I'm re-posting this cause I like it.

Aaron

Maybe work being traded for work? No money trading hands? Thinking outside the box.
Flatlander

It all sounds a bit fishy to me Pope wasn't one who had any interest in nice wood let alone engraving from what I have read. If you look at his personal rifle in Smith's book you would be hard pressed to find one that was more plainly made and the same also held true for Schoyen's personal rifle. Pope was also one who thought the HiWall action to be the very best so it makes it even more questionable being on a Ballard. 

JLouis

JLouis wrote on Nov 9^th, 2018 at 11:49am:


Very fishy; listen on Antiques Roadshow to the "family histories" of how family heirlooms were acquired to know how much credence to place on such stories: not much, & this tale falls into the same category in my opinion.

Cranky & persnickety as he was about his barrel & other machine work, he was not otherwise a vain man, & it's inconceivable to me that he'd have had any use at all for such an over-the-top rifle as this one.  It is, however, exactly the kind of thing that would appeal to a rich admirer, such as Lucian Cary. 

 

That action and possibly it's history is in a past ASSRA Journal and when and if I have time I will dig through my stack and pass on which edition it was in and any information of value if found.

Nice picture and what it sold for. 

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JLouis wrote on Nov 9^th, 2018 at 11:49am:


I recall seeing pictures of Schoyen's personal Ballard that he built for himself. A little plain compared to some he did for others, but still much nicer than the guns owned and shot by Pope that he built for himself.

Although Pope was a big fan of the High Walls, he built as many Ballards, if not more. And that being a .22 rifle would make sense to do so on a Ballard. It may have been Pope's rifle, but my guess is the adornment and gorgeous stock work all took place later after it was sold, or even after Pope's death.

I believe Schoyen's Rifle was a HiWall a gentleman on this site or at least he used to be bought it for under $4000.00 several years back. It was one of the items being sold at one of Rock Island's Auctions or Amoskeag's when several very large private single shot collection was being sold and no one was bidding on it. That's back when several of the Rilfes were selling for $16,000.00 and up and the highest I believe went for $74,000.00 if memory serves me right. Could have been Warren Greatbatch collection there were a couple of large private single shot collections being sold around that same time frame at both Auction houses.

Here was but one and not the one mentioned.
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JLouis