Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Who built this rifle?

Some years ago I picked up a used 257 Roberts built on an FN Mauser M-98 action in Post Falls ID. I was told at the time that the rifle had probably been built somewhere in the area, though no maker’s name can be found anywhere either on the metal or stock interior.

It has a nicely figured stock expertly inletted and classically shaped, with an interesting fleur-de-lis checkering pattern. Each fleur-de-lis shows a fine hollow line detail in each petal. I had not seen that pattern before. An ebony tip finishes the fore-end. The pistol grip is comfortably open and slim in circumference.

The rifle has a Blackburn trigger, finely tuned. The only possible identifying mark seems to be on the root of the bolt handle. The bolt knob is flattened and checkered on its inner surface, a bit under 0.7” diameter on the end of a swept back handle.

Overall a pleasing classical rifle, well done in walnut and blued steel. Few signs, if any, of use or firing.

In the photos below the rifle in question is the lower of the 2 Bobs, in the upper left hand photo and the upper rifle in the lower right photo.



Does anyone recognize who gunmaker might be from the style or the mark on the bolt handle root?

Very nice rifle. Have you taken it apart, fully? Some, like my recently bought Mannlicher 6.5x55, have the maker (Dale Goens) in the stock inlet or another under the butt plate. I have a well executed pre-war M70 270 Win that I bought in Sandpoint years ago that has no maker shown.

Really no telling but someone may be able to tell from the style
Back in the Mauser days there were as many garage builders of Mauser as there are AR15 builders
Most were hack jobs or kinda kit guns
On the cheap
But the workmanship of your rifle narrows the field a bunch probably a professional
Although I have seen some armature hobby gunsmiths do that leavel of craftsmanship but rare