Old lever picture

[bmtshooter]

This is a picture of my great grandfather after a successful hunt. Taken in Medina County Texas - (early 1900s ?). Can't make out much detail about the rifle. Definitely a lever action - possibly Winchester ? He looks pretty dressed up for a hunt.........camo apparently was not necessary.

[Andrew]

Ilove old pictures. Thanks for sharing.

[TedH]

Cool picture. Do you have any idea where the rifle is today?

[Ysabel Kid]

I was thinking the same thing - darn fancy digs for a hunting trip!

Then again, I guess that was the norm. I remember stories of my grandfather when he would come home from work, change out of his suit and tie, put on a different dress shirt and tie to eat dinner with his family. The man died shortly before I was born, but apparently never owned a casual anything!

[Malamute]

Cool old picture. Nice that you have old family pics of hunting.



Looks like a Winchester, as it has a magazine ring visible about 4 inches back from the muzzle. The barrel looks like a 26". My guess is an 1894, as most 92 rifles had 24" barrels.

[FWiedner]

That fella don't look happy. Like a kid whose Ma made him put on a tie that's too tight.

Been trying to figure out whether that's a button buck or if that's a bullet hole through the top of that deer's head. I don't see any other holes in that hide.

[Old Savage]

No camo is definitely necessary and - you must have camo underwear and the clock in your office must be camo. This is the biggest fraud in the hen house. Better get out and get that camo !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mike D.]

The gun looks to me to be an 1893 Marlin, but can't be sure.

[Pisgah]

The more I look at that picture, the more it looks to me like a caplock muzzleloader. Look closely at the barrel -- that "barrel ring" just back from the muzzle looks like a ferrule to secure the ramrod, and if you look very closely you'll notice a second one a few inches further back. Also, the "magazine" looks disproportionately small compared to the bore size you'd assume given the outside diameter of that barrel -- but it looks like it'd fit right into the bore. Then, the small bit that looks at first like the end of a finger lever -- is it a loop, as a lever would be, or a hook, which would be consistent with the old style of trigger guard/grip found on late 19th century sporting muzzleloaders.

At any rate, it is a neat old picture.

[RIHMFIRE]

He's got his Sunday go to meeting duds on!
Should have prayed a bit longer....only got a doe...
But you cant eat horns...

[Junior]

I suspect he's standing in front of a large picture, and the rifle is a photographer's prop.

[cnjarvis]

It's definitely a lever as I can see a little bit of the loop next to his sleeve just below the stock but Junior may be right about the backdrop. It appears to lack depth. Of course I'm no expert...

Cool pic, thanks for sharing!

[Rusty]

A lot of old pictures show people dressed up in a nice shirt and tie when they went hunting. Bowhunting pictures of Pope and Young seem to feature this quite a bit. Even Fred Bear was often seen in the woods with his famous bolo tie on. Maybe that's where the term "slob hunter" came from? Those that didn't dress for the occasion.

Rusty <><

[AmBraCol]

A lot of old pictures show people dressed up in a nice shirt and tie when they went hunting. Bowhunting pictures of Pope and Young seem to feature this quite a bit. Even Fred Bear was often seen in the woods with his famous bolo tie on. Maybe that's where the term "slob hunter" came from? Those that didn't dress for the occasion.

Rusty <><

Folks used to wear ties and coats for most occasions. In the time period that pic was taken, a coat and tie was normal wear for a goodly percentage of the population. Shucks, it wasn't until JFK that not wearing a hat out in public was finally made OK. Folks figured "If the President of the US doesn't need one, neither do I!" Anyway, my grandpa wore a tie most days clear up 'til he passed away just a few years ago. It was part of the culture he grew up in - even though he was a farmer.

[gamekeeper]

You guys crack me up, do you seriously mean non of you dress like that to go hunting??

[rjohns94]

This does look like he is standing in front of a large picture. The rifle looks very similar to a harpers ferry muzzle loader, vice a lever rifle. I love the old pictures, thanks for the post.

[AmBraCol]

You guys crack me up, do you seriously mean non of you dress like that to go hunting??

Sure. As one returns from church on Sunday and sees that buck of a lifetime across the field...

Who am I kidding? A bolo's as close to a tie as I get even when preaching anymore. I seriously distrust folks who run 'round in a coat and tie.

