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Double Rifles, Single Shots & Combinations >> Double Rifles
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mickey
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Reged: 05/01/03
Posts: 4647
Loc: Pend Oreille Valley, Idaho
Secret stuff hidden in Rifles.
      #36727 - 02/09/05 03:32 AM

In reading the thread on the love letter to a Holland I started wondering if anyone here has found any neat stuff tucked into their rifle or into the case?

Aside from some exrtra firing pins and detacable moon sights I have never found anything. I do know of a fellow who found the original bill of sale from a gunshop in Kenya. Also one guy told me he found some old Pound notes in the buttstock.

Anything else?

--------------------
Lovu Zdar
Mick

A Man of Pleasure, Enterprise, Wit and Spirit Rare Books, Big Game Hunting, English Rifles, Fishing, Explosives, Chauvinism, Insensitivity, Public Drunkenness and Sloth, Champion of Lost and Unpopular Causes.

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tinker
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Reged: 12/03/05
Posts: 4835
Loc: Nevada
Re: Secret stuff hidden in Rifles. [Re: mickey]
      #36729 - 02/09/05 03:53 AM

Bought a pre '64 winchester from an old couple some time ago

There'd been question as to wether or not it was a pre '64 gun, but I was confident.
Got it home and under the buttplate I found a matchbook flattened out and marked with something to the effect "Stolen from (so and so's name and address in Utah, the father of the woman of the couple) 1960"

Nice old rifle.
That was the only trinket I've ever come across though.


--Tinker

--------------------
--Self-Appointed Colonel, DRSS--



"It IS a dangerous game, and so named for a reason, and you can't play from the keyboard. " --Some Old Texan...

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DUGABOY1
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Reged: 02/02/03
Posts: 1340
Loc: TEXAS USA
Re: Secret stuff hidden in Rifles. [Re: mickey]
      #36730 - 02/09/05 04:05 AM

Yes, Mickey, I once bought an old winchester Mod 92 trapper rifle cahmbered for 25-20 Win, out of a hockshop, for $50. It had no finish on the steel, and it was obvious it had been many miles along somebody's trap line, before it got to me. The stock was a little oils soaked around the tangs, so I decided to take it off, and degrease it. When I took the butt plate off, there was a hollowed out compartment under it! There was a 20 ft length of fish line with two hooks, a small compass, and four rounds of ammo, in that hollow. I assume it was a survival kit of sorts!

I always remove the but plate on any old rifle I buy today, and on other occasions, I have found the things you mentioned, like spare sight blades, fireing pins, and holes drilled in the stock with two or three rounds of ammo warpped in candle waxed paper! But no love letters to Holland & Holland, or anyone else!

--------------------
..........Mac >>>===(x)===>
DUGABOY1, and MacD37 founding member of DRSS www.doublerifleshooterssociety.com
"If I die today, I have had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"

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500grains
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Reged: 16/02/04
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Loc: Salt Lake City, Utah USA
Re: Secret stuff hidden in Rifles. [Re: DUGABOY1]
      #36738 - 02/09/05 06:16 AM

My dad had a Springfield '03 with a target peep sight installed. The original factory sight was missing. However, a prospective purchaser pointed out that the missing sight was inside of the butt plate and could be retrieved by use of a screwdriver. That helped the gun sell because there were no longer any missing parts.

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rgp
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Reged: 17/06/04
Posts: 373
Loc: TX & VIC
Re: Secret stuff hidden in Rifles. [Re: 500grains]
      #36748 - 02/09/05 12:01 PM

All I ever found hidden was in a gun was on an 1892 Winchester in .32/20. It was a previous owner's name and address (John? Moore, ?? Anderson St, Tyler, Texas), scratched into the bottom flat on the octagonal barrel. It looked like it was done with a sharp nail.

Richard

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Peterb
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Reged: 07/07/04
Posts: 288
Re: Secret stuff hidden in Rifles. [Re: mickey]
      #36749 - 02/09/05 01:52 PM

I guess I am the lucky one. In a Mod 12 I traded for, I found a 1929, 30, 31 Missouri hunting licenses and (5) $5 Gold Indians. Nice profit.

