Gastro Gnome - Eat Better Wherever

Pretty & Classy rifles. Lets see them!

Very nice ludville....something about that schnobby little forend lip curl
Yeah, I like the Winchester Featherweights, they just seem "classy" to my eye.

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The only part of the winchester M 70 that gets me is how club-like their stocks are. Far too much wood on them. Those rifles deserve much finer lines in the stock, as nice as they are. That's true from the standard on up to the super-grade. The fit & finish is awesome, and they're still the action to beat, IMO which is why there are so many imitators. But that stock really makes a 10 an 8. Kimber got the stock right.
 
Ever got a few old shotguns. three AyA's I don't have photo's of and this one. Old Mod 37 Ithica. Working the slide this thing sounds like a bank vault closing. Has to be one of the strongest pump actions ever made. 30" 16ga, Love the old thing!

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Those old Model 37's are vastly underrated weapons.
Yes they are. A nice thing about them is when you finish firing, all the MTY's lay at your feet! That's quite a consideration if you reload shot shell's and especially a 28ga. Hate having to look for expended shells!
 
First picture is the P O Ackley 35 whelan muzzle break, the second two are the 35 whelan and a very early low wall that was reballeled by C C Johnson of Thackery, OH and so marked. He interestingly used a barrel from an early Stevens heavy part octagon /round barrel that he relined to 22 long rifle. The low wall shoots one hole groups at 50 yards with the peep off the bench, shot a few prairie dogs so I guess it is the oldest rifle I shoot game with, have a Fecker 10X scope that came with it so sometime in it's past it was used as a target rifle. My book says I bought it in 1972 for $100 in Dorset, VT from my friend Terry Tyler who wrote the definitive reference on New England single shot rifles. Every time i see a part of Shrapnel's collection I get the incentive to pull out some safe queens and the memories that accompany them.
 

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First picture is the P O Ackley 35 whelan muzzle break, the second two are the 35 whelan and a very early low wall that was reballeled by C C Johnson of Thackery, OH and so marked. He interestingly used a barrel from an early Stevens heavy part octagon /round barrel that he relined to 22 long rifle. The low wall shoots one hole groups at 50 yards with the peep off the bench, shot a few prairie dogs so I guess it is the oldest rifle I shoot game with, have a Fecker 10X scope that came with it so sometime in it's past it was used as a target rifle. My book says I bought it in 1972 for $100 in Dorset, VT from my friend Terry Tyler who wrote the definitive reference on New England single shot rifles. Every time i see a part of Shrapnel's collection I get the incentive to pull out some safe queens and the memories that accompany them.

Both are lovely. Thanks for sharing!
 
Here is another safe queen, built in the 50's by J W Van Patten in Pennsylvania, early 1900's generation Springfield action with an "air gauged match barrel" in 30-06, extended Warne type scope bases as a 10X Lyman target spot was used to check load accuracy. The stock is bastogne walnut and made with a nice blind cheek piece and custom bottom metal. I shot it in a casual turkey shoot that was open sight only and consistently hit a 6" gong off hand at 100 meters with old lake city match ammo. I don't think it has been out of the safe in a decade other than for a quick wipe down. I just don't trust the early Springfield actions heat treatment, but it is such a great example of hand built target rifles and such nice wood I have kept for 40 years.
 

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