A. W. Peterson's

[Rimfire McNutjob]

I was in A. W. Peterson's shop today in Tavares Florida (formerly of Denver Colorado) to pickup some primers. They had WLP in the older blue box for $50/k so I grabbed a couple. I took a few pictures of the rifle and tool collection in the back room that some might enjoy. These are pretty high resolution so they might take some time to download but you should be able to zoon in for a closer look.

[Oldncrusty]

Looks like an awesome place. Thanks for sharing.

[GunnyMack]

I could see myself spending a few hours there!

[Bill in Oregon]

BE STILL MY HEART! If this isn't the full equivalent of Mecca to rifle shooters, I don't know what is. Thanks for sharing the photos!

[Rube Burrows]

Man at the history in that place. So cool. Thanks for sharing.

[marlinman93]

AW Peterson was a very talented gunsmith who also developed some tools during his time partnered with George C. Schoyen that were simply the finest of their type anywhere! Peterson also made early rifle scopes that are today highly collectible and hard to find! His scopes made back in the early 1900's are better than a lot of modern scopes built today!
Peterson and Schoyen both worked for Carlos Gove in the 1800's until Gove retired in the late 1880's, and much of Gove's success can be attributed to having two of the finest and most talented gunsmiths in the US then! After Gove retired George Schoyen bought Gove's gun shop, and soon after Peterson joined Schoyen as a partner. After Schoyen died Peterson bought the business from Schoyen's widow and continued on until his death.
I have a Schoyen & Peterson duplex powder measure that are one of the rarest loading tools to find. Have a couple paper folded flyers advertising Schoyen & Peterson's business and services or tools offered also. One Schoyen Ballard in an old hard case with the Schoyen & Peterson label inside the top lid. Also a Peterson stamped barrel in .22LR that's a Ballard scheutzen rifle and extremely accurate. Peterson was considered one of the finest barrel makers around, and his specialty was .22RF barrels, which I see more of than any other cartridges marked with the AW PETERSON stamp.
As a huge fan of Peterson I'd love to see this shop if I ever get to Florida!
AW Peterson Ballard:


Schoyen-Peterson duplex measure:

[348win]

Thanks for sharing

[ywaltzucanrknrl]

Very neat, great history. I have a friend who has a Ballard with a Schoyen barrel. He says although the barrel looks horrible, the rifle shoots great.

Kind of wonder about the lower rifle under the glass in the show case. Looks like a Winchester 52? Anyone know anything about it?

[GunnyMack]

Zoom in on the bottom metal, looks like a full size magazine box. A sporterized 03 maybe?

[ywaltzucanrknrl]

Yes, probably not a 52, but what made me wonder was the magazine box looks like it has been cut to allow what would be a 22lr sized magazine and also a release installed to the back of the cut.

[marlinman93]

Yes, probably not a 52, but what made me wonder was the magazine box looks like it has been cut to allow what would be a 22lr sized magazine and also a release installed to the back of the cut.

May have started life as an 03-A3 .22 Trainer that's been restocked, and of course fitted with a Peterson barrel.

[marlinman93]

Very neat, great history. I have a friend who has a Ballard with a Schoyen barrel. He says although the barrel looks horrible, the rifle shoots great.

Kind of wonder about the lower rifle under the glass in the show case. Looks like a Winchester 52? Anyone know anything about it?

I always wonder how any fine firearm with a very expensive barrel like a Schoyen gets neglected? The original owner who had Schoyen fit a barrel probably paid as much or more than the gun cost new before he paid Schoyen to fit a new barrel! Most I see are perfect bores.
I have a spare Schoyen full round barrel in .40-50SS that's got a perfect bore, but someone has put multiple scopes on it, so it has extra holes, and dovetails. It's threaded for a Ballard action, and I hope I find a clunker Ballard or action to have the barrel installed on so I can add another Schoyen to my safe.

[ywaltzucanrknrl]

I know he is very happy to have it. I'll have to ask him more about the rifle. He's a bit OCD and I'm sure he didn't do anything that would have contributed to the condition of the barrel----I'm sure it was that way when he acquired the rifle.

