Thoughts on an Epps 1 piece stocked L-E custom from the golden age - 1965

steelgray

steelgray

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I recently downloaded the wonderful digital reproduction of the Ellwood Epps custom rifles catalogue from 1965. Reviewing this, I discovered that I seem to own a twin of one of 26 custom rifles listed in there made by the great Elwood Epps himself (or by his staff). Here is a collage of references to my gun, in this catalogue (some pictures found on different pages).


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Here is my gun. Yeah I know the picture isn't great. I may replace it with another soon. The gun has a perfect bore and no head spacing issues and is a shooter, not a safe queen. In fact, it is what I use to test my ammo's accuracy.

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Your thoughts?
 
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Thread moved out of Shotguns.
Sixty years ago I would visit Epps store in Clinton. Interesting place.
A Lee Enfield service rifle can be the basis for a fine sporting rifle - nothing to do with the common chop and hack jobs. The Brits were making beautiful sporting rifles on Lee Speed barreled actions 120 years ago.
The one piece stock conversion can result in a smooth, sleek sporting rifle. Also Target Rifles, but that is a different conversion.
Years ago at a gun show, there was a semifinished stock for a one piece conversion for $75 or so. Didn't have the sense to grab it. Whittling a stock out of a plank isn't fun. This stock may well have come from Epps. No idea if anyone is set up to carve such a stock now.
I have a Lithgow SMLE receiver which has had one rear trigger guard screw lug squashed. It would be a great candidate for a one piece stock project. With the charger bridge removed, a SMLE receiver is quite streamlined.
Epps made all sorts of custom rifles, many based on surplus rifles. He also specialized in varmint rifles on the Winchester 1885 single shot actions.
 
Ellwood Epps store in Clinton was a magnet for many of us young airmen taking training at RCAF Clinton in the late 1950’s. Because we couldn’t take guns on the base he would rent us a gun or store our purchases at the store and I don’t remember that he charged us for this storage service. During my three months or so there I bought my first muzzleloader, a new Spanish made 20 gauge percussion single and a Winchester single shot 1885 converted to .22 Hornet and scoped. Great people, great store.
 
tiriaq said:
Thread moved out of Shotguns.
Sixty years ago I would visit Epps store in Clinton. Interesting place.
A Lee Enfield service rifle can be the basis for a fine sporting rifle - nothing to do with the common chop and hack jobs. The Brits were making beautiful sporting rifles on Lee Speed barreled actions 120 years ago.
The one piece stock conversion can result in a smooth, sleek sporting rifle. Also Target Rifles, but that is a different conversion.
Years ago at a gun show, there was a semifinished stock for a one piece conversion for $75 or so. Didn't have the sense to grab it. Whittling a stock out of a plank isn't fun. This stock may well have come from Epps. No idea if anyone is set up to carve such a stock now.
I have a Lithgow SMLE receiver which has had one rear trigger guard screw lug squashed. It would be a great candidate for a one piece stock project. With the charger bridge removed, a SMLE receiver is quite streamlined.
Epps made all sorts of custom rifles, many based on surplus rifles. He also specialized in varmint rifles on the Winchester 1885 single shot actions.
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Hi Tiriaq. Thanks for moving my post. My mistake. FYI here are two pages from the 1965 Epps custom rifle catalogue that you may find interesting LINK, And yes, according to the catalogue they did sell the 1 piece stocks and inletted blanks, but only in walnut, I believe.


Also, here are some pictures of another Epps custom of the same vintage that sold last year on one of the US auction sites for US $1,700. It was/ is a 25-303 Epps gun with a birdseye maple (or Tigerstripe maple) stock and a full Mannlicher stock. (LINK). I don't know anything more about that gun.

I also own a 555 Mohawk that was as/ new/ unfired when I got it, a few years ago. It also has a custom birdseye maple stock as nice as either of the L-E guns. It (i.e., the 555) would have been made that way by Globco, not Epps.

I suppose they are all products of a bygone age were people cared about this stuff. Then again, if Epps ever decided to get beck into selling rifles like this for $125, I bet they'd still sell well.
 
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That Mannlicher stocked custom is quite the rifle. Interesting that the forend was spliced to get the length. Nicely done and probably more stable than one piece would have been. Personally, I'd lose the South African competition rear sight and install a more compact sporting sight.
I remember having Epps catalogues back in the day. Last time I visited Ellwood in Orillia his health was failing and he was towing around an oxygen bottle.
Charlie Parkinson in London was another fine gunsmith of that period. Never did get into Earl Leach's shop near Stratford.

Thanks for starting this thread. A lot of folks now aren't aware that work like this was being done.
 
From the Epp's store in Clinton i have a Ross in 6.5 303 improved Epp's and a Martini in 6 303 improved Epp's. i don't remember being in it when Elwood was there but may have been with my father, i do remember being in Earl Leach shop in Shakespeare, my father had a few guns made there i still have a P14 that was done there originally in one of the many 22 jets of the time (this one was the 300 savage case necked down to 22 cal) Leach made his own reamers so lots of make your own ideas . The gun has since been re barreled to 250 Savage by Jim Butcher of Clinton who also passed on. Another gun i have is a Hi Wall made in the Parkinson shop in London was told it was in 219 improved zipper then the owner had it rechamber into 22 303 at the Leach shop in 1958
 
Nice workmanship. Back in the 50's thru the 1960's there were a small number of smith's in Canada who did amazing things with Lee Enfield and Ross rifles. Those guys are gone now along with their knowledge but once in awhile you see something they built that was really special.
 
Mike Webb said:
Nice workmanship. Back in the 50's thru the 1960's there were a small number of smith's in Canada who did amazing things with Lee Enfield and Ross rifles. Those guys are gone now along with their knowledge but once in awhile you see something they built that was really special.
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I agree! BTW here are some extra photos, as promised in the original post ...

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tiriaq said:
That Mannlicher stocked custom is quite the rifle. Interesting that the forend was spliced to get the length. Nicely done and probably more stable than one piece would have been. Personally, I'd lose the South African competition rear sight and install a more compact sporting sight.
I remember having Epps catalogues back in the day. Last time I visited Ellwood in Orillia his health was failing and he was towing around an oxygen bottle.
Charlie Parkinson in London was another fine gunsmith of that period. Never did get into Earl Leach's shop near Stratford.

Thanks for starting this thread. A lot of folks now aren't aware that work like this was being done.
Click to expand...

I knew Charlie Parkinson too. Good folks. Not enough of them left.
 
steelgray said:
I knew Charlie Parkinson too. Good folks. Not enough of them left.
Click to expand...

Bought my first two rifles from Charlie. Was attending University of Western Ontario and walked into his store one day. He always had time to talk about shooting and hunting, even with a 20 year old guy who knew nothing about it.

He took me downstairs in the shop, and taught me how to handload for my 270 Winchester, the second rifle I bought from him. The first, of all things, was a Savage bolt action 30-30. I used it one season and he took it back as a trade on the 270.

He was quite a guy. Anyone know if his son, Jack, is still living?

Ted
 
Rman said:
Excellent work. Parker Hale should have taken notes!

R.
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parker hale made some very nicehigh grade conversions with reworked metals that was second to none and beautiful walnut lots of Color in the wood
This is a nice rifle that appeals to some but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea
 
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