This is a very nice rifle which I too was hoping to pick up under the radar so to speak.
Also, I think I have a pretty good idea of its origins.
There was another fine rifle in the auction that, although a different sort of rifle, helped me to reach my conclusion.
Lot #360 is a Webley & Scott Mauser 300H&H Magnum.
Superb rifle, and I knew I had seen that style before somewhere.
After thinking about it, I remembered seeing that very rifle offered in the 1931 Stoeger catalog.
There it was! Pictured exactly as the rifle in the auction.
Webley & Scott rifle - square bridge magnum Mauser, H&H cocking piece peep, everything original and correct right down to the sling!
Of course, that one rallied at the auction to a price too much to consider.
So, back to the 400.
Also in that very catalog, right in the front, is a section devoted to Col. Townsend Whelen.
On offer are stocking to Whelen's specifications, accessories to his specs (grip caps, butt plates, etc.)all of which are applied to the rifle in question.
The following pages are devoted to the engraving offered by Stoeger.
Stoeger employed master engravers at the time and offered some very impressive work. The catalog shows five floorplate designs but also remarks that anything could be engraved to the customer's instruction.
It's my belief that what we are looking at is a custom rifle ordered straight from Stoeger.
They certainly had the talent in house to build the rifle and that would explain the various styling cues applied to the rifle as well as the omission of any mark or signature of the maker or engraver.
Its easy to get caught up in attributing work to single particular craftsmen or makers. I do it too - "boy, engraving sure looks like Kornbrath... stock must be Adolph...got to be a Hoffman!" especially when bidding at auction - hope springs eternal as they say.
Superb rifle none the less.