[Junior]

In the early 1900s itinerant photographers traveled the backroads taking pictures like that one. The pictures arrived by mail and usually in an oval frame. There's four of them here in this old house which was my paternal great-grandfather's house. Three of them have backgrounds with coloration similar to the one above.

For posterity, I asked my father the names of the people and one horse and wrote the names on the back of the pictures. There's two pictures of his uncle and a picture of his dad's mother & father and a picture of his mother's mother and father. They are priceless pictures to me.

[DavidS]

Nice old photograph.It sure looks like a 1894 Winchester rifle to me.

[bmtshooter]

Thanks for the comments. Don't you wish those old pictures could talk? They sure raise lots of questions.

Something I hadn't noticed until recently is the fact that it looks like he may be holding a smoke in his left hand. I can't really make it out very well though.

[Junior]

That looks like a mark or a scratch across his finger. A cigarette would be behind it.

[AmBraCol]

I downloaded it to my desktop, blew it up in Windows Picture And Fax viewer and took a good look. Yep, it DOES look like he's got a smoke in his left hand. AND I'm pretty sure (90% or better) that that's no "levergun" he's holding. It sure 'nough looks like a muzzle loading rifle once you blow it up and look at the muzzle end, around the "lever" (probably a fancy trigger guard), the rear sight and the forearm. That forearm ain't right for any levergun I'm familiar with.

[J Miller]

I did the same thing as AmBraCol, and I got the oposite impression. It looks to me like a lever gun. The magazine tube is flat on the muzzle end, the band just to it's rear is pure tube mag shape.

The forearm cap looks Marlin to me, and just under his coat cuff I can see what looks to be the front curve of the lever, with the rear showing just to the rear of the arm.

But I could be wrong.

Joe

[AmBraCol]

I did the same thing as AmBraCol, and I got the oposite impression. It looks to me like a lever gun. The magazine tube is flat on the muzzle end, the band just to it's rear is pure tube mag shape.

The forearm cap looks Marlin to me, and just under his coat cuff I can see what looks to be the front curve of the lever, with the rear showing just to the rear of the arm.

But I could be wrong.

Joe

One of us needs new glasses. Maybe both.

[jazman]

Great old picture, I have a couple of my grand folks and they are great to have. I agree with Junior, he seems to be in front of a backdrop and I have heard the same about traveling photographers. Thanks for posting a nice piece of history.

[AmBraCol]

I did the same thing as AmBraCol, and I got the oposite impression. It looks to me like a lever gun. The magazine tube is flat on the muzzle end, the band just to it's rear is pure tube mag shape.

The forearm cap looks Marlin to me, and just under his coat cuff I can see what looks to be the front curve of the lever, with the rear showing just to the rear of the arm.

But I could be wrong.

Joe

You made me look again.

Look back along that ramrod. It sure looks like iron ferrules at at least two places along it. If it IS a levergun, it's a .22, that ramrod doesn't look thick enough to handle any other caliber. Anyway, look about three inches back from the muzzle along the ramrod - that looks like a ramrod ferrule to me.

What about that rear sight? Is that similar to old Marlin sights? (I've no experience with older Marlins). Also, do the older Marlins stretch the forearm that far along the barrel? It looks for all the world like an old half stock muzzle loader to MY eye. But then I'm more familiar with a variety of muzzle loading firearms than I am with the turn of the century Marlins. I'm POSSITIVE it's not a Winchester. Not sure what else it MIGHT be.

It's fun to speculate. I know that what ever it WAS, I'd love to play with it some.

[TedH]

I blew it up and did some enhancing too. I'm leaning towards a front stuffer now.

[Mike D.]

Whatever the gun was, it was a stage setting with a stuffed deer and the rifle was a prop.

[AmBraCol]

Whatever the gun was, it was a stage setting with a stuffed deer and the rifle was a prop.

Somehow I doubt it. At the beginning of the 20th century there was not the technology yet to create large pictures such as would be necessary for such a backdrop. Methinks the "lack of depth" is more due to the relatively rudimentary cameras of the time. Also, if they were going to do a "stage prop" don't you suppose they'd be more likely to have put some antlers on Bambi? After all, the craze for horny heads is not a recent phenomenon. If that deer had a decent set of antlers it'd be easier to buy the "stage prop" theory. Also, in the staged photos I've seen, the gun is usually more prominently displayed than in this one.

It sure would be nice if that picture could speak.

