This week I came across and bought two single shot rifles. One is Stevens (I think a 44 action) in 22 LR. This was clearly re-barreled with a heavier weight barrel and it has the name M.S. Risley stamped into the barrel. This rifle looks like it was made to perform but not so much in the looks department.  I am trying to find out any information about Mr. Risley and/or his rifles.  Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Probably not the same fellow, but there was a Judge Risley, County Judge at Fort Stockton, Texas, I think his initials were J. R. , who made muzzle loader barrels and rifles from the 1940's and shot in the Texas Muzzle loaders state shoots at Brady, Texas for 30+ years.  He got old barrels and reamed them and rifled them and even used high pressure oilfield tubing to make 60 caliber rifles.  His barrels were accurate if not pretty.  Frequently used Bannerman surplus musket locks.

His stamped name on the barrels were always out of line with no visible attempt to make it neat.  I do not think he had any relatives that he passed his skills on to.  The rifles shot very well.  A WWI veteran, he died in the 1990's.

James

Correction:  Judge Risley's initials were H.E.  He won the Texas muzzle loaders match in 1947, then at Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas.  The Brady range was not built until the early 1960's.

James

James,
Matches went to San Angelo for several years before Brady. Ed Talley made the best Cabrito BBQ ever.

Several of us young fellows went to visit the Judge in Ft. Stockton. Saturday night and we wanted to go to town. Judge said, "Don't want to see you boys in my court room Monday." Guarantee we did not. Wish I still had my Risley barrels.
Chuck

40_Rod wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2015 at 8:55am:


Thank you for the lead. I saw some clips from the books and they do look to be helpful. The rifle cosmetics are not that good but it appears very tight and the barrel looks great. 

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uscra112 wrote on Nov 4^th, 2015 at 10:06am:


Thank you for the kind words. I finally got a chance to shoot it. It looks even better in my eyes now. Mr. Risley knew his business. I had some SK Standard Plus (same ammo also boxed as Wolf Match-Target made by Lapua), some CCI Standard Velocity, and some RWS Target Rifle. The SK/Wolf always shot well for me but my Stevens did not like it as well. At 50 yards measured center-to-center, it shot a 3/8" 5-shot group with CCI, a 1/4" 5-shot group with the RWS, and then a 1/2" with SK. I tried the SK again and got a 13/16" group to just prove to myself it wasn't all me messing up. I am very pleased with the rifle.  Now where did I put that Eley Match at..........

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westerner wrote on Nov 4^th, 2015 at 9:38pm:

The butt plate is vertically adjustable. The top prong is a knurled end screw that locks the plate into the various heights.