Approximately 2-1/2 year ago I bid on a rifle that was listed with one of the better known auction companies.  I placed my bid based on the 10-1/2" photo they had online as well as the description.  I had mixed feelings about this rifle.  A few days later I got the email with the invoice and when the rifle arrived at my house, I was right about those feelings.

The rifle had a No. 4 weight Pope barrel with an excellent bore.  The barrel had the Winchester factory roll marking along with "Rifled by H. M. Pope Hartford Conn" on the top flat.  Greatbatch's book H. M. Pope Hartford lists the gun by serial number as being gun "53" and 53 is stamped on the bottom flat nearer the action. 

The action had been refinished with hot-dip blueing.  The block was in the white and its face pitted. I knew from the description that the action had mechanical issues.  I think the rifle was basically an assembly of parts that had not been original to one another.

This rifle is actually pictured in the Greatbatch book and is shown to have been fired by Pope in 1896 at the Hartford Rifle Club. This rifle was also owned by Gerald Kelver. 

I placed it in my rack frustrated that I had overpaid by quite a bit.  After some time, I reached out to Steven Durren in Adrian, MI.  I sent him some photos and a description and told me to send it to him.  The result is the rifle below ...

BEFORE

Hey Joe, Hell, I'm impressed !!!  Very nice 1885. Dale.

The rifle is mechanically perfect.  The single-set trigger works as it should.  The buttstock even has a slight cast-off like the original special sporting rifles.  I couldn't be happier with the end result.

If anyone knows where the original Pope false muzzle number 53 is, I'd like to hear from you ... ha!

Joe you have something to be very proud to own. Steve is just not your ordinary local corner Gunsmith by any means and to now have his name attached to it is just as significant as having Pope's. It's a beautiful rifle and Steve's work is second to none!

JLouis

Joe,
The rifle looks very nice!  Many of us find ourselves in similar positions with purchases and acquisitions, you made the best of yours.   It was a precious piece of history on a downward spiral and with the work done by Mr. Durran it was a good save.   I wish I knew where the false muzzle was...
Thanks,
Greg

A most impressive job by Durren and a great set of pictures also.

Joe
You have had Steve Durren build an exquisite platform to conserve that Pope barrel. My hat is off to you.

Thank you for all the compliments on the rifle. I didn’t think it was right to “part it out” and Steven really turned it into something incredible. 

The rifle is chambered for .32-40 and has a mint bore. I have to decide whether to find a tang sight or attach new scope blocks and top it off with a Lyman 5A, Fecker, etc.  An original Winchester midrange Vernier (or Axtell) would be my preference but I really with Buffalo Arms still had those Pope-Stevens repro tang sights.