Anyone have a picture of Jack's rifle?

Jack, who?

O'Connor, I suspect, but specificity might not be a bad thing.

i'm sure someone has some pics. i visited the o'connor center last summer and took some pics, but with 35mm film. o'connor had 2 almost identical 270's. one is in the center in lewiston and i believe the other is in a private collection. perhaps others will shed more light.

Jack O'Connor? Jack Lott? Who?

Imhoff?

I remember seeing several of him with his rifles in the old magazines, mostly with fleur de lis checkering patterns.
However there is one with point pattern checkering on probably a semi fancy grade of french walnut wearing a fixed 6x Leupy that is my favorite of his.

Mehoff.

mahogoff

Assuming that you're talking about Jack O'Connor, which rifle? Jack had a bunch.

Tom

O'Conner had more than a few............

MM

Did Jim Carmichael have one of his rifle and just aution it off for SCI recently? My memory could be wrong. I think it went of over 100 G's.

Got my stories mixed it was a reproduction of Jack's rifle made by Al Beisen and it went of $16,000. The maker also made another rifle with gold inlays that sold for $110,000.

His .270, or his .30-06?

Jack Bauer used a USP handgun, not a rifle.

Silly bear.

Here is a rifle from the Jack O'Connor Center website.

Yes, I am talking about the beloved Jack O' Connor and his overtold Biesen M70 .270

rugerm77270 - i believe that is a pic of the custom rifles the foundation just raffled away this past june. when i was there the curator or manager or whoever the fellow in charge was told me that starting in 08' they have some custom makers do a pre-64 action in 270 win, with custom barrel, wood, etc. for an annual raffle to raise funds for the center. the foundation had another raffle recently as i bought some tickets. the drawing was to be in june 09. perhaps that is the 2009 rifle. the 270 win of jacks, which was in a glass case, didn't have wood anything near as pretty as the pic you posted. beautiful rifle though.

All,

As hotsoup stated earlier, at least I believe it was hotsoup, O'Connor had two favored Model 70s in 270. In fact, he called them his #1 and #2 rifles. The #1 rifle was a standard factory Model 70 which Jack bought and turned over to Al Biesen to spiff up for him. Biesen trimmed a lot of excess weight off the metal, to include turning down the factory barrel to featherweight dimensions, and stocked the rifle in a nice, but not spectacular, stick of French walnut.

The rifle quickly became O'Connor's favorite. He thought so much of it, he feared shooting the barrel out. He bought a second Model 70 270, this time a Featherweight model, and gave it to Biesen with instructions to duplicate the #1 rifle. His intent was to use the second rifle for "ordinary" usage, and reserve the #1 rifle for special uses. When he received the #2 rifle from Biesen, and started using it, he quickly changed his mind and the #2 rifle became his favorite.

The rifle on display at the O'Connor Center is still owned by the O'Connor family and is on loan to the Center. It is the #2 rifle. The #1 rifle is in private hands belonging to an old friend of O'Connor.

Tom

I believe in one of his books, JOC states that he owned
one of the last 7x57mm Model 70s to leave the Winchester
factory.

As I recall he asked Winchester for a 7x57, they didn't have any but did have exactly one 7X57 barrel left so they made it up for him.

And Al Biesen restocked it for him....

I thought it was a Ruger Mk77 in 7x57 that Biesen stocked for him, but he died while on a trip?

The Ruger that Biesen was working on at the time of JOC's death was chambered in 280. IIRC.

Jerico: Jack owned the last pre-64 Model 70 chambered for the 7x57 cartridge. Others were produced after the manufacture of the pre-64 Model ceased.

Rick: Bingo! After Eleanor absconded with his 7x57 and made it her own, he finally decided to have Biesen make him another. As you stated, Winchester had a single barrel in that caliber left in inventory, and made up a rifle for Jack. He gave it to Biesen, who worked it over and stocked it. The same fellow that owns Jack's #1 Model 270, also owns the 7x57.

Vital Kill: Jack's last rifle was a very heavily worked over Ruger 77. Jack died long before it was finished.

Huntr.: Another bingo! It was a 280 Remington.

Tom

tsquare: I know he had Milliron build a pair of 280's on BRNO commercial actions,also.IIRC that was pretty late in his career

What I can't remember is did he ever kill any game with a 280?Honestly I can't remember him ever writing of using the cartridge on a hunt.......loading for it, yes(The Neglected 280),but I don't recall him mentioning using it on game....

