Griffin & Howe has long been America's premier builder of fine rifles with a history stretching back nearly 100 years to when New York carpenter Seymour Griffin began building fine stocks for surplus military rifles. Built with a blued barrel featuring a fully scroll engraved ramped hooded blade front sight and a wedge of scroll at the muzzle, engraved barrel band, and 3 1/2 inch wedge of scroll engraving at the breech. The barrel is signed "No. 858 GRIFFIN & HOWE INC. NEW YORK" along with the hand cut caliber marking at the left of the chamber. The barrel is fitted to an unknown Model 1903 action which shows a matted front bridge and featuring a fully engraved Griffin & Howe scope mount holding a period scope in engraved rings, engraved Lyman rear peep sight, and an engraved bolt handle with knurled knob. The bottom metal and triggerguard display fantastic floral scroll engraving surrounding a relief gold inlaid mountain lion on the bottom metal and a squirrel on the triggerguard in the same gold inlay. While the engraving is unsigned, given the time frame this rifle was built (1927-1930) the engraving was likely done by Austrian born Master Engraver Joseph Fugger who studied under famed Griffin & Howe Master Engraver Rudolph Kornbrath. The rifle is mounted with a gorgeous highly figured and multi-point checkered pistol grip stock with horn forend tip, engraved sling swivels, engraved blue grip cap with a small relief gold inlaid pronghorn, raised cheekpiece, blank gold inscription oval, and an engraved and checkered blued steel trapdoor buttplate.

Exceptionally fine as elaborately embellished/built by Griffin & Howe, retaining 98% blue finish with some minor loss on the bolt body, 99% gold finish, minor handling evidence, and sharp checkering on the stock. Mechanically excellent. Scope optics clear. A rare chance to own an absolute gem of an American bolt action rifle!