The deep eyes, high cheek bone, and shape of the ear look very similar to Pope.  Too bad the photo resolution and angle doesn't give little better view of his nose.

Usually Redsetter is at least very close to the mark if not dead on.  But his last post ... .   

First, if Harry sold all his equipment to Stevens, what did he set up shop with in 'Frisco? (And we know he did; in fact, he was set to open his new shop the day the quake hit.)

Second, even if Harry had a die-hard animus against Stevens, it would have been professionally and financially negligent of him not to use the 44-1/2 action as the basis for one of his rifles.  Or look at it this way:  Are the only Stevens actions with Pope barrels those made while Pope worked for them or before?

Hopefully, Warren Greatbatch will live long enough to finish his multi-volume Pope saga, and then you who can afford a set will finally know all the various truths about that fascinating and frustrating man.

Bill Lawrence

I think Harry was just an unfortunately unlucky in life perfectionist.

Might be my eyes but the forearm looks kind of blocky and crude?

True, Vall, but this isn't a Stevens rifle but a rifle built with some Stevens components.  In other words, my experience with crafts people, and Harry Pope was a supreme one, is that their pride rests in the final product, not the components (which, after all, aren't used unless they are worthy of the task).

So, again, did Pope never build, rebarrel, or rerifle a gun in New Jersey that had a Stevens action?  Or mount a Stevens scope? Or reuse a Stevens stock, lever, palm rest, buttplate, tang sight, etc.?

Also, it's news to me that Greatbatch is only the financier of the Pope project.  I thought he was the man with all the records.  If not, who does have them?  Who is doing all the research, etc.?  Whose name(s) should really be on the books produced so far and, hopefully, yet to come?

Bill Lawrence

Bill Lawrence wrote on Oct 20^th, 2018 at 10:34pm:


Supposedly Pope used his payout from Stevens when they bought his contract out to finance the move to San Francisco, and purchase new equipment. Of course Pope built his own rifling machines, so I'd guess he would purchase material in SF and build there also. 
But Ray Smith says he got his shop totally set up, as he was only there long enough to rent a space and finish setting up when the earthquake took his shop and everything in it.
He didn't return to Hartford for multiple reasons. Foremost being that he was broke. He took a job with Sidle building scopes to get by, but did not get along well there. He eventually was loaned funds by friends and acquaintances, and began his trek back East. He contacted Schoyen about setting up a partnership, but Schoyen had no need for more help. 
When he eventually arrived back East, he was estranged from his wife and family in Ct., so was given a space rent free in the Colgate building in Jersey City to set up his business. That business was financed again by friends, and he never prospered in barrel making again in his life. He made his last barrel in 1937, and none after that.
It's said that Pope's family found correspondence with a woman from San Francisco after his death, and concluded his move there after leaving his family was based on that relationship, or hope of a relationship?
Most of his personal letters were destroyed by the family after his death. He never had a good relationship with his children, but towards the end seems to have developed a bit of communication with his son Allen, according to people who knew him, and comments Allen Pope made later.

marlinguy wrote on Oct 21^st, 2018 at 12:17pm:


He couldn't get along with anybody in any sort of joint business venture.  Read that pathetic letter he wrote to Niedner after the Frisco fiasco, more or less begging to go into partnership with him...which Niedner had the good sense to decline. 

Redsetter wrote on Oct 21^st, 2018 at 12:49pm:


I think by that time Pope's reputation for not getting along had proceeded him, and probably why Niedner and Schoyen both rejected his offer to partner up. It could never have ended well. 
I also think that some of Pope's attitude stems back to him being orphaned and taken in by his uncle. Being elevated within the Pope company so quickly, and put in charge of the plant at a young age could likely have created a sense of self worth that lasted the rest of his life.