first the disclaimer: oral tradition is shaky at best
Then the stories begin ...
M.S. Risley was my great Uncle by marriage
that's why I build scaled highwalls in 2R Lovell
Jerry Swinney was also an uncle by marriage and much of
my information comes from him telling me family lore.
his knowledge and reputation remain highly regarded
my memory should be blamed for any and all errors
Jerry told me that he saw what he believed to be
a counterfeit Owen rifle engraved "Robert Owen" instead of
"R.G.OWEN" with workmanship good enough to be the real
thing but unequivocally not so ... buyer beware
RG Owen bought shotgun barreled actions in the white
from Europe and he stocked them himself, boxlocks and sidelocks
my mother told of RG Owen borrowing her set of French curves
and keeping them a long time
