Just playing around with the camera and validating that my photography skills haven't mysteriously improved.

I don't think you guys have seen this one so I'm going to make a game of it and see who knows what it is. I'll warn you, it's not exactly what it appears to be....

These next two should give it away....almost.

So, wha-dya think?

Looks like a Newton.

A Ross?

It's a RIFLE.......................

Probably not made in the USA, found in an old gunshop or pawnshop in Upper "Midwest"

BTW, Not sure why yall call it midwest though, it is CLEARLY north. Small rant over :)

But it can't be that young.

the rotating bolt handle VS the multiple lugs? I son't have a real answer, but would throw a chip on the Newton pike.

I've always wondered about those... the pull of the obscure, I guess.

Cool rifle.

nm

The year was 1923. Charles Newton's rifle company, which had failed financially in 1918, had found new financial backing and was gearing up to reopen. One of the group of financiers, John Meeker (of course, not our John Meeker) made off with parts for approximately 260 rifles and manufactured them under his own name in New Jersey. This effort ended with a law suit by Newton.

The caliber is .256 Newton. I have read that Meeker sold his rifles with the calibers named ".256 Meeker", ".30 Meeker" etc. but that they are dimensionally identical to the Newtons. Mine is marked only "256" very lightly under the maker's mark.

The rifle is not as refined as the 1916 Newtons. The stock is a bit "clubbier" and the checkering more of a suggestion than anything aggressive.

The action design is, as far as I know, identical to the 1924 Newtons but mine has a straight, swept bolt handle whereas the 1924's have a dog-leg similar to the Model of 1917.

some other subtle differences I noted in your pictures. I hadn't heard of the Meeker saga. Very interesting!

....so-called "Buffalo Newton"?

the first incarnation of the Newton rifle company was the Newton Arms Company in the ca. 1914-15-16 time-frame. That model is generally referred to as the "1916 Newton" or derivations of that. The second go-round was in 1923-24. Those rifles are referred to as either '1924 Newtons' or 'Buffalo Newtons'. It was this same time period in which Meeker absconded with parts for an unconfirmed number of rifles (200-260 have been cited) and produced the 'Meeker Rifle, Model of 1925'. Buffalo/1924 Newtons are considered to be inferior to the 1916 models.

So, long way of saying 'Yeah, pretty much'.

...1st Generation, 2nd Generation and 3rd Generation Newtons (with the 3rd Generation Newtons being the Buffalo Newtons). The first two generations were when Newton started his business in 1914, and then after he ran it into bankruptcy and pulled it back out (1918?). I've owned two Newtons over the years, both first generation guns (right at the end of the first generation, both 2xxx serial numbers), one magnum length action and one standard. The magnum length action had been rebarrelled back the 50s to a .25/.30 Newton (basically a .257 Weatherby Magnum without the belt or radiused shoulder). I gave that gun to a dear friend of mine as a birthday present. He has a .30 Newton reamer and was going to make his dream elk rifle with it. The other gun is a .256 Newton that I still own. This is one of the coolest rifles I own. The barrel is shot out, but I just can't bring myself to re-barrel it

There is an awful lot of conflicting information out on the 'net. I have been meaning to pick up the Wales book as it is said to make sense of it all but haven't got there yet.

I have the Meeker in .256 and a '98 Mauser in .35 Newton and have been eyeballing a .30 Newton lately just to make a "set".

Do you have any load data for the .256 You'd care to share? Either here or to hoot_4570 -AT- yahoo -DOT- com. I haven't shot it yet but do have the Speer manual No. 1 which has data along with several recommendations to treat it as a 6.5-06 which seems like a sensible approach.

Cheers!