My dad had a few rifles built by this gunsmith from Walnutport Pa. in the 60's. I can't remember the name, he did my dads rifles with FN mauser actions and Fagen stocks. Any help would be appreciated.
1960's gunsmith from Walnutport Pa.
- Thread starter tuttlefarm
- Start date
If you have the guns, remove the stock and look on the bottom of the barrel. Some gunsmiths stamped their name there.
Do as Pawnee tells you, I've had them and some were "signed" and some not. I can't remember right now but we had a guy from Orleans IN that did this very thing. I had a rifle that I KNOW he built "mauser w/double set triggers and a real piece of work" that he didn't sign but I know of lesser ones that he did.
You have given the area you're searching and you are sure he is probably within 100 mile radius so I wouldn't pay a lot of attention to the 2nd post. These were some of the most inovative guys that have ever come down the pike.
It was 50's for me but my dad had guns built by a Smith named Barney Konklin. Don't know that he had a Walnutport address but he was in that general area. We lived in Tamaqua at the time.
There was also a Smith in Coaldale, PA that built a lot of guns named Harry Matrician. Not sure if the spelling of his last name. He was working through the 60's.
There was also a Smith in Coaldale, PA that built a lot of guns named Harry Matrician. Not sure if the spelling of his last name. He was working through the 60's.
Lightload,
My father had a rifle built by Mr. Conlin (correct spelling). His shop was Located in Schukill County, Pa.
Regards,
Ken
dedeadeye
Silver $$ Contributor
I was raised within 5 miles of Walnutport from 1951 to 1964. Shooting and hunting was what we all did back then. Accurate rifles was often the topic with family and school friends.
I have been struggling to think back to every location around Walnutport that had an actual rifle builder. By that I mean someone that had the machines and skill to actually chamber/fit a rifle barrel and do stock work. I cannot remember any. But that does not mean there were none. Now outside the area their were a few excellent gunsmiths as follows.
Tom McCool——-—Tannersville, Pa
Barney Conlin——-Tamaqua, Pa
WasDen—————-Northampton, Pa
Horace Reagon——Wind Gap, Pa
All of the above actually built top quality rifles for my family and friends. I still have my fathers Reagon built FN Mauser-Douglas premium air gauged barrel in 244 Remington that will still shoot groups in the .750 to 1” area. A real stinger back in the day.
In 1962 Tom McCool built a custom 8 lb rifle in 280 Remington on a Mauser and Douglas XX barrel that was the most accurate hunting rifle I ever owned. I actually used the rifle to win my first benchrest match in 1965. Used it for a ton of running deer Target matches. Rifle actually paid for itself in winning turkeys. Those were the days for sure.
Roger Gower
I have been struggling to think back to every location around Walnutport that had an actual rifle builder. By that I mean someone that had the machines and skill to actually chamber/fit a rifle barrel and do stock work. I cannot remember any. But that does not mean there were none. Now outside the area their were a few excellent gunsmiths as follows.
Tom McCool——-—Tannersville, Pa
Barney Conlin——-Tamaqua, Pa
WasDen—————-Northampton, Pa
Horace Reagon——Wind Gap, Pa
All of the above actually built top quality rifles for my family and friends. I still have my fathers Reagon built FN Mauser-Douglas premium air gauged barrel in 244 Remington that will still shoot groups in the .750 to 1” area. A real stinger back in the day.
In 1962 Tom McCool built a custom 8 lb rifle in 280 Remington on a Mauser and Douglas XX barrel that was the most accurate hunting rifle I ever owned. I actually used the rifle to win my first benchrest match in 1965. Used it for a ton of running deer Target matches. Rifle actually paid for itself in winning turkeys. Those were the days for sure.
Roger Gower
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A lot of people "built' guns back in the '50s & '60s, but they didn't have the machines needed to do all the work. My brother, for example would find a nice VZ24 Mauser action then he would send it to Flaig's in Millvale, PA to have it barreled, blued drilled & tapped for a scope. He would then get a Fajen stock and do the bedding & checkering. He turned out a nice gun for not a lot of money. He didn't put his name on it. I'm sure the same process was used on thousands of guns back then.
jackieschmidt
Gold $$ Contributor
Back in 1969, while I was in the Army, I had a rifle built by a “Riflesmith” in Shreveport La, WH Womack. It was built on a Mauser action and a Fajen stock. 3006 chamber.
It had a Douglas barrel. It shot quite well.
Have any of you heard of him? He was probably in his ‘70’s then.
It had a Douglas barrel. It shot quite well.
Have any of you heard of him? He was probably in his ‘70’s then.
Maybe a few pictures, no markings under the barrel, marked (prem) 1-14, so I know it's a Douglas chambered in 22-250
Also came with Kuharsky mounts and Bausch and Lomb scope
Mark W
Gold $$ Contributor
My wife is related to some Womacks from North Louisiana. She doesn’t remember having any relatives from Shreveport, but she would have been 1 year old the year that you had that rifle built.
We also did a search and found a thread about him on Benchrest Central. His obituary says that he died in 2000 at the age of 101 years.
Walter Womack is quite famous. He called himself a riflesmith and would ask anyone who brought a shotgun or pistol into his shop to leave. I once owned a Pre-WWII Winchester Model 70 that had a heavy laminated wooden stock and a heavy Douglas barrel (marked Timken Steel) that was chambered in .220 Swift. Mr. Womack built it and it was truly an accurate rifle. It would shoot under an inch at 300 yards. Mr. Womack lived to be almost 100 years old. CORRECTION- He was 101 years old when he passed in 2000.
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Well, let’s see. We’ve gone from a gunsmith in Walnutport, Pa to a rifle smith in Shreveport. What a hijack.
Mark W
Gold $$ Contributor
This is typical of the guns I was talking about. I would bet that Flaigs did the barrel job with a Douglas Premium barrel. The stock is a Fajen Thumbhole Varmiter stock that was very popular back then as it was the only thumbhole stock around. Very nice gun.
TAJ45
Silver $$ Contributor
Ahhh, cut'em some slack FB. Rifle in question wasn't marked so pretty much a dead end now. The side steps down memory lane are a pleasant soft landing
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