doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com G&H Single lever side mounts

I'm looking for opinions from people who have owned rifles with Griffin and Howe single lever mounts. How strong and reliable are they? I've never heard any complaints about them but it seems that G&H only used them for a few years before switching to the longer double lever version. Any ideas as to why? Were they having issues with them?
The reason I ask is I'm thinking about having a couple made for a pair of custom rifles I have planned. I don't want to go that route though if there's known problems with them.

The double levers seem to work in opposition to each other. After tightening one lever, the mount is not yet completely stable fore and aft until the second lever is actuated. I have owned a single lever mount, but never had it fitted to a rifle.

I was standing around in G&H's old shop in lower Broadway when a customer came in with a pre-War G&H Springfield with a single lever mount and a Lyman Alaskan scope. He wanted to change over to a 1" scope to replace the 22mm Alaskan. The gunsmith explained that the prewar scope mounts could not be changed over simply by changing the rings. The post-War rings would extend too far to the right and not be over the bore. He said that the only way of changing to a 1" setup was to change the whole mount, and operation which cost, I believe, $75.00 at that time.

While the customer was considering this proposition, I butted in with an offer to buy both old scope and mount for, I believe, $125.00, which the customer gladly accepted. I departed with the scope and top part of the mount in hand, and later received the base in the mail.

Later, while looking for a pre-War top part of a double lever G&H mount, I spied one lying on the desk of one of the owners of Dixie Gun Works, in Union City , Tennessee, I asked if it was for sale, and received a negative reply. I then offered to trade my single lever mount for it, and was accepted. It seems that his rifle had a single lever base and was missing the top part, just like mine was missing the double lever top part.

Thanks xausa.

Anybody else? I kinda thought there would have been more people that frequent this forum who would have used them. Over a hundred views now and nobody who has owned a rifle with them on it?

A few years ago, I won an auction for a Winchester Model 54
with a Zeiss Zielklein in a G&H single lever mount. I gave
it to my father and he has hunted with it for two maybe three
deer seasons with it in Wisconsin. He hasn't reported any
problems with it, but hasn't taken it off the rifle all that much nor has he used a rifle with a G&H double lever mount. I wonder if there is any period advertising that discusses the double lever mount and why it was introduced.

I have a single lever side mount(not G&H)on a 9.3x57. I had trouble with the top part slipping on the bottom dovetail. I cross drilled the dovetail and installed a rollpin as a "stop" and haven't had any more problems.
Mike

I've owned a lot of each version, both single and double lever. From a strictly aesthetic view, I much prefer the single. I think it's just more elegant. I do feel the version needs to be appropriate for the vintage of the gun. I wouldn't want a single lever on a post-war gun and wouldn't like a double on a very early gun. Aesthetics aside, I've never had trouble with either slipping or moving though I have had a couple of doubles that weren't timed properly and the levers pointed the wrong direction. I feel they need to point inward, perfectly aligned with one another for the cleanest look. Remember also, there are both steel and aluminum versions of the double, the aluminum being the later.

Thanks all,
I appreciate the responses, especially yours Flygas, as you've owned a bunch of them. I'm intending to have built an M2 and an 03 (30-06) similar to the style of Bob Owen. I'm not trying to pass them off as period though so I can really use whatever I want especially since I'll likely have the mounts custom made. I much prefer the looks of the single levers though so want to go that way. Just wanted to make sure there were no functional issues since I could go with a Jaeger or Noske style just as easily.

Josh

Steel and aluminum aren't the only distinguishing features. Pre war mounts, whether single or double lever, had bases which were cantilevered inboard and were fitted with 22mm rings. The later mounts were cantilevered outboard and could be fitted with either 22mm or 1" rings interchangeably. Noske also made mounts only for his 22mm scopes, and most had double locking features.

Incidentally, with the proper tool, the double lever levers can be properly adjusted to line up when locked.

Just a note about adjusting levers. I know most people know it, but the levers must not be adjusted so that it(they) "bottom out".
Mike