ABOUT MY SPRINGFIELD

By W. M. FOBES

In an issue of the H. T. T. last summer I saw an article regarding the converting of the .06 Springfield into a sporting rifle. Having a great bit of spare time I concluded to try my hand at building a sporting stock. I purchased some black walnut and in about fifteen days I had a stock built that fitted me better than any I ever had to my face. The stock was worked down by trimming and filing. Sandpaper No. 1 was used thoroughly followed by No. 0 and No. 00. Then the stock was wet all over five or six times to bring out the grain and sanded with No. 00 after each wetting. I then used one part spirits of turpentine, two parts raw linseed oil and applied about two or three times a day or as often as it dried in for about ten days, to fill the stock. When stock was filled with oil I covered it over with shellac, and left it about three hours, to fill up the pores in the wood. I then sanded it all off down to the wood with No. 0 and finished up thoroughly with No. 00. I covered over with a thin coat of pure raw linseed oil and handrubbed thoroughly. If you have a nice piece of walnut and you persevere in the rubbing you will be surprised at the nice finish that can be put on.

In 1917 I owned a Springfield which I took on a deer hunt. I was following a fresh deer track and expecting a shot any minute. I threw off the safety to be ready to shoot instantly. After going through some brushes I saw the deer through the top of a tree that had been blown down about one hundred and sixty feet away. I pulled on him and was rewarded by a click and a glimpse of the bolt handle going back into place; it having been raised going through the bushes.

Last summer I secured my present Springfield which I consider is the best in the world. That is a pretty broad assertion but read on. It is as accurate as any of them, a nice balance and as good a finished stock as the best. It is fitted with Lyman sights and a bolt lock which prevents the trouble common to the bolt action type. It is the raising of the bolt handle just a little by accident and causing a misfire. This bolt lock is independent of the safety, it is automatic, and locking the bolt down when cocked, releases when fired or let down. Can be released by a touch of the finger if necessary to open the bolt when cocked. In fact all you have to do is to go and use your gun without a thought of the bolt handle being raised and a misfire. I used the gun the latter part of summer and fall on chucks and two weeks in the woods deer hunting and am so well satisfied with the bolt lock that I would not own a bolt action without a bolt lock. I have never heard of but one other person who has used the bolt lock and if this article comes to his notice I would like to hear from him in regard to it.

For guns I have the Remington 12 gauge pump, a 1903 Savage 22 cal, 28 shot repeater, a Remington .35 cal. No. 14, also the above mentioned .30-Ofi Springfield sporter. I have read the H. T. T. since shortly after it was first published and am still on the job. I would like to hear more from the brothers through the gun and ammunition department and if you know of any little kinks that will help out a reader of the good old H. T. T. spill it. If this escapes the waste basket I will come again with two helps to the hunter.

Hunter-Trader-Trapper. October: 1921,

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