Yes the neglected 280. He talked alot about the 7x57 and how his wife killed lotsa game for it. Even mentioned the 280 was better than the 270.

BobinNH,

I know that he had Milliron build one 280, I've seen it, but don't know about the second. I do know that Milliron built a few other rifles for Jack as well, but don't know what all of them were.

Tom

BobinNH,
Sorry, I missed your point on O'Connor using a 280 on game. If he did, I'm unaware of it. I know that the one Milliron 280 that I know about is unfired since Earl delivered it to Jack.

Tom

Thanks, Tom.

Though Jacks favorite was the .270 first last and always, he also wrote adoringly of the 7x57, .30-06, and .257 Roberts. Good taste.

Jack wrote the best article about the 30-06 I ever read. He noted he had got most of his best trophies with the 30-06

I am still looking for a 7x57 to fill in the hole in my "O'conner collection"

I havent read any of his books in awhile, but its seems to
me that he also enjoyed the Savage Model 99T, the .220 Swift,
.30-40 Krag, and when the .358 Winchester came out he
commented that it would make any excellent woods rifle.
I sure wish I would have had the chance to meet him.

Sorry I got this on so late. Here are a couple of pictures of the second model 70 Biesen did for O"Connor. It is now the property of his son Brad and was at the ACGG gathering in Reno earlier this year.

I am probably grinning because it feels quite a bit lighter than mine.

Awesome pics! Thanks for sharing....

That rifle has been carried quite a bit. Look how the bluing is worn off of the floorplate.

Well its a hunting rifle and its been hunted, No doubt Jack carried it for a few thousand miles and Bradford no doubt carries it to this very day, and shoot things with it to boot. That rifle as is would fetch a lot of zero's. I like it, it has a story to tell. Looks like a well cared for and much loved rifle.

Does anyone know what the serial # was on the Model 70, 7x57 that Eleanor claimed as her own.

I believe Eleanor's beloved 7X57 was a Mauser.

Yes, it's obvious that the rifle has seen a few hunts but isn't that what they are made for? I myself am not a huge fan of Jack but one thing I do appreciate is the fact that he used a lot of his custom rifles and didn't just leave them at home to stay purty.

Here is a few more shots of the rifle. I apologize that the pictures aren't better but the lighting in the room makes getting real good pictures tough.

Whitebird: Eleanor's 7x57 was not a M70;it was a Mauser-actioned rifle stocked by Russ Leonard( working from memory,I think that was his name).IIRC the metal was done by Tom Burgess,but I could be wrong on this.

Her favorite rifle for large game,which she used on tiger, elephant,and other "big" stuff,was a pre 64 M70 FW in 30/06 remodeled and stocked by Lenard Brownell.

BobinNH:

You are indeed correct on both the metalsmith and stock maker. Tom Burgess started with a VZ24 action to craft the rifle.

Tom

Tom: Thanks for confirming my failing memory

I figured you would know the correct answer.Funny, I have a hard time remembering people's birthdays,but I know who built Eleanor O'Connor's rifles!

Besides, does it really get any better than a Tom Burgess mauser????

I think this rifle was built in the very early 50s and if memory serves me right it wore a Leupold 3X scope on it.

Funny how a Leupold 3X scope is still in demand years later.

...cause they still work

As a matter of fact, it still wears the 3X Leupold. That particular rifle is still in the O'Connor family. The Brownell 30-06 is in private hands.

Tom

This is a great thread....I read about those rifles as a young hunter,and the details of the rifles, the makers, the game taken,and the hunts they saw are still vivd. It is good to know they are still out there,and capable of still going hunting.

I hope the bluing on them is partially gone, and the checkering is worn smooth.There was just never anything like the O'Connor rifles

Idared.Tom , thanks for the pics and the comments.Fabulous stuff!

Idared, another thank you for the pictures. A day maker for me.

I was married in 1963, and started taking Outdoor Life Magazine soon after. Then I joined the book club and read Jack faithfully. My first centerfire, late 60's, was the the "all around" .270Win, even before I had seen a deer in the KS wild. I did know about KS coyotes and CO Elk. I seem to remember that Eleanor's 7x57 was a custom Mauser. Check the pics from Africa. Great memories.

tsquare,

I have a 7x57 built on a VZ24 that appears to have been modeled upon Eleanor's rifle.

It now belongs to my daughter.

I had the opportunity to buy Eleanor's 30-06 several years back. That rifle was VERY well worn, to put it mildly! Just like it should be.

