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1903 Springfield National Match
- Thread starter dadx3
- Start date
I would take that out to the range!
Did you get that at the Estate Sale?
So. this rifle has a hit in the Springfield Research Service which led to the name of the purchaser and when he purchased it. With this I have been able to find a lot of history on the owner.
Lester A. “Pappy” Pope was a well known and respected rifleman from California in the early to mid 20th Century. Pope was an organizer of the California Rifle and Pistol Association serving as its secretary for 12 years. He also was a member of the Los Angeles Rifle and Pistol Club where he held the office of president for eight years. In his later years he was very active in junior activities and training. Pope’s 40 year shooting career began in 1910 in El Paso, Texas and he attended the National matches 12 times from 1919 to 1941. Shooting smallbore rifle he was a member of the US Dewar Team in 1925, 1935, 1938, and he served as captain in 1936. Pope passed away on February 18, 1954.
I have numerous newspaper clippings that mention him in reference to many shooting events. There is a clipping from 1941 that refers to him as Director of the National Rifle Association.
Here is a photo of him (not my rifle) before a trip to England as part of the US shooting team for the event.
The other clipping shows his attendance, and winning, at the 1936 National Matches where my rifle was originally purchased.
Lester A. “Pappy” Pope was a well known and respected rifleman from California in the early to mid 20th Century. Pope was an organizer of the California Rifle and Pistol Association serving as its secretary for 12 years. He also was a member of the Los Angeles Rifle and Pistol Club where he held the office of president for eight years. In his later years he was very active in junior activities and training. Pope’s 40 year shooting career began in 1910 in El Paso, Texas and he attended the National matches 12 times from 1919 to 1941. Shooting smallbore rifle he was a member of the US Dewar Team in 1925, 1935, 1938, and he served as captain in 1936. Pope passed away on February 18, 1954.
I have numerous newspaper clippings that mention him in reference to many shooting events. There is a clipping from 1941 that refers to him as Director of the National Rifle Association.
Here is a photo of him (not my rifle) before a trip to England as part of the US shooting team for the event.
The other clipping shows his attendance, and winning, at the 1936 National Matches where my rifle was originally purchased.
