JLouis wrote on Aug 2^nd, 2020 at 11:36am:


Just the opposite John. He necked it UP to .28, not down. It was of course already a .25-35, so he wouldn't neck it up, and then back down.
When Pope came up with his .28 Pope Special based on the .38 Ballard Extra Long there was no .25-35. But when my Pope 3 barrel set was made the .25-35 was a new cartridge offering, so not something Pope is credited for. He simply took the new .25-35 Win. and necked it out to .28, and used a sharper shoulder.

JLouis wrote on Aug 3^rd, 2020 at 12:38pm:


The .28 Pope Special was indeed out before Marlin made their .25-36 Marlin, and Win. copied it in their .25-35 Win. So the .28-35 based on these cartridges necked out to .28 came long after Pope designed the .28 Pope Special.
From what I read in Claude Roderick's notes back when he was tracing Pope barreled rifles he stated, The Pope is a .28 on a blown out .25-35. This is not a cartridge configuration that appears anywhere else in the database and it's origin is unknown." "This is a breech loader, but has a bullet starter that fits over the muzzle of the rifle. There is no false muzzle and no provision for the same."

So it appears to be the only one known in this cartridge, and a strange barrel with a Pope bullet starter, but not drilled for a false muzzle. The starter fit snugly direct to the barrel, without a false muzzle. The other two barrels in .32-40 and .22WCF are both breech seater barrels.
Roderick recorded the information in 1974, and then the gun was sold and not seen again until that owner died. That's when I purchased it from a dealer who bought it at the estate sale.

Interesting dates. according to the information I have found he was in Hartford rifling barrels in 1877/1878. My Pope was shipped to him as a 38 Bore in 1878 and he Rifled it. He did not have drilling equipment at that time but could Rifle. Winchester was willing to ship smooth bored barrels and or complete rifles with a smooth bored barrel and he would Rifle them and add his stamp to the Barrel.
Others have lettered like that. It has been said and generally believed that he took some Engineering studies but did not Graduate ? from MIT. HTH FITZ OLD TUCK.

Yea Jeff good catch my mistake. Sorry if I created some bad information.
Regards FITZ OLD TUCK.