But knowing the little I know about the history of Schoyen barrels I would wonder the same thing especially where a lot of those types of rifles were fine target rifles that had beautiful wood and very nice workmanship. Most target shooters are very particular about the condition of their rifles.

[marlinman93]

I know he is very happy to have it. I'll have to ask him more about the rifle. He's a bit OCD and I'm sure he didn't do anything that would have contributed to the condition of the barrel----I'm sure it was that way when he acquired the rifle.

But knowing the little I know about the history of Schoyen barrels I would wonder the same thing especially where a lot of those types of rifles were fine target rifles that had beautiful wood and very nice workmanship. Most target shooters are very particular about the condition of their rifles.

Yes, they really are, and so are collectors! I bought one of my Schoyen Ballard rifles from a friend who also collects Ballard rifles, and was selling it cheap because he said the bore wasn't very good. A bad bore on a Schoyen really hurts their value since that's the main reason you'd want a Schoyen. I looked at the bore before considering if I'd buy it, and it looked very good to my eyes. Certainly not like new, but very nice. We did the deal, and I took it to the range a week later. It shots under 1" off the bench at 100 yds. with my .32-40 loads I used in other Schoyens I own in .32-40, and I mentioned this to him. He then told me he doesn't shoot his collection rifles, and had never fired it. Go figure?

[Ysabel Kid]

Thanks for sharing those pictures!

[RIHMFIRE]

Gosh...I have not been there in years!
Thanks !!!!

[marlinman93]

I'm working a deal on an AW Peterson made telescope right now. Sounds like it will need cleaning, and possible crosshairs also. His scope design actually moved the crosshairs, so could just mean it's adjusted off center. Wont know until we agree on a price and it gets delivered to me.

[marlinman93]

Well the deal is done on the AW Peterson rifle scope! We wont finish it until I return form the CGCA show in Denver the middle of this month as I didn't want to cut into my gun money stash before the show. These Peterson scopes aren't cheap since they're ultra rare, but at least I've finally got one. It's missing some scope mount parts, so have to see if I can make them, or remove what's on it, and replac with scope mounts I have as spares here.



The adjustments for crosshair windage are in the center adjusters on the tube, and elevation was in the rear mount with Peterson's scopes and mounts.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

That is cool. Do you have an estimate for the year of manufacture of that scope?

[marlinman93]

That is cool. Do you have an estimate for the year of manufacture of that scope?

Tough to get an idea of when a particular AWW Peterson scope was built. He began building scopes back in the late 1800's and kept making them up into the late 1920's, and maybe longer. He never serial numbered them, so no idea when they were made, or how many he made. Peterson rarely stamped his name on his scopes, but his design for scope adjustments is unique to him, so easy to know it's his when you do see one. I know from searching decades that they're like finding a needle in a haystack, but the guy who's selling me this one has three of them!
I own several other rifle scopes by small makers that are just as rare, and been very lucky to get them, and get them reasonably. This one isn't a bargain, but I think it's fairly priced. I have Malcolm, Souther, Sidle, and a bunch of common scopes like Fecker, Unertl, Lyman, Stevens, Litschirt, etc. in my collection, and most on rifles I shoot.

[Drawdown]

First I recall ever hearing of him, but Wow, I'd love go in there, the old gunsmith's-shooters and every aspect between are the most interesting subjects going, amazing & so interesting!

[Old No7]

...I'd love to see this shop if I ever get to Florida!

I need to find out where "Tavares FL" is and change that sentence to say when... Wow ! ! !

Old No7

[AJMD429]

.
Now that's cool. Thanks for sharing.

[ywaltzucanrknrl]

Nice scope, any plans to put it on a rifle?

[marlinman93]

Nice scope, any plans to put it on a rifle?

