MIssed the boat on having a custom 257 over thirty years ago. Knew a local gunsmith that was not only a pretty good rifle builder, but an endless resource on firearms yarns and history.
Alex was a WWII vet and a big M98 fan. Once told me how many M98 actions he'd mailed back home after VE Day, when he was part of a group gathering German arms from the piles of surrendered weapons and packing up the better examples for officers to take home. When he had the time, he'd pick out a few K98s,and saw off the barrel, leaving enough of a stub to remove after the war. Said over a year after he'd gotten back home to PA, a relative or friend would show up now and then, with yet another M98 action he'd mailed back. Alex built rifles on those actions for quite a few years.
When he was still in Germany, one of the locals hired to help gather, clean and inspect firearms, tool exception to him sawing barrels off. Translator told Alex that the German thought he should just heat the action and screw the barrel off? Alex tried to explain that heating the action wasn't a good idea and it was quicker to just saw the barrel off, but the local just shook his head, thought Alex was an idiot.
One night we were putting a medium heavy Douglass SS barrel on an FN M98 action I had. I was on a 25-06 kick at the time and wanted something with a bit more heft than my M700ADL. Mentioned I also had a small ring Danzig M98 I'd acquired in a swap. 8x57 with splinter fore end sporter stock.
Alex brightened at the mention of the small ring action. Told me he'd built a 257 Roberts back in the 1950s on one. He wanted to build me a 257 with a slim barrel, but I never got around to it, before he passed away in the 1990s.
Just read your gun shop article on the home page. Brought back some great memories of gun shops I'd been in since I was a kid many years ago, that no longer exist..
If three or more people think you're a dimwit, chances are at least one of them is right.
