I have three HH rifles, a maple flintlock long rifle, a maple Winchester 63, and a walnut Winchester 61. The FL was bought at auction but the .22s were made for me by him around 1967.  For a while I also owned a factory engraved Remington 81 with HH maple stocks, I sold it to the gent who wrote the little book on Rem auto rifles.  HH charged $75 for the .22s.   The wood for the 61 came from Shotgun News where sets of stock blanks for the fancy Iver Johnson Skeeter were being sold for $5.  The 63 is ser. no. 285, it came from the Remington sample room, they sold off a whole bunch of older rifles to a pawn shop on the East Side of Manhattan, mostly brand new, I bought two or three new Ballards, etc., maybe a dozen guns in all, the 63 was mint but with a busted stock, had read about Hartley so sent it to him.   Gorgeous maple, super workmanship.   But I never liked his bolt action stocks as much as his two piece work.   Then some years later I wanted another rifle stocked but HH said he was having trouble with his eyes and had quit stockmaking.

Green frog, Michael Petrov died early this year.

Hartley stocked 225 Win. SST  by C. C. Johnson.

I may have the largest collection of Hartley stocked rifles in existence. I have seven single shots, Winchester High Walls and one Low Wall, and a Sharps Borschardt, that he stocked, all but two in maple. I also have four bolt rifles, three Springfields and an Enfield, which he stocked for me in walnut.

My involvement with Hal dates back to the late 1950's. He and my local gunsmith, friend and former business partner, the late Harry Creighton, had a serendipitous relationship whereby Harry, who did no stock work, recommended Hal to customers, and Hal, who did no metal work, referred customers to Harry.

I visited Hal at his home in Lenoir, NC on a couple of occasions, but otherwise our contact was almost entirely by mail. He was a fine man, a fine stock maker, and a real gentleman.

.218 Bee

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.219 Ackley Improver Zipper

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6mm/.225 Winchester

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.250-3000R

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.25 Ackley Improved Krag

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7X57R

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.30-40 Krag

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Hal Hartly also did an excellent article, in the Gun Digest about 1978 or so, on him completely rebuilding a percussion muzzle loader, including recutting the rifling.  If I remember correctly it had belonged to his grandfather.  Of course he built a new maple stock for it too.

Great craftsman.

xausa, what a great looking bunch of singleshot sporting rifles! Really classy workmanship! Don't see them built that way anymore!

My sales territory moved westward from Piedmont NC in about 1996 .... I stopped in to visit Hal Hartley when in Lenior. His shop was on 2nd floor of 2 story cinderblock building, 2 car garage on bottom and Hal's shop on top floor. I would introduce myself each time and I don't think Hal said much of anything just continued working. I was a SS rifle guy in those days and did stocks and mainly checkering. Hal made his checkering tools from a nail and file.
One day I watched him complete a 98 Mauser stock that had the barrel action already fitted and outside rough cut with band saw. Hal used a small hatchet with super sharp edge and 6-7" handle and chipped the final shape in less than 10 minuites.
My last visit DID NOT HAPPEN. Hal Hartley had passed. I found his brother that lived nearby and he said Hal got "sick" and passed in less than a week ..... cancer maybe??
I made a stock for a Ruger #1 270 Win in Tiger tail maple. Attached a picture.
My Picture was TOO Large to upload.