Just monkeying around with my new Ipad camera... four 1903's

[Dick Hosmer]

VERY, VERY nice, Fred!!

Since outside photography is not an option for me, due to privacy concerns, I've taken a little different tack with my photography, using lots of clamp lights, a big mirror, a 48" x 96" whiteboard backer, and monofilament so as to eliminate the unavoidable shadows which occur on a towel or sheet. Plus, it is nice to be able to shoot around the clock, whenever it suits me. One good thing about the new compact fluorescents is that a row of them will not create hot spots on a bright barrel. I also developed a handy - and extremely simple - fixture for holding the barrel, leaving the rear two-thirds of any rifle completely free to be shot from any angle. Another trick, with digital cameras/computers, involves shooting up-side down - since it is so easy to fix at the keyboard.

[Fred]

Wow! There is just a whole lot that I don't know about Photography! I sure do appreciate getting some of your knowledge Dick! Thanks!!!
Yea, I'm awfully fortunate to be able to haul my toys outside even in my boxer shorts if I want to photograph the stuff. Just nobody around for a long, long ways in any direction. Anyway, the light outside is OK I guess for what my ipad can do. I DO like your instructions on setting up an indoor photo area Dick!

[jerrbear]

Great photos Fred. Its a shame there is no family members interested in them. There is so much history there besides the history you created in finding them. Would be great to be passed down.

[Fred]

I agree. It IS a shame. It's inconceivable to me that anyone could Not be interested 1903's. Kinda like not liking pizza, cool water on a hot day, chocolate, puppies and kittens, and all of the other great stuff in life.
I like Dick's lead on using good lighting inside with a stand of some sort for the rifle to be photographed. A real camera wouldn't hurt either. I've never owned one but ought to get one.
There really isn't much history involved with finding any of the rifles though. With the exception of the Rod Bayonet rifle, I just came upon them one at a time on Gun Broker. The trick was in the luck I had that nobody else recognized how original they were. At least nobody else did who wanted them. Otherwise they would've kept putting in bids on them too. I got them each for way under what they're worth. That doesn't happen very often these days. As for the Rod Bayonet rifle, the auction that it was in had hundreds of other old and interesting and rare guns in it, so by the time that the rifle came up on the block, the 994th one I believe, a lot of guys had spent their money or were still waiting for something else further down the line to come up for auction. I was amazed that we got it for what we did. I wasn't even sure if it had the original 30-03 chambering in it. I was lucky about that too. So far I've never been disappointed in anything that we've bought. I have missed out on some though that I hadn't noticed until it was too late. But, that's all part of the challenge isn't it.

[rayg]

"I was amazed that we got it for what we did".

I thought you said your wife bought it for you, what's this "WE" now!

[Fred]

Well, I Did bring it to her attention, so I guess I was in on the purchase.