doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Restoration by Committee!

I have thoroughly enjoyed following this thread and learning why you made the decisions you did in restoration. It has been fun to participate. I've also learned about another Classic smith that I didn't even know existed. Thank you.

Also thanks to Rocky Mtn Bill for selling me a high number '03 action for the rifle JD is building. I was beginning to think they had all disappeared.

I love this site.

Jerry Liles

Most are, and I suspect that few have seen an original Wundhammer one. Of the fifteen or so Wundhammer rifles I have seen only one had the palm swell and it was just like the one on the Ross. Wundhammer's name is now synonymous with something he would not recognize.

Hi Michael,
Cast parts usually have a lot of voids and impurities that can will show up after anodizing. Just depends on the quality of the casting.

The heavy and long barrel, and the slow twist, makes me think that this rifles was intended to be shot at targets more than it was game. For this application, I don't think the buttplate that is on it is that inappropriate. Of course, thats just me.

John

John,

Thanks I'll live with it for a while before I do anything with the buttplate. I may go the anodizing route at a later date.

Terry,

I can't find pictures of the high-wall Pope, do you know who made the stock on it? Could it have been Ross King? Might be hard to tell if it's a heavy target stock.

Another Pope sporter owned by a friend. S.R. Griffin stock, Pope barrel, Kornbrath engraving, caliber 30-06.

I think this is one also, the owner can tell you about it.

On the Pope .405-.30 highwall, I have no idea about the stock maker. We did not photograph it as the butt plate was off, and we had other (at the time more interesting) things to do. I'll send you a snap shot this week end. It is a target style stock - which reminds me of a thought which may not really belong in this thread. Since your bench rest shooting indicates equal or better groups when the front rest is directly on the barrel rather than the fore end, could/should not some of these long "2 x 4" fore ends on older target rifles be cut to more pleasing profiles?

Mr. Murphy's other Pope rifle.

And yet another one, I may have to do an article on custom sporters with Pope barrels.

Boy, I would absolutely replace the forend on the Murphy Pope High Wall. Original or not, that big club spoils what would otherwise be a simple attractive rifle with an excellent pedigree. Since the wood does not seem to really match anyway, at least from the photo, cutting down the original is probably not worth the effort. Keep the original for the historical value, and have something made which looks right on the rifle.