Rick: Woulda been nice to own that one! Bit of shooting history there....

rick - if you don't mind, tell us what they were asking for the rifle and what, if anything, was told to you regarding the history of the rifle (which i suspect would have added to the value). thanks

Guys, if anyone is willing to post two photos for me, I have a photo of Eleanor's 7x57 and another showing both her 7x57 plus her Len Brownell Model 70 30-06. I've wasted about two days now trying to figure out how to post them myself, with no success.

Anyone willing, send me the e-mail address and I'll e-mail them.

Tom

removed

Guys,

The two photos above are Eleanor's 7x57 by Tom Burgess and Russ Leonard at the top, and the 7x57 alongside her "big" rifle, the Model 70 30-06, worked over by Len Brownell.

Enjoy.

Tom

Tom,
Thanks for those pics! Wow, incredible. I have never seen a pic of her 30-06 before.

thanks for the pics. brings back memories of articles/books read back in the 60's.

In 1970 I got to visit with Mr. O'Connor in his home. I was only 20. I got his phone number which was available by calling directory assistance. I was about six hours away and when I told him that, he said if I was willing to drive that far then he would take one hour to visit with me. He had a booming voice. I drove to Lewiston and found his home on Sunset or was is it Sunrise Drive. I had a great time. He showed me his sheep heads, his tiger skin, and I got to handle all of his rifles including,the 6mm Mauser, both 7x57's, the two M70 270's, the Mauser 30/06, the M70 375 (2nd one), and the 416 Rigby Mauser as well as others. The sheep were in a garage behind the house that had been converted into a den. He took me in the main house and even into his office which was in a bedroom on the upper level of his colonial style home. He had a big laugh when I failed to see the tiger which was hanging above my head. I was too busy looking at the rifles which were sitting out in the open in a wooden rack near the tiger. He spent over five hours with me. I got to meet my hero. I wept when I learned of his death.

RinB: Thanks for that anectdote.Must have been great to meet him.O'Connor had a profound influence on so many shooters and hunters.Doubt we'll see his likes again.Many younger shooters and hunters today would be well advised to pick up his writings,and read them.

Tom:Thanks to you and the poster for sharing those pics.

Look at those rifles!They have likely seen some hard use all over the world,and yet could be refinished and look good as new...but I like them better just the way they are

The pics are great, thanks for putting them up!

Bob I agree about the rifles, they should never be re-finished or altered in any way.

MagMarc: Where's the things you turn to zoom the scope power?

I can't see any....(?)

great post rinb. thanks

RinB - wow, that must have been some trip. Jack O'Connor was a bit before my time, but I am a big fan. I can't imagine being able to see some of the animals & rifles that appear so often in my favorite hunting books/articles.

Lou

RinB,

Jack's house was on Prospect Street. I was by there not too long ago for another look. It's still much the same as it was when Jack & Eleanor lived there, at least on the outside. The awnings on the front windows are gone, but not much difference otherwise.

I'm sure the folks that live there these days tire of the traffic in front of their home, gawking and taking photos of the place. Then, after all these years, perhaps it is only old guys like me that still do that.

Tom

There's not any, somebody must of taken them for a souvenir! Imagine a hunter the caliber of O'Connor "getting by" with a fixed scope!

I used to love the pics of Eleanor (with some defunct creature she had just adroitly plugged), and the Russ Leonard Mauser;looking annoyed that someone made her get up too early.....hair wrapped in a kerchief,sunglasses,and a smoke,looking like a cross between a WW II female espionage agent,a frazzled suburban house Mom, and a Bowery rag lady......seeming completely indifferent to the hype surrounding the whole event.

She was refreshing compared to the camo-clad female hunters we see on TV today,clean as Swarovski crystal,and looking like they just got a coiffure in Copley Square,Boston(not that there's a thing wrong with Tiffany!)

Eleanor always looked like she'd been hunting ;no wonder Jack called her the "Storm and Strife"....you hadda luv her!

RinB.

I made a slight error. Jack's house was on Prospect Avenue, not street. I'll try to post a recent photo of it. Don't hold your breath though as I've not been very successful at posting photos.

Tom

All,

Glory be, except for hiccuping and posting the photo twice, I finally got one to post. Thanks to all you guys that attempted to tutor me through the process. Turns out, its so simple that I feel even stupider than I did before.

TT

The rifle, at least at that time, was owned by a gentleman in Ontario. He has had several of his customs featured in the custom gun section of Gun Digest.

