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

If you're a fan of the 1885 Winchester, you might enjoy looking at these two. They show some of the finest gunsmithing, stock work and engraving that I have every seen. More embellishment than I would want on one but enjoy for the craftsmanship.
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/973969501

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/973965647

Hi Bob!
Those are amazing rifles. Definitely not my cup of tea, but quite the craftsmanship. I'm not a fan of the varmintized highwalls, but those are infinitely better in their execution than any that I have seen before.

Hope to see you at Lodi this spring. Your rifles never disappoint.

To me, looking beyond the work, there is something odd about both. Are those original Winchester actions? Or are they some later near-copies? The lower tangs do not look quite right. If you were simply doing the paperwork, maker & SN?

The lower tangs were doubtlessly altered to fit the pistol grips on the stocks. All of my high walls received the same treatment.

Those guys advertise some really nice guns but they are always proud of them.

While the 222M has really nice wood and a better cartridge (was one of the contenders when the shorter 223 beat it out with the army) I prefer the overall treatment of the Hornet. Just looks more appropo of the period.

I'll never understand bears on .222's, deer on .22's, birds on 30.06, etc...

I think there has been extensive work done to the tangs by shortening and welding holes up. With no evidence of a bolt through the top tang, I'm almost sure that they have through the stock bolt modifications to improve accuracy. The cartridge is probably the Aussie .222 rimmed that was popular in single shots back in the 60's.

I think you are absolutely right about the through bolt. They did not need to cut the tangs for a pistol grip. I've bent them, as have many others. In fact, I bent a tang that you traded to me, now that think about it. I like the looks of the longer tangs, but these are definitely artsy guns and well done.

Nice rifles.
They attribute the engraving to (Kurt?) Jaeger, Germany.
He had many engravers working for his shop including Emil & Claus Willig.

I don't see any mark on the first one with a quick look over.
The second one,,the .222. has the engraving signed (I believe it's the engravers mark) in the criss-crossed ribbons on the forward portion of the lever ahead of the figure.

I can't get the pic clear enough to read the lettering though.
Most all of the engraving from Kurt Jaeger's shop was marked as just that,,Engrv by Kurt Jaeger.
A few were allowed to be signed by the actual engravers like the Willigs'

Claus later came to the USA and did work for Paul Jaeger's shop in PA as well.

The Oak Leaf on the first rifle looks just the way he used to shade his on earlier work. But many engravers learned from the same 'school' and eachother. So some techniques and similaritys
are obvious.

First rate Teutonic engraving.

I tend toward substantial calibers. My largest is an original 1885
chambered in 45-60 WCF. Made in 1887. Have actually slain
coyotes with it and 400 gr fp bullets. A joy to shoot with
medium velocity handloaded ammunition. Original mid-range
Winchester Vernier sight.