Yes, but that depends on what I end up doing for mounts. I wont be completing this deal until I return from the CGCA show in Greeley, Co. on the 19th, and then I'll know more about what's missing. The existing mounts appear to have been for the left side of the receiver of a flat sided single shot, or levergun. I wont drill any holes in any of my rifles, so it may end up getting some old external adjustment scope rings I own like 20's and 30's target scopes used. That will make it easy to slide on target bases that many of my old single shots have.
Something like these on my Unertl:

[ywaltzucanrknrl]

Well, that is beautiful! Great wood.

[marlinman93]

Well, that is beautiful! Great wood.

Thanks. That's a modern clone of the old Marlin Ballard. That's a Cody Ballard Schoyen model in .22LR with a Badger barrel. Only non Marlin Ballard I own.=, but they sure built them nicely while in business.

[marlinman93]

First I recall ever hearing of him, but Wow, I'd love go in there, the old gunsmith's-shooters and every aspect between are the most interesting subjects going, amazing & so interesting!

Axel W. Peterson has a very long and interesting history in the Denver area. Peterson and Schoyen were both Swedish immigrants that came to the US earlier around the mid 1850's, and eventually both made their way out West to Denver. By chance both also ended up in the employ of Carlos Gove's Denver Armory and worked for Gove until he retired in 1889. Both had a huge part in the success of Gove's gun shop by doing both repairs, and also modifications to custom guns for customers.
After Gove retired in 1889 he sold his shop to George C. Schoyen, and Schoyen went on to become well known for the finest custom barrels and rifles sold all over the US, and even to overseas customers. His barrels were better than any others, with a couple other makers equaling Schoyen's work. AW Peterson joined Schoyen at some time after Schoyen bought Gove's business, but unknown if it was right after the purchase, or shortly after? Peterson was a character and had a tendency to tip a bottle occasionally, which got him a reputation. When partnered with Schoyen he stayed sober and he and Schoyen did a number of inventions for powder measures, re-decapping tools, and other gun accessories. Peterson was equally good at barrel making, and specialized in fine .22RF barrels. Many of the Peterson marked rifles he built after Schoyen's death are .22lR, and excellent quality. Both men used Henry Simmons for stock making when together, but looking at most AW Peterson stocked rifles later it appears that Simmons wasn't the maker as they're not quite up to par with earlier rifle stocks.
Schoyen retired in 1916, and died just two weeks later. Peterson bought the business from Schoyen's widow and later moved it to a smaller building. He often test fired his barrels in his shop, and one day while test firing a .22RF rifle a friend stepped in his unlocked back door and got shot when he walked in front of the target while Peterson was shooting! The friend took full responsibility for not knocking first, and no charges were filed.
On another occasion Peterson completed work on a customer gun and got paid a fair amount of cash, which he stuck in his coat that hung at the back door. A neighbor in the shop next door stopped to talk to Peterson, and when he left old Pete discovered the money was gone! He confronted the shop owner, who denied taking the money, but Pete knew he had. Later that evening he showed up at the shop owner's home with a .38 revolver and demanded his money back. At some point the argument escalated, and Peterson shot him. He was arrested, and put on trial, but wasn't found guilty at the trial! No particulars of the evidence, but I guess the courts thought the neighbor was a thief, and deserved what he got.
Peterson had aa reputation for being a little crotchety, but also a reputation for loving kids. All the local kids knew they could take a bike or any broken toys to him, and he'd stop his work to fix them for free and always had candy in his shop to give to kids when they came by.
I own one .22LR Ballard with a AW Peterson barrel. It's a fantastic shooter, but was in well worn shape when a friend got it. He did a total restoration before I got it from him, so it looked like new when I bought it. Probably had a Peterson scope on it when built as there's no front sight dovetail on the heavy 30" octagon barrel.

[Drawdown]

Thanks for his story! I sure don't recall ever hearing of him, but as much old gun n shooting books as I've read, his name just never rung a bell! Another very interesting character of the golden years of American Guns!

[marlinman93]

Thanks for his story! I sure don't recall ever hearing of him, but as much old gun n shooting books as I've read, his name just never rung a bell! Another very interesting character of the golden years of American Guns!