He offered the rifle to me for $9000 Canadian bucks. Who knows...it may have been worth it as an investment. It certainly was well beyond my means, or what I would have paid for it anyhow.

RickF, I think the guy from Ontario was Alex Schemik (I'm sure the name is misspelled). I know that he bought a few of Jack's guns from Jack. I can recall seeing a ad in Shotgun News I believe, offering some of Jack's rifles for sale at pretty high prices. At least they seemed high to me at the time.

Tom

t2,
Right re Prospect. Was it #725 or #735? It was a long time ago. I clearly remember the sheep heads and all those Biesen rifles. And, the J&B bottles.

Tom, that's him. He bought a nice 1949 270 standard rifle from me, he was sending it to Biesen to have an "O'Connor facsimile" made. Seemed like a nice guy. As I recall it was Schimek or Shimek, probably the first.

The Mauser .416 Rigby was pictured in an old Gun Digest and the owner was named as the "Alex" gentleman. I believe some of Jack's rifles were pictured in the Double Gun Journal in an article written by a guy named Buckner.

The first copy of an O'Connor rifle being built and sold for fundraising was done by the Idaho FNAWS chapter.

Jack's #2 .270 (his pet, pictured earlier in this series) is at the JO'C Center in Lewiston, Bradford still owns it. A couple years ago, Brad used it successfully on an antelope hunt in Colorado . It now wears a modern Leupold 4x (the old scope broke, Leupold replaced it).

I am Jack's little boy and I just happen to own his legendary Biesen .270. I would be happy to provide a picture or two of the rifle for this forum if someone would e-mail me at [email protected] to tell how to attach or embed pictures. If you want to see the rifle in the flesh, it is on permanent display at the Jack O'Connor Center in Lewiston, ID.

Mr. O'Connor, it's good to see you on here again.

Sir, any word yet on the commemorative "Jack" rifle that Winchester is planning on releasing? Thanks for your time.

Also, any word yet on whether the stock will be a faithful copy of your dad's (your) rifle?

Brad,

Welcome to the fire. If you'd like, e-mail the photos to me and I'll post them for you. It took me forever to learn how to do it, although it is a very simple procedure.

Again, welcome aboard.

Tom Turpin

Hi Tom: Good to hear from you and, yes, I'd appreciate your help in attaching or embedding pictures, so please e-mail me at [email protected].

No recent word on the JOC commemorative M70, but I guess good things will happen if we all are patient.

bradford o'connor

Brad,

Will do.

Tom

Guys,

Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, the following are photos that I am posting from Brad O'Connor, Jack O'Connor's son and second favorite hunting partner (Eleanor was the first).

Tom


I sighted in the old .270 last winter at a friends range and it still shoots tight groups even with the old 3X Leupold scope.


The fancy grip cap on the #2 rifle.



Typical Biesen/O'Connor stock nose and cheekpiece treatment



Roger Biesen and Henry Kaufman hold the Biesen M70 .270 some lucky hunter will win at a raffle drawing next June at the Jack O'Connor Center in Lewiston. This is the third in a series of five.



I hold Dads old faithful after a shoot in Eastern Oregon.

brad - thanks for the pics. i was watching a tv hunting show in 08' (i believe), and you were hunting antelope with that same 270. i also remember you saying that you were using one of your dads original handloads with 130gr partitions. those rifles and stories bring back some greart memories for us older folks who grew up reading your dads writings. many thanks.

Thanks for pics Mr O'Connor, that rifle is truly a work of art.

Wow, thank you both for the great pics! This thread is a dream come true for me.

In all the years I have been lurking in the background on this site, I have never encountered a thread I have enjoyed this much. A true pleasure to see well-used rifles of this quality and significance.Thank you all.

Brad

Many thanks for furnishing the pictures to Tom to post. I especially was glad for the picture of Roger and Henry. It is nice to be able to put a face to the name that we read about who was a good friend of your father and who had many of his rifles at one time or another.

I would also like to thank you for having Al Lind bring that famous 270 to the ACGG earlier this year. It was a privilege to be able to hold it and view it first hand.

Thanks also Tom, for posting the pictures.

Beautiful wood, thanks to everyone who posted. The photos leave me remembering the days when recoil pads were furnished on factory rifles in magnum calibers only, and a 30-06 didn't need one we were told, ouch.

That is a beautiful rifle. I particularly like the mellow color of the stock.