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Farkey
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Reged: 21/09/03
Posts: 40
Loc: Pacific NW
Re: Secret stuff hidden in Rifles. [Re: Peterb]
      #36844 - 04/09/05 10:26 AM

Bought a "like new" 1903 Mannlicher and in addition to the cleaning rod, I found two very old 6.5x54 160 grain Kynoch's in the buttplate in their special compartment
-F

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Photog
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Reged: 30/03/04
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Re: Secret stuff hidden in Rifles. [Re: Farkey]
      #37010 - 07/09/05 08:04 AM

My uncle used to put any extra money he could come up with through out the year under the butt plate in the stock bolt hole. He used this as a savings account for hunting seasson.
Well one year someone stole his gun. After about 10 years the cops called him down to the station to identify a gun. He goes down with a screw driver, pulls the butt plate off and pulls out a wad of bills, and says "yep, this was my gun." Then he put the plate back on and gave the gun back to the cops saying the insurance company already bought me a new gun so you can keep it. Then he just left it there. I don't know what kind of gun it was but I'm still mad about it. You can never have enough guns.

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atkinson6
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Reged: 26/01/04
Posts: 678
Loc: Idaho
Re: Secret stuff hidden in Rifles. [Re: Photog]
      #37213 - 11/09/05 07:22 AM

I have found some nice stuff under the butt plates like bills of sale etc going way back...I bought a nice very old military sighted Colt gold cup one time for quit a bit of money at the time..The first time I cleaned it it had Augustus Pachmyer written in side of it...I had it authinacated and sold the heck out of it, made a ton of gold......

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NitroXAdministrator
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Reged: 25/12/02
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Re: Secret stuff hidden in Rifles. [Re: atkinson6]
      #37227 - 11/09/05 01:17 PM

My Grandfather used to keep his hunting or shooting licence in a hole bored in the butt of his 12-bore SxS shotgun. Pulled the plug out and found a 1920's licence.



--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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Marrakai
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Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3595
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Re: Secret stuff hidden in Rifles. [Re: atkinson6]
      #37234 - 11/09/05 09:38 PM

My first shotgun was an inherited Stevens SxS which had really seen some summers. About 15 years ago I decided to clean it up properly, and found the original owner's name hidden in the stock-bolt hole. It was my grandfather on Mum's side of the family: he had a weak tikker and died when I was just a kid.



I knew he was the pump-station operator at Teddington Weir in South Queensland between the wars when my Mum was born, but don't have much more historical background from that side of the family.

Its only an oil-soaked scrap of paper, but worth more than gold to me.

Come to think of it, now that I've scanned it, I think I'll put it back.....

--------------------
Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
--------------------------------
www.marrakai-adventure.com.au

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NitroXAdministrator
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Reged: 25/12/02
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Re: Secret stuff hidden in Rifles. [Re: Marrakai]
      #37248 - 12/09/05 01:48 AM

Marrakai

What a great idea.

Wouldn't be nice if all owners added their name and place to a note in the butt. Especially for grand old double rifles and shotguns. A joy of owning vintage firearms is their history. It would be nice whom has owned them over time and maybe their exploits before oneself.



--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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GAVaughn
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Reged: 26/09/05
Posts: 1
Loc: Texas & Iraq
Re: Secret stuff hidden in Rifles. [Re: NitroX]
      #38194 - 26/09/05 09:01 PM

Reading this reminded me that the first gun I ever fired, which was about 43 years ago, I wrote a note and put it under the buttplate. It was a Sears single shot "Target model" my grandfather bought for $5.00 in 1935, I think. For years, I wondered what happened to that old rifle. One day, recently, I visited my aunt and uncle who live on an old farm that once belonged to granddad. We were walking through the barns, just re living old times, when he said, "Hey, I want you to have something." He walked in the old feed shed and walked out with that old .22. If I weren't such a manly man, I would have cried. Actually, I did cry. Who am I kidding here. I will remove the buttplate as soon as I get home to see if my note is still there.

