very sexy in a "blued steel & walnut" way... thanks so much for sharing!