Pa SXS is right on, the lettering font is Champagne.

Champagne font

Initial engraving
 

Champagne font, SCH

Library of Congress
 

Image 44 of California, White and Yellow pages (telephone book) March 1917 to November 1917, Fresno County, Fresno California. Listing;
1) Lewald & Schleuter - Guns and Ammo - 1050 I (i) Street Fresno,

Only one person in Fresno with initials SCH, Samual C. Hannibal,
lives at 1561 E Street Fresno
Born 1875, Died 1943 buried in Fresno.
It may be worth more investigation.

I am going with "a shoot held on that date". As I said earlier, LA84.com Sporting Life shoot entries end in 1916, but there are other sources. I also suspect a field grade military officer who was stationed in Europe in WW2. Read the other thread for some more information.

ATA California
 

California State Trap Shooters a History by Ray Brasser
on-line under that heading
All State Champs in all Classes back to the year 1912 for many class listings

Looking at the example of “Champagne Font” Gary posted on page 3, I don’t think there can be any doubt the middle letter is an H. Interesting to see this old thread resurrected and read the incredible circumstances that brought this gun to light. I wonder if Mikel will see this?

would it make it easier if you could post both the initials on the butt and gary's champagne font alphabet next to each other on the same post?

Yes go ahead and do that. Be easier to compare.

Mike,
I do not know how to do that, I can barely turn on a computer. Hoping someone else can do that.