Sincerely,

Maverick

Mark Douglas said

Jeremy P said
Mark, wasn't there another contemporary "mainstream" rifle that used a super-smooth rack and pinion? I seem to vaguely remember one...
  

That's right.  The modern Browning BLR's use a type of gear system.  However it's a completely different design than the Jennings and Bullard rifles utilized.  Mark
  

Ah, the Bullard is what I was thinking of I think, probably from a former video of yours I recall. I'm behind on this new one, will watch soon!

Jeremy P said
Mark, wasn't there another contemporary "mainstream" rifle that used a super-smooth rack and pinion? I seem to vaguely remember one...
  

That's right.  The modern Browning BLR's use a type of gear system.  However it's a completely different design than the Jennings and Bullard rifles utilized.  Mark

MidwestCrisis said
Great video Mark.  
  

Roger Adam said
What an interesting and educational video.  I would have had no idea what the interworkings of that action were.  Thanks for sharing and educating the rest of us in the Winchester community.
  

Jim F in CT said
Mark . . . .
I just watched your video of the Jennings rifle, and . . . .
As usual, you “hit it out of the park!”
If I ever needed someone to work on any of my firearms, I’d look for someone of Mark Douglas’ “aptitude and attitude”!
I just disassembled an original Remington “New Model Army” from 1864, and, likewise to the Jennings, it’s’ mainspring looks to have “come from a TRUCK!”
Keep up the good work, Mark! . . . . I enjoy the “fruits of your labor!”
  

Thanks a bunch, guys!  We really enjoy our work on both the firearms and the videos.  The relationship we have with the folks at the museum is really a treasure and having an opportunity to work on a firearm from the collection that likely passed through Oliver Winchester's hands has been a real treat.  

If it had only been anything but the mainspring.  A mainspring like this one makes a gunsmith question his career choices. The geometry and placement in that recessed housing are making this one particularly interesting.  Almost done with it, then comes heat treat, tempering and lots of prayers that it doesn't snap the first time we test it.  Mark

I just watched your video of the Jennings rifle, and . . . .

As usual, you “hit it out of the park!”

If I ever needed someone to work on any of my firearms, I’d look for someone of Mark Douglas’ “aptitude and attitude”!

I just disassembled an original Remington “New Model Army” from 1864, and, likewise to the Jennings, it’s’ mainspring looks to have “come from a TRUCK!”

Keep up the good work, Mark! . . . . I enjoy the “fruits of your labor!”

Mark Douglas said

TXGunNut said
Neat stuff, Mark! Mainspring reminds me of something from a Sharps rifle except for that little leg that goes off from the short side. Sharps also had a primer magazine, I'm wondering if there might be another branch to this family tree. 
 
Mike
  

Mike,
Even though it differs quite a bit from the Lawrence pellet priming system used by Sharps, I believe RS Lawrence had a hand in the Jennings Rifle as well.  Mark
  

That certainly makes sense, Mark. The Jennings is a clever little design but probably not very reliable by today's standards. I haven't been able to closely examine the priming system on a Sharps, most are incomplete. I know where one is, maybe the owner will let me take a closer look at it someday. I'll make sure he sees your video, he'll certainly enjoy it!

Mike

TXGunNut said
Neat stuff, Mark! Mainspring reminds me of something from a Sharps rifle except for that little leg that goes off from the short side. Sharps also had a primer magazine, I'm wondering if there might be another branch to this family tree. 
 
Mike
  

Mike,

Even though it differs quite a bit from the Lawrence pellet priming system used by Sharps, I believe RS Lawrence had a hand in the Jennings Rifle as well.  Mark

Mike

Unlike the Model 70, for which there was a large pent up demand,  the demand for the Winchester Model 21 shotgun was only a trickle, particularly in the specialty styles. My Model 21 Skeet Gun's Cody letter says it was made in 1947 but it has 26" barrels and larger 20 LPI checkering patterns than specified in a 1946 production change order. That CO changed barrel length of the Skeet Gun to 28" and called for smaller patterns cut to 18 LPI. 

As an aside, the postwar catalogue description of the Skeet Gun makes no mention of a higher grade wood finish than the Standard/Field Grade gun. But my letter mentions the wood finish as "Skeet Finish" and in fact the Walnut is better than chair leg and has a high luster finish. 

Winchester seemingly was not over its in- house Independent Contractor culture and production supervisors were more concerned with getting guns to the warehouse than placating future collectors. Combine this with the company's policy of never throwing any useable part away and it's enough to make a confused collector echo Oliver Hardy's "a fine mess you've got us in!" 

My opinion/observation is that 20 lpi on a 1946 gun would not be out of place.  The change from 20 lpi to 18 lpi was authorized sometime in 1941, but there's a lot of variability in the checkering found on M70s into about 1947.

It's probable that the change was implemented on the production line around the time it was authorized.  The checkering pattern also got a little (not much) smaller and the borders a little wider.  But IIRC checkerers got paid based on the number of stocks they finished, not by the hour.  So if the company wants to authorize a change that lets you complete more stocks in a day, why not take advantage of it?  Hence, stocks made in 1942 and beyond were probably checkered 18 lpi. 

But I suspect there were a large number of finished/checkered stocks still in inventory when commercial production was halted in August 1942, and these got used (probably somewhat randomly) when production resumed late in 1945.

Just my opinion.  I wouldn't sweat it...

Lou