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November 5, 2014
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Dear All-
I know this is a long shot, but many very knowledgeable Winchester collectors visit this Forum, so I’ll try…
I am trying to locate George Ulrich’s factory engraver’s logs. George, the last of the Ulrich family to engrave for Winchester, was employed from 1919 until his passing in 1949. Specifically, I am seeking information regarding guns he engraved in the post-war period, say 1945-1948.
Pauline Muerrle, who has many of the Winchester factory engravers’ logs, does not have those of George Ulrich. I also cannot find them in the McCracken Library card catalog, so either they aren’t there or haven’t yet been cataloged.
The reason for my interest relates to M70 Winchesters (no surprise there!!! 
). A fellow WACA member (sadly not me!!! 
) had the recent good fortune to acquire four (of the five) George Ulrich engraved pre-64 M70s made for Dr. Russell C Smith of Barron WI (later Petersburg AK) in 1946. These are pretty “famous” guns, as all five are pictured in some detail in Dean Whitaker’s M70 book. The five were: S/Ns 57159 (220 SWIFT), 57161 (270 WCF), 59249 (300 MAGNUM), 59503 (257 ROBERTS) and 59807 (30 GOV’T’06). Of these, all but the 220 SWIFT have remained together from the time of RCS’ passing circa 1971 until the present.
We are interested in learning as much as possible about the production of these rifles, and I imagine that the engraver’s log would be a wonderful asset. It would likely at least contain dates, if not sketches, as each of these rifles, while thematically similar, is different both in the engraving, inlays, and stock carving.
I know it’s a long shot, since the documents I seek, if they still exist, are probably in private hands. But I view these rifles as “historically significant” insofar as Model 70s go and would like to assemble as much information about them as possible. Any help would be appreciated. Please reply or PM me if you’ve got any information to share.
Best,
Lou
WACA 9519; Studying Pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters
Might be a long shot, but have you tried this gentleman?
Sincerely,
Maverick
WACA #8783 - Checkout my Reloading Tool Survey!
https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-research-surveys/winchester-reloading-tool-survey/
November 5, 2014
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Thanks, Maverick!!!
I’m just starting to dig on this and just hoping that folks like Ed Ulrich (who knows a LOT of stuff!!!) will reply if they have anything AND want to reply…
Oddly, CFM has a pretty good collection of Rudolph Kornbrath records, and Pauline has pretty complete logs of every factory engraver from John Kusmit onward to the end of the Custom Shop. But George Ulrich (the link between the two) is nowhere to be found (so far)…
I’ll see what Ed might have to say…
Lou
WACA 9519; Studying Pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters
Doesn’t get any better Lou.
“If you can’t convince them, confuse them”
President Harry S. Truman
Wow-beautiful! Forgive me if I should know, but is the whereabouts of the 5th one known?
November 5, 2014
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Hi Bill-
Sadly NO… The 220 SWIFT was retained by Lou Leonard after he sold these four. Lou subsequently sold it to one of our WACA members around 1998. That person (he can identify himself if he wants – he is of the two REAL M70 experts who’s been willing to post on this Forum – I am NOT in those guy’s league) eventually consigned it to Amoskeag auction house in November 2014, along with much of his M70 collection. I’ve so far acquired five of his guns (all fantastic examples). But not that one (simply out of my league price-wise)… It was purchased at auction by Leroy Merz, who marked the price up 40% and eventually sold it to someone for something???
Here’s the Swift:
We would like to know where it’s “living” these days, but I do not…
If anybody has any info (or stories) connected to these guns please let us know… If Ulrich’s logs exist and can be accessed, there might be some really cool info there!!!
FWIW… The “RCS” gun I have is S/N 87160, a 300 MAGNUM that was part of a subsequent 1948 order for five Custom Shop M70s. Style D (oak leaf) carved and monogrammed, but not engraved. Mine’s pictured in both Whitaker’s and Rule’s books, and while pretty, is not in the league of these Ulrich-engraved ones…
Thanks!!!
Lou
WACA 9519; Studying Pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters
Well at least it still exists, hopefully one day the stars will align and you will be able to own it or reunite it with the other four.
i was amazed at the information I learned from a great guy with a model 70 collection at one of last years OGCA shows, he was a TOTAL gentleman and put up with all my questions, even thought he has probably answered them all many times before. He ha them all, the rare .308, national match and all the usual suspects, with a full box of correct Ammo right next to each one. Wouldn’t mind seeing him or his collection again
Following the thread.
“If you can’t convince them, confuse them”
President Harry S. Truman
November 5, 2014
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Hi Bill and Tedk-
Much is known about the past ownership of these “RCS” rifles. The group of five went from RCS to Lou Leonard. Lou sold four of them to another collector. Later, over a decade ago, they were auctioned as a group on RIA. The current caretaker (a WACA member) acquired them from the winner of that RIA auction. In the late 1990s Lou sold the 220 SWIFT to a friend (also a WACA member), who eventually consigned it to Amoskeag auction in 2014:
Leroy Merz acquired the 220 SWIFT at auction and had it listed for sale for quite some time on his website before consigning it to RIA:
https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/68/1786/winchester-70-rifle-220-swift
I do not believe it sold at auction that time but it must have changed hands soon thereafter and its current whereabouts are unknown to me. I suppose it would be neat to get all five together and put them on public display somewhere like the CFM, but it’s too rich a pursuit for my pocketbook!!!!
I’m just hoping to get some additional information on the creation of these works of art, each of which is done as nicely as any M21 Grand American. The 30 GOV’T’06 is featured in R.L. Wilson’s Winchester 2nd edition engraving book, along with a Winchester publicity photo of Alden George Ulrich seated at a bench with the completed (but disassembled) rifle on the table beside him.
The same rifle was featured in the October 1950 issue of Outdoor Life (my copy is in the mail), and there have been a couple of nice articles talking about Dr. Smith, one by Jim Riis in the Summer 2018 WACA magazine and one by Wayne Van Zwoll in Bugle magazine, but they do not discuss these particular factory custom M70s. I think Pauline Muerrle is going to take a look at these four, we know the engraver but she can probably offer additional insights into their creation. Ulrich’s engraving logs would be the real prize, but alas may be beyond reach…
Any help would be appreciated!!!
Lou
WACA 9519; Studying Pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters
Interesting stuff.
“If you can’t convince them, confuse them”
President Harry S. Truman
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