Not surprising that many folks haven't heard of Axel Peterson today, and likely numerous other great custom gun makers and gunsmiths. Most everyone had heard of HM (Harry) Pope, as he lived to be 90, and died in 1950, so living later kept his name alive to modern times. But most who died prior to WWI have faded into obscurity for the vast number of gun owners today unless they are into the old guns those famous long ago built.
There are gunsmiths who were extremely famous back in the late 1800's and early 1900's that when I mention their names to 90% of gun guys just gets me a puzzled look today.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

I wouldn't know about him had my father not taken me to the shop that still bears his name when I was a teenager. We bought a couple of guns and a lot of ammo there in the early 80's. I always loved going into the back room to look at the old tools and pictures. Thanks to Val for giving us more details on his contributions to the world of firearms.

[.45colt]

I have been on Leverguns every week for 25 years. What a Great thread, makes Me want to take a trip . Thank You for the post and Thank You Marlinman for all the information.!

[marlinman93]

There was a time when shooting competitions, and the men who shot in them, plus the men who built the guns were all held in high regard; very much like people today idolize overpaid football, basketball and baseball players. In 1873 when the Irish challenged the US to try to beat the World champion Irish at 800 & 1000 yds. the US didn't even have any shooting events over 500 yds. Nobody even considered matches of that distance, but the fledgling NRA agreed to setup matches and be ready for the Irish team in September of 1874! When the final team members wont their spot, and the NRA had built a wonderful range at Creed's Farm (Creedmoor Range) there were almost 10,000 spectators who showed up to watch the Americans beat the Irish team!
In the late 1800's two brothers had a gun shop in New York City, and also had the largest indoor shooting range in the World! They were Charlie and Barney Zettler, and the Zettler Bros. range held matches that in the late 1800's paid $1000 prize money to the winners! More people showed up to watch those matches than the Zettler Bros. Gallery could hold, so they hired someone to go back and forth with a bull horn to tell the crowd outside how shooters were scoring!
There were hotbeds of custom gun makers in numerous places across the USA in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Places like New York city, Denver, Co., San Francisco, and a few others had enough professional and highly qualified amateurs to support more than a few great gunsmiths back then, and all were kept busy. Today many large cities don't even have one gunsmith, and the problem is getting worse, not better. Most gunsmiths today barely eek out a living, and those who do are in high demand. I used to have 6-10 local gunsmiths here who did great to excellent work. Now we have zero, with the last one retiring in December, and the tooling sold to a young guy who moved it all 150 miles away to a tiny rural town. Whatever I can' do myself now I have to drive a long ways or mail it to be done.
Sad that the hobby, and the trade has gone from something so highly regarded, to something looked down upon or ignored these days.
I'll step off my soap box now that I've vented my frustrations.

[Drawdown]

Thanks for his story! I sure don't recall ever hearing of him, but as much old gun n shooting books as I've read, his name just never rung a bell! Another very interesting character of the golden years of American Guns!

Not surprising that many folks haven't heard of Axel Peterson today, and likely numerous other great custom gun makers and gunsmiths. Most everyone had heard of HM (Harry) Pope, as he lived to be 90, and died in 1950, so living later kept his name alive to modern times. But most who died prior to WWI have faded into obscurity for the vast number of gun owners today unless they are into the old guns those famous long ago built.
There are gunsmiths who were extremely famous back in the late 1800's and early 1900's that when I mention their names to 90% of gun guys just gets me a puzzled look today.

I need to reread Ned Robert's book "The Muzzleloading Caplock Rifle" , he covers all these things well! The book starts about his youth in late 1800's, and his hunger for shooting & hunting fueled by his uncle who was a "Berdans Sharpshooters" member in Civil War. He tells plenty of how him and his uncle where energized by the early Irish-USA shooting matches they'd read in old "Arms and the Man" and Various other magazines of the day. He may have mentioned Peterson in the book? because he covers many the old gunmakers of that time frame!

[marlinman93]

Another great Ned Roberts book edited by Kelvar after Ned passed is The Schuetzen Rifle. It's still available and cheap from various places. It not only covers the rifles and equipment, but the various men who built them, and of course Roberts personal history with some guns.