Picked up this rifle recently and am wondering if anybody might be able to tell me who the smith who built it might be? I know this is a long shot. Store that sold it to me said the previous owner had owned a gun shop in Seymour TN, HLGNS guns. The previous owner, now deceased Hal Loss, lived in east TN and eastern PA. Only marks besides 7mm-08 on the barrel is “10 5 93” stamped on the underside of the barrel. The fit and finish is impeccable and it is very accurate. Barrel is 24”, free floated to the shank, bedded, FN Mauser with thumb slot, Timney trigger.

Wish I had some infor for you, but I just have to say "WOW!"
That is a very nicely done rifle. You found a gem.

Maybe take a chance that there could be some pencil writing under that buttplate.

I have not checked there, thanks for the suggestion 👍

No idea but man oh man they do good work!

I agree! Having done some checkering myself, I’m very much impressed.

Tom

You might post a few pictures over on accurate reloaded forum under the custom section.

Very nice rifle.

Hal

That’s a beautiful rifle. What a find. Love it.

Roy Gradle perhaps?

Can’t help you with the maker but I like that …

I would say Paul Jaeger, but his are usually marked with his name. This is not certain, however, and some are unmarked. GD

Looks like Jaeger's work, no matter it's a fine rifle.

Thanks guys. I agree definitely Jaeger style, but I believe the “10 5 93” stamped on the underside of the barrel to be the date of manufacture, which would make Jäeger and Gradle unlikely. Any other ideas? The stock has the feel of a David Miller. Slim grip, long-squarish forend.

Could have been re-barreled too. GD

Very unlikely that you have a David Miller (Curt Crum sp) stock.
Most likely done by a darn good hobbyist.

Just Killin my dream Rick!

Sincerely, I apologize BUT good work is good work regardless of who did it. Don’t get excessively hung up on names.

After years of fiddling with wood stocked rifles I have decided that if I like it then that is all that matters.
Not everyone likes the same flavor of ice cream.

Well said. I’ve never handled a David Miller rifle, just the M70 stocks patterned after his. This one has a similar grip, which I like. Being a M70 kinda guy, and preferring the 308 in SA cartridges, I picked this one up on a whim. But having fun with it, and that’s what it is all about. 😁

Whoever built that rifle knew what they were doing and had all the right influences. That probably matters more than the name.


Okie John

Looks a lot like something Jerry Fisher would do, but not real likely; most likely what RinB said or likely it would have been documented.

The lines also look a lot like a Keith Stegall rifle that I once had, & wish I still did.

MM

I have two custom pre-64 M70's (a '59 358 Win and a '39 270 Win) that are impeccably made with no makers name. As such, they were had at very reasonable prices.

I have owned quite a few Jerry Fisher rifles. That isn’t one.

However it is a very nice rifle that should be appreciated for what it is.

I suspect that the semi inletted blank that was used came from the shop of Al Biesen who used to supply them to hobbyists.

Possibly H.W. "Harry" Creighton on Nashville, TN.

Thanks, seems plausible, but looks like Mr Creighton passed in the late 80’s and I believe this rifle was built in 91.

Rifle is currently listed in the classifieds.

Very nice little Mauser.

It looks like a really well done Hobbyist stock that MIGHT have been checkered as piecework by an outfit like Ahlmans in MN, The checkering pattern looks like their work.

Another thing that makes me think this was a low budget piecework job is that practically NOBODY who is invests in a complete rifle build by a name smith would ever use such a fencepost plain piece of wood. It was likely a semi inlet piece of English Walnut from Richards etc that was well fitted and finished by it's owner (and/or local smith) and then sent off to some outfit for checkering,

As it stands, that is a relatively rare gun in our present day, A rifle that is better made and more graceful than 99 % of the factory hunting rifles currently made but yet not so rare and valuable you cannot "use it like you stole it".

It should be a heck of a little hunting rifle.

Yes, the plain wood kind of threw me off as well as the plain sling swivels. That said, some of the plain stocks I’ve had over the years have tend to be lighter and pretty stable.

The engraving is top notch. Not sure it was farmed out or done by the checkerer.