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mlg
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Reged: 19/03/05
Posts: 85
Loc: Queensland, Australia
Re: Secret stuff hidden in Rifles. [Re: GAVaughn]
      #38438 - 29/09/05 12:43 PM

Recently, I read an article about Fletcher Jamieson, a Rhodesian professional hunter that was very interesting. Fletcher was a friend of John Taylor and in fact all the photos in his book "African Rifles & Cartridges" were from Fletcher.

Fletcher had a 500 Jeffery made for him by Jefferys of London, with his name encribed on the barrel. His son now owns it I believe or used to own it, but when the rifle was sent back to Jefferys for refurbishment, they found a note under the butt plate from Fletcher wishing whoever bought the rifle the best of luck with it, or words to that effect.

Beautiful rifle. What a bonus to find a note like that from someone like him!

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mickey
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Reged: 05/01/03
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Loc: Pend Oreille Valley, Idaho
Re: Secret stuff hidden in Rifles. [Re: mlg]
      #329236 - 10/06/19 03:17 AM

So I was looking through some old threads and this one popped up. Any new stories out there?

--------------------
Lovu Zdar
Mick

A Man of Pleasure, Enterprise, Wit and Spirit Rare Books, Big Game Hunting, English Rifles, Fishing, Explosives, Chauvinism, Insensitivity, Public Drunkenness and Sloth, Champion of Lost and Unpopular Causes.

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cordite
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Reged: 29/01/07
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Loc: NW Montana
Re: Secret stuff hidden in Rifles. [Re: mickey]
      #329238 - 10/06/19 03:38 AM

I bought a model 8 Remington in a gun shop in helena Montana. It was made in 1907. Under the buttplate was a compartment with a canvas bag of salt, small candle and some very old blue headed matches. Sure makes you think about where the gun has been and what it has seen.

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93x64mm
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Reged: 07/12/11
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Re: Secret stuff hidden in Rifles. [Re: cordite]
      #329242 - 10/06/19 06:06 AM

I have an old '92 Winchester & an old H&R Model 1915 410/12mm shotgun, both have seen a few long hard yards - I will have to check these now after those comments!

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Postman
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Reged: 25/09/13
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Re: Secret stuff hidden in Rifles. [Re: 93x64mm]
      #329246 - 10/06/19 08:57 AM

This is a fascinating thread! I had never thought to put a note inside a rifle. Name, date, and place would be a potential great find for someone many decades forward!!!!! My name doesn’t mean squat to much of anybody but me, but who knows, maybe someday a great great grand kid might find value in it.

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Vladymere
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Reged: 11/08/15
Posts: 187
Loc: North Carolina, USA
Re: Secret stuff hidden in Rifles. [Re: Postman]
      #329272 - 11/06/19 11:45 AM

I have a model 1903 Manlicher Schoenauer. When I did a detailed strip and clean I found a bunch of shredded newspaper type material in the butt stock cartridge trap and cleaning rod holes, I guess to keep things from rattling when those items where in place though they where missing from my rifle.

I spread out all of the pieces of shredded paper and found that it pieced together to make the front page of a May, 1943 German (NAZI) trade publication in the iron mongers industry. I had the pieces laminated so that it can be kept with the rifle when I eventually sell it.

Someday I will photograph it and the rifle.

Vlad

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Carpetsahib
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Reged: 29/04/07
Posts: 435
Loc: Western NC
Re: Secret stuff hidden in Rifles. [Re: Vladymere]
      #329292 - 11/06/19 11:45 PM

Quote:

I have a model 1903 Manlicher Schoenauer. When I did a detailed strip and clean I found a bunch of shredded newspaper type material in the butt stock cartridge trap and cleaning rod holes, I guess to keep things from rattling when those items where in place though they where missing from my rifle.

I spread out all of the pieces of shredded paper and found that it pieced together to make the front page of a May, 1943 German (NAZI) trade publication in the iron mongers industry. I had the pieces laminated so that it can be kept with the rifle when I eventually sell it.

Someday I will photograph it and the rifle.

Vlad

A Nazi gerbil maybe?

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Vladymere
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Reged: 11/08/15
Posts: 187
Loc: North Carolina, USA
Re: Secret stuff hidden in Rifles. [Re: Carpetsahib]
      #329307 - 12/06/19 11:47 AM

Or perhaps a Nazi squirle bedding it's nest.

Vlad

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