[Malamute]

I pulled it in for a closer look, I see nothing inconsistant with a Winchester 94 rifle.


When did Marlin start using rounded levers? All the early Marlins I recall seeing had squared levers. This gun has a rounded lever.

[DennisB]

I believe it's a Marlin.

FWIW

Dennis.

[AmBraCol]

I pulled it in for a closer look, I see nothing inconsistant with a Winchester 94 rifle.

Did Winchester market a Model '94 with a magazine tube that much smaller than the barrel? Take a look at the proportions. That "mag tube" would work for 22 LR (and the 9422 was still not on the market) but wouldn't digest anything larger. It's closer to a ramrod in diameter, if you look at the proportions carefully.

[AmBraCol]

I believe it's a Marlin.

Dennis, (or anyone else) do you have a picture of an early Marlin you could post? I'd like to take a look at it, just for grins. But if you look at the proportions, that's one LONG THIN forearm on that rifle - for a levergun.

[bmtshooter]

[quote="Malamute"]I pulled it in for a closer look, I see nothing inconsistant with a Winchester 94 rifle.


I agree with Malamute. I hauled my Winchester 94 ( manufactured 1905 ) out of the gun safe and spent a little time trying to duplicate the angle shown in the picture. When it is held at the same point on the rifle, and at a similar angle, a portion of the magazine tube is not seen, being hidden behind the barrel. This makes the tube diameter appear small when compared to the barrel ( which is of course in full view ). The fore-end of my 94 is very slim, and looks very much like the one in the picture. The rear sight does appear to be a little different (?). Of course it's a difficult comparison and lighting effects can make things appear different.

I believe the background to be real. The vegetation appears consistent with the location and probable season. It looks like small mesquite bushes without any leaves, and live oak trees.

[Warhawk]

It's a lever gun, you can see just a bit of the loop on the lever behind his right cuff.

Cool pic, I have one of my grand father in his WWI Army uniform, and a few from many years later, mainly of him with fish he caught.

[cshold]

Hummm guys,

This sure reminds me of going to an art exhibit with the wife.
She looks at a picture and sees art , I see something other than art.

[Morgan]

Very interesting! Early 20th century photo-shop, negative super imposed over another negative to add interest and a story line. My great grandmother had several of this type. Love the history though.

[DennisB]

I believe it's a Marlin.

Dennis, (or anyone else) do you have a picture of an early Marlin you could post? I'd like to take a look at it, just for grins. But if you look at the proportions, that's one LONG THIN forearm on that rifle - for a levergun.

No, I don't have an old Marlin picture to post. I looked at the forearm again and agree it doesn't look right. I'm withdrawing my Marlin statement and calling it "unknown".

That's my story and I'm sticken to it......

Dennis.

[EdinCT]

I love the old photos. I remember my Grandfather used to put on a bowtie and sports jacket to walk the mile to the post office.

[marlinman93]

The gun looks to me to be an 1893 Marlin, but can't be sure.

Definitely not an 1893 Marlin Mike. Marlin hung their tubes with a stud at the end of the tube, not the band used on the one in the picture. I think Malamute nailed it.

[Pop Watts]

I have been reading the comments on this post and decided to put in my two cents worth. I am going for a Winchester Model 1892 in 32-20 or 25-20. The mag tubes are a smaller diameter than the barrels in these two calibres only. The front magazine retaining band is a half band on all 1892's in the smaller calibres regardless if Rifle or Carbine configured.
Also agree with previous comment that the rifle is not a Marlin because they had square finger levers and the magazine was retained with a stud.
I am looking at an Marlin 1894 rifle in 32-20 and a couple of 1892 Winchesters in the same calibre and I would put my money on the Winchester.
The dear is small bodied ( sorry that I am not familiar with US dear because I am in Australia ) and could easily have been taken with a 32-20.
This is a great post, good old picture and has generated some good comments.
Keep it up.
Cheers, Pop

[AmBraCol]

The dear is small bodied ( sorry that I am not familiar with US dear because I am in Australia ) and could easily have been taken with a 32-20.

The deer was taken in Texas. Texas is not known for HUGE deer for the most part. The white tail deer is wide spread across the eastern US and ranges in size from 90 - 200 + pounds for adult males. Texas even allows the use of 22 caliber centerfire rifles for deer hunting these days. A 32-20 would definitely be capable of taking a deer if the shot's placed right.