J Baum

[Eric Kettenburg]

Seems like a popular rifle!  Very long and slender.  Still not pinpointed as to maker (the original, afaik) although Dave Dodds made a freaking awesome copy of it.  I know there are some pictures out there (of Dave's).  Now I see this one up on the CLA site:

https://www.longrifle.com/artisans-works/artisans-works/longrifles/signed-j-baum-possibly-by-bob-ditchburn-ca-1970/

Can someone explain to me how a rifle possibly made in 1970 is using lock parts that weren't available until sometime around the early 1990s?

Regardless, it looks really good and would love to know who made it; it's got to be ca. 1990 onward, so someone here should know.  Really nice piece.

[Stoner creek]

My sources say that Ditcburn made the gun. I understand that it has large Siler internals.
I hope to be able to inspect this one next weekend.

[Eric Kettenburg]

I think it looks really good, but unless someone replaced the cock and frizzen spring, I don't see how it could date to the 1970s regardless of who made it.  Jim or Barbie could definitively offer some dates but I don't think that cock or spring were available pre-1990ish + or -.

[taterbug]

Chambers own homepage for the Siler lock explains that the 'Siler' lock was first made by Bud Siler in the early 60's.  Jim Chambers then began making that lock in the 90's.   

[Stoner creek]

….and here is the rest of the story….
 Brian LeMaster made this one in 1999. He used a Chambers Gunmaker’s lock. We found a signature under the side plate and got a confirmation from Brian at the Front Royal show. It’s a heck of a piece and a very good copy of the original. RCA #86 I believe.
W

[Eric Kettenburg]

Chambers own homepage for the Siler lock explains that the 'Siler' lock was first made by Bud Siler in the early 60's.  Jim Chambers then began making that lock in the 90's.

Wayne answered the question of maker and date but the point I was making is that the lock on this rifle is not a 60s or 70s Siler and could not have been made by Bob Ditchburn in the early 70s as it was originally advertised.  It's using a cock and spring that Jim did not develop until sometime in the early to mid 90s, so unless the cock and friz spring were replaced, I knew it had to be a more recent rifle.  This all fits the date of the rifle in light of the markings under the sideplate.

Wayne are you able to translate who it was made for, or did Brian let you know?  Wondering if it was made for the guy who owned the Baum rifle at the time.  Not that it matters, just being curious.

[Stoner creek]

Brian couldn’t recall as I remember. Said that was for some “old guy”. Seems like there a lot of old guys in this sport.

[wormey]

They`re still are! ;)Wormey

[Stoner creek]

Chambers own homepage for the Siler lock explains that the 'Siler' lock was first made by Bud Siler in the early 60's.  Jim Chambers then began making that lock in the 90's.

Wayne answered the question of maker and date but the point I was making is that the lock on this rifle is not a 60s or 70s Siler and could not have been made by Bob Ditchburn in the early 70s as it was originally advertised.  It's using a cock and spring that Jim did not develop until sometime in the early to mid 90s, so unless the cock and friz spring were replaced, I knew it had to be a more recent rifle.  This all fits the date of the rifle in light of the markings under the sideplate.

Wayne are you able to translate who it was made for, or did Brian let you know?  Wondering if it was made for the guy who owned the Baum rifle at the time.  Not that it matters, just being curious.

I believe that Robert Weil owned the original at or near the time that Brian made this one.

[Eric Kettenburg]

No, Robert owned it much more recently when it was most recently auctioned, sometime within the last 10 years or so iirc.  At the time Brian made this copy in the 90s, it was owned by a gentleman downstate here in PA.  That's what I was told anyway.  The 'made for' marking under the sideplate is smeared but I don't think it was the owners name, doesn't look like it anyway.