Ledball,  I don't know who made the first variable scope, but I do have a rather unique quiz for all of the Winchester M1885 experts out there!  How many original Winchester Model 1885's were factory chambered in the caliber of 40-90 Bottleneck?
(Not the same as the 40-90 Sharps straight).
The correct answer might surprise you !!!   Tim 

Love this Idea. MORE QUIZZES PLEASE!! 

Anyone know who made the first "range finding"scope?

Merwin

BP
       I have never seen anything but pictures of the stevens "wide angle" scope,
       My info  {Savage & Stevens by Bill West, says that the variable eye cup was from H M Pope, I can't find a picture of an earlier soule type tang sight with this eye-cup.  ain't this fun     ledball
PS  these Stevens scopes must be scarce, I see very few at the OGCA

Here's a quiz question and the answer:
How did Harry Pope test fire his barrels before he shipped them to the customers?

Answer:  His shop on the 18th floor of the Colgate Bld in Jersey City, NJ had a diagonal distance of 50'.  He fired 2 fouling shots into one of the brick walls then shot a playing card sized target diagonally 50' feet across the shop ... which he shipped to the customer with the rifle

In addition, the windows of his shop were so grimy from the cigarettes he always smoked, he used to write notes in the grim on the windows

Trivia that you'll never find in any of his catalogs!

Who was the young fellow that decided to do Pope a favor and wash those grimy windows?

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You won't find it in any of Harry's articles or Smith's book but if you read the autobiography:The Life and Times of Arthur C. Jackson - you'll find more interesting information about Harry that I've never read elsewhere
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IIRC - Art Jackson when he was young - the offer was declined by Harry

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Thanks for the Info on Arthur C.Jackson John Boy, sounds like an interesting read.
  Regards
  H. M. Pope

Bad memory ... Pope's shop was on the 4th floor, not the 18th.  Sorry guys!

Waterman,

I bought that book (hard bound) for my cousin as a gift about 10 years ago. In the book they had detailed drawings of the weapons. I, unfortunately do not remember what it was or have any idea if the drawings in the book were what was used in the movie. But I always thought that the added detail of the items used by the Jackal was neat. I may need to find a copy for myself.
WOuld be interesting to know what was in the movie and if it is the same as the book!

Hello, John Boy..no, I knew about the "Gibralter" rest..I mis-remembered..wasn't a name of his range...it was a sign he told Pope he was going to erect over his range...NO competition allowed!
    He wanted that range to be used for experimentation, and learning..not to brag who was the better shot.   That doesn't sound like such a bad range-rule today.

Great idea!
Any more questions out there?

This is the kind of thread that really makes this forum worth reading! Great history, and pictures!

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  Marlin Guy, I could not agreed with you more.  What we do today is greatly influenced by what those who went before us did.

  Anyone interested in the life and times of our shooting brother, Mr. Philip B. Sharpe, who lived and worked in Adams County, Pennsylvania, please let me know the nature of your interest and perhaps I may be able to assist you.  I am, at the present time, working on a historical background project that involves his life and activities subsequent to W.W. II.

Dr. W.E. Brown

.22-5-40 wrote on Feb 26^th, 2012 at 7:46pm:



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MP,

    I have no intention at this time to publish that photo in anything. However what is the problem with it that you say to look close at? 

                                                 Sendaro

When woodchuck hunting they stayed at the “Shushan House”.  They had a gun room there and wrote all there experiments on the wall.  D.W. La Voy was the owner of the Shushan House and it was destroyed by fire circa 1915.
At the edge of town they used a 200 yard range which was located somewhere near “Dempsy’s” what or whoever that was.  There was a large pile of stones at the backstop at 200-yards.

MP,

    Thank you for the information. Do you have any information about Dr. Baker? Where he was from and so on.

    Having that scrap book is a wonderful thing indeed. Have you thought about publishing it?

                                   Sendaro

MP,

     What is the rifle Dr. Baker is holding in the photo? Is it a Farrow? 

                              Sendaro

40_Rod,

      Thanks for the reply. A sharps! I didn't think of that. 
  What rifle does Mann have in the photo? 

      It looks like a Stevens that Niedner is holding in the photo. Could it be a 44 1/2 Stevens?

I found that old photo on a web site that had photos of Shushan New York. I just think that old photo is great! Had no idea that it was "hijacked" from someone. 
       Do you know anymore about Dr. Baker? I did read somewhere that he was a shooter. I think that it said a rest shooter.

     I find all of this very interesting and want to learn more about the history of the men in that group photo. 

     As a teenager I meet Harvey Donaldson and talked to him several times. Back then I had no idea of his early history. I talked to him about modern target and varmint rifles. Wished that I knew about his early days in shooting. 

   I'm very happy to hear that MP has the items that he has and that they are being preserved. I'm sure that so much has been lost over the years. A few years back I came across Milton Farrow's score cards and some letters. I do not own them but know where they are. The present owner knows a little about Farrow, but I don't think he knows the whole story. These items are safe at present, but who knows what will happen to them and other jewels of the past shooting sports.

                               Sendaro

                  

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waterman wrote on Feb 24^th, 2012 at 5:37pm:


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   22-5-40

      That is an excellent perception on your part, I might add.  I thought that I would add my remarks about the auto since it represented that period in time, long since pasted, but which had gone unnoticed by the keenly focused gun cranks who often miss the foreground and/or background ancillary activities.

  Thanks for your addition.

  CMM

.22-5-40 wrote on Nov 10^th, 2012 at 1:10am:


I think there's more to this. 100 year old guns are much more reliable than 100 year old cars. And most of us are more comfortable with, (and knowledgeable about) our 100 year old guns than we are about old cars. I love old cars, and my newest is a 1971, with my daily driver a 1969, so I'd feel more willing to drive that old car than something newer with a computer I can't find or figure out.

I was fortunately able to buy a 1926 Ford from two elderly spinster sisters who had bought 4 new ones at the end of Model T producton.  They had tried the first model A the dealer got in, but they couldn't learn how to shift the transmission.  That's what they said, but it really was the clutch they couldn't deal with.  When the cars got to 20,000 miles they sold them as 'wore out.'  So I paid $50.00 for it.  I drove it another 50'000 miles after I jury rigged an oil bath aircleaner for it.  I bought it in 1955. Wonderful car, except a ridiculous idea for a heater.  Wish I still had it, but I got seperated from it somehow when I went in the service.