rkba2nd wrote on Jun 4^th, 2025 at 3:29pm:


It's been well covered that the building Pope setup his shop in was toppled over by the earthquake, and the only thing he salvaged from the mangled mass of what was his tools were his muzzle clamp for his machine rest and a pocket micrometer.
Ray Smith mentioned he relocated to Los Angeles, but said he couldn't make a go of it there and the only good thing he made while in Los Angeles was his Universal Mold design.
He was in Los Angeles for nine months and I've often wondered how he made a living that long with no tools? Smith doesn't mention him working for anyone else there, but says he worked for John Sidle the famous scope maker for a year until Sidle retired and closed the shop. Then friends paid Pope's way back to New Jersey and he spent the rest of his life in the Colgate Bldg. in Jersey City. Supposedly rent free for 40 years, although other dispute the rent free statement Smith reported in his book.

I agree with you on George Schoyen! A far more well rounded gun maker, whose barrels were equal to Pope's, but Schoyen could do a lot more than just excellent barrels. And with Peterson at his side during the Gove years, and later when Schoyen bought the Gove shop and they continued their relationship the two men put out some of the finest single shot rifles made. I own six Schoyen Ballard rifles, and would sell all my other single shots and collect only Schoyen rifles if I could work it out in a fair trade. I consider him one of the finest of the old masters.

Schutzenbob wrote on Jun 4^th, 2025 at 4:54pm:


Larry Shelton did an excellent book on the California gun makers and I own a copy. But he didn't cover much about how the 1906 earthquake affected the makers in San Francisco.

Harry Pope at his portable loading bench.

Engraved Ruger No.1 won by Grant Gruver at the 1983 Coors Schuetzenfest at Golden Colorado.

I was at the Coors Match in 1983, and they had what they called a "Celebrity Match." When you signed up for the Coors match one of the questions was; Would agree to coach someone and allow them to use your equipment? I ended up coaching a sportswriter from a Denver newspaper, and as I recall, his first four shots were 25's at 200 yards, so he was very impressed. There was a guy who looked familiar who came up and started talking to me and being friendly, I didn't know his name, but now I know it was Mickey Jones. 

Lyle Cochran's Hollywood Gun Shop

Even back in the 60's and 70's LA and Hollywood had a large number of gun shops, and gunsmiths making gun related items. Amazing how the area has been killed by politicians.

When I was a kid I used to go we my Uncle and once with my next door neighbor, Frank Snow who owned and started Sierra Bullets, to the Hollywood Gun Shop. It was owned by Mr. Corchran and his Wife. This was in the 60's and it was a famous hangout for well to do shooters and trap/skeet competitors. It burned down, was rebuilt I think then closed for good. 

Mr. Snow and Corchran were machinists and both worked for Douglas Aircraft as I recall during the war. When I was in high school I had a Summer job at Frank Pachmayr's shop doing flunky work and sweeping up and he frequented the HGS often.  Today I have three Hollywood presses, two Seniors, as in the photo, and one big 12 station turret head called the ' Universal. Mr Snow had probably twelve or more Hollywood presses in his Sierra Bullets shop in Sante Fe Spring, CA and he gave me the two Senior's. Heavy duty superbly accurate presses. 

Rick