A recent reply by an "ASSRA Journal Editor" stated the following:

"While Pope did describe himself as an engineer and did go to MIT the course he took was a 2-year industrial engineering course that placed emphases on hands on machining. MIT was very up front in their catalog at the time that this was not a scientific engineering degree. Harry was never shy about touting his accomplishments and often told people that he was an engineering graduate of MIT, he just left off that it was the lesser 2-year “Community College” version not the scientific engineering degree."

Regretfully, no documentary source material supporting this "revelation" was
included......

Hello Vall:

Thank you for your kind reply, and particularly
the 1941 AR article reprint.

franklin

  There is actually quite a bit of info about Pope available on the internet. Just need to be creative in your searches. The AR 1941 link took a few tries to get, but if you search several ways, a lot comes up.

Thank you USCRA, that was a good read

I used the Pope biography that is in the Greatbatch book. There are few people who know more about Pope than Warren. Little snippets of that information are spread around many articles on Pope that have been written over the years. My own observation of Pope from reading his own words and what others have written about him is that he was proud of his work and given to gilding the lily on occasion. His reputation as the greatest gunsmith / barrel maker who ever lived is, in my opinion, a product of Popes self-promotion and the writings of Lucian Carey and Ray Smith. If Schoyen or Zischang had better biographers maybe we would have a more balanced opinion. 

40 Rod

Beyond Pope's own high esteem for his work, plus the help of writers like Lucian Carey. He also had the advantage of being younger, and living well into the 20th Century. I believe around 1949-50? Living into modern times, well after Schoyen, Zischang, and early barrel makers, made him better known in recent history. Much less competition in his later years, than there was in his early years.
Not to take anything away from Pope's ability to build superb barrels! Their records speak for him! But there were some top shooters back in the turn of the century 1900's that were open about their preference for Schoyen barrels. Rowland got sideways with Pope for mentioning in an interview that he felt Schoyen's barrels were better.

"Rowland got sideways with Pope for mentioning in an interview that he felt Schoyen's barrels were better".

Reminds me of the current state of spelling on the innermet and in the journal. 

Think it was Pope that got sideways. Pope copied Schalks rifling then modified it.

          Joe.

marlinguy wrote on Jan 24^th, 2016 at 9:39pm:


Pope also published articles under his own byline.  December 1941 Rifleman, two full pages on how to shoot offhand.  Can't have done his reputation any harm among shooters not even born during heyday.