OT - Griffen & Howe '06 - new to the fold

[rjohns94]

As some of you know, I have been working on getting a very special bolt gun, one that I have read about for years, researched and desired for about as long as I have been a gun nut. Today the dream of that rifle has come home to me. I found it in a gun shop just 8 Miles from my house. It took some serious trading and $$$ to get into this one, but it will be cared for me for as long as I draw breath and then passed onto to the next care taker. Here is a bit of description, the photo slide show is after. Lots of pictures, I just could not help myself.

Description:

Circa - 1936 G&H serial number (on Barrel) #1218
Condition - Almost Excellent. Gun is perfectly clean throughout. The only real detraction is the trigger guard shows some scraping along the outside edge (see pics). Secondly, the front sling stud has some marring around it.


Features - 22" barrel, Lyman receiver peep sight, Barrel-Band Front sight, Checkered bolt handle, Buffalo Horn Forend tip, Jeweled Bolt, extractor, Magazine follower and magazine shelf, Widows Peak Buttplate with trap-door, Turkish Walnut stock with hand cut Fine checkering and Cheek piece,
Original leather Scope case and lens covers.


Rifles such as this don't come up very often. It hasn't been fired for over 50 years (yes, that's the 1950's).
The prior owner was the original customer from G&H and had two of these rifles' comissioned for him.
One was the hunting arm, the other the display gun. this is the display gun.


slideshow:

http://s222.photobucket.com/albums/dd20 ... =slideshow

[2ndovc]

Mike,

That's a real beauty!!!

I hope you have many great adventures together!!

They're gonna have to bury me with my '03

jb

[awp101]

Ohhh, that's a beaut!

[RKrodle]

That is a real work of art Mike. Beautiful. Congratulations.

[TedH]

That's a beauty Mike. Hope you didn't have to trade a double for it!

[86er]

Ah - very nice!

[alnitak]

Absolutely gorgeous!! Well done, Bro. I wish you many years of fun and happiness with it.

[JReed]

That is beautiful!!!

[Hobie]

Oh yeah!

[Griff]

Awesome, Mike! That's a keeper for sure!

[revorg]

Very nice

Whatever it cost you, it was worth it.

[Charles]

That is a wonderful rifle and one to be treasured.

Griffin and Howe usually has a selection of used G&H rifles of various vintages for sale on their website (griffinhowe.com)Most are in primo minty condition.

[CEMENTHEAD]

Thanks for a look Mike! That my friend is a BEAUTIFUL example! Enjoy it and give us a range report when you can.

Thanks, Tom

[kimwcook]

Beautiful rifle. You're a lucky man, Mike.

[Pete44ru]

Congrats, Mike !

I agree with you - it doesn't get much better in boltguns, than a G&H Springfield custom, especially fully-optioned/setup like that one.

The closest I ever got to the Holy Grail was a Sedgley Springfield Sporter, and then a Husqvarna that had the same G&H double-lever side scope mount - but with a Lyman Alaskan aboard.

.

[rjohns94]

Pete44ru do you still have the sedgley? or the Husky? pics please if you do

[Rimfire McNutjob]

Love the bolt knob and the way the stock is notched for the side peep. Eight miles away ... isn't that just how it goes sometimes.

[Borregos]

WOW

[KCSO]

A wonderful example of the rifle makers art. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do my Sedgley Krag. Just to hold and shoot a rifle that might have went around the world with a famous hunter is a hoot all to itself.

[rjohns94]

KCSO - any pictures of your sedgley?

[Pete44ru]

[Pete44ru do you still have the sedgley? or the Husky?]

Naw.

I was so excited at finding/buying the Sedgley for $700, that I didn't see it was done on a VERY low-numbered 1903 Springfield until I got it home - so I doubled my money by selling it to a Sedgley collector tuit suite, since I was afraid to shoot it, lest I damage such a rare beauty.

The .30-06 Husqvqrna's gone, too - to a very close friend, who HAD to have it, and wouldn't leave me alone until I sold it to him.
The last I saw of it was many several years ago, just after it came back from Fajen to have the 24" bbl clipped and a full-length/mannlicher stock fitted to it - but AFAIK, my friend still has it.
The Alaskan scope still exhibited fogging in cool/cold weather, though.

IMHO, the G&H Springfields are heads/shoulders above the Sedgleys, both in metal fit/finish AND stock work.
I think that's because the G&H's seemed to be more or less done on a one-by-one custom basis, and Sedgley seened to do his sporterizing on more of a production basis.
The G&H's I've seen/held are definitely more detailed than the Sedgley's - and, I think we can see that today, in the comparative differences in value.

.

[Nath]

Oh boy, wow. That is special. Very very nice Mike, good find.

Nath

[Buck Elliott]

It's true -- the G&H Springfields ARE the Holy Grail of bolt guns. You just don't see 'em much, in my neck of the woods. That one is beautiful.

[Ysabel Kid]

Mike - Holy Cow is that a beauty! Congratulations!!!

[Yodar]

I was prowling through a gun store in Albuquerque some years ago and happen to see four custom Griffen & Howe rifles built on Springfield actions. They were all almost identical. One was a .30-06, one was a .270 WCF, one was a .35 Whelen, and one was a .40 Whelen. They were pretty and pretty pricey.

[dr walker]

She is a Queen. What a great find, just eight miles from home no less. Congratulations on making it happen. I hope you plan on hunting with it.

[rjohns94]

thank you all. Yes I plan on hunting with it and shooting it alot. I won't be reloading for it though. In fact, I plan to go fox hunting with it very shortly. I may even take a day off work just so I can hold it all day.

[Hillbilly]

thats nice... I want one

Jeff

[mescalero1]

Pete44ru,
Tell your buddy I have a Husky .243 that is at least 40 years old, and I have no emotional attachment at all.

[Chuck 100 yd]

WOW !! Very nice.

[Rusty]

Congratulations Mike. That is one pretty piece of history. Did you find out much about the original owner? It might be fun to find out where the rifle has traveled.

[rjohns94]

he was a local doctor that passed away a few years ago. you are right, some investigating is in order.

[KCSO]

Pull the butt plate. I have found everything from a $100 bill to, in the last rifle a Savage 99 in 250-300, a hunting license cancelled for Elk with the owners name address and the notation that this was the 5th Elk she had taken with the rifle. My Sedgley has a ss# stamped under the buttplate.