Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Herters rifle- deluxe sporter

A local store has a Herters/BSA sporter that looks like this in 6mm Rem.

http://archives.collectorsfirearms....ry=1140&category=&product=r11864

Can anyone give me more info or history on the rifle? I liked the retro look and the roll over cheek piece. The rifle is in great shape. I think they want $599.00 for it. High polish blue and nice grain.

Were these generally accurate rifles? Is the twist the same as a later Rem 6mm as opposed to a .244?

A cheap price for something that was probably the worlds finest rifle and preferred over all others by professional guides, noted experts, explorers and others the world over.

Seriously, I've no idea what it's worth, but I'd cough up six bills in a heartbeat for it.

Pretty sure the rifle is what Herters listed as a U9. I have a Herters J9 in 6mm Rem that's built on an intermediate length Zastava action, nice rifle.

Other than the head stamp, the 244 Rem and 6mm Rem are identical. Rifles chambered in 244 Rem were twisted 1:12 while the 6mm Rem is twisted 1:9

Couple of pics from an old Herter's Catalog I have. Some more info about that rifle for you.

Thank you. 257Deland, how accurate is your Herters J9 in 6mm?

My father gave it too me and I've not shot it enough to give you any good info. I ran a box of factory Remington stuff through it years ago just to shoot it; safe queen.

Got a Herter's Mauser .270 barreled action back in the '60's, fitted it in a stock, glassed and free floated. Shot pretty well. My brother has it now.

Never handled the BSA version. Probably an OK gun.

DF

Probably a Fajen stock!

The BSA Monarch, whose action (or action design) was used in that Herter's U9, was a very nice rifle.

I've never handled the Herter's version, but FWIW Frank de Haas had a section on them in his Bolt Action Rifles (at least in the editions I have), commenting that they were made from about 1965-6 to about the late 70s. He also comments that the Herter's version's action was not nearly so well finished as the original BSA version, though likely made in the same factory.

Actually it was a Royal Arms Myrtle Montecarlo and I added Weatherby style wood inlays of vermillion, walnut and rosewood.

Remember, this was the 60's...

http://www.royalarmsgunstocks.com/home

DF

I owned a BSA Monarch which is the same action as the Herter's U9 for about 35 years. It was a lightweight sporter and was dead nuts accurate for the first three or four rounds. After that the lightweight barrel heated up and shifted or maybe it was the beding or whatever. Don't make no never mind. For the first three rounds it was dead nuts on and how often do you need more than three rounds. I finally gave it away as a wedding gift to the older son of a good friend of mine.

It's a Herters U9. The action is a BSA Monarch action and the Barrel is a Douglas chrome-moly.

I have three of them, one in .243, one in 30-06 and one in .300 WM. All are very accurate. The triggers are only adjustable for pull weight only and all three are a little creepy. There are no after market triggers I know of for them, but if there were I'd buy three for my rifles in a heartbeat. To me, the stocks like on the linked rifle are plug ugly. The white line "lightning bolt" spacers just make it worse. There are BSA and a few Herters stocks still available, I just bought a birds eye maple stock for my 243. The stock pictured in the link is a Herters stock designed and built by Herters.

I didn't pay over $350 for any of them if I remember right. I don't think I'd pay $500 for the .244 or 6mm Rem. Perhaps for one with one of the better stocks Herters offered the rifle with if it had some nice figure, or was in a nice curly maple..

I bought two U9s new in the mid-70s, a .22-250 and .25-06. Seems they shot reasonably well, but I ended up trading or selling both. Quality and workmanship was probably as good as most other factory rifles at the time.

I bought one of those a few years ago and believe they only go for $350 to $450, unless it has a scope that is actually worth something. You should be able to find out on gunbroker.

Edit. Here is one that sold in the upper prices of the ones that actually sold. It has a burris scope on it.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=520858384

I had one in 25-06 that was a tack driver. was stolen from my car, I would love to still have it.

I have one in 223 that is the most consistent and accurate of any rifle I have used including a Cooper. Both shoot well but I dislike the stiff bolt lift on the Copper. I have in excess of 14000 rounds threw the Herters and it still will shoot a .75 at 100. The barrel does need to be replaced.

I also had the same rifle in 22-250. It was one of the poorer shooting guns I have had.

Thanks for all the info guys.

Common old rifle in New Zealand. This Herters rifle is a rebranded BSA Monarchs, as already mentioned.

The earlier version was more popular, which essentially is the same action on a more graceful classic style stock.

The BSA Monarch's are good dependable rifles, English equivalent of a Winchester Model 70 of the day. BSA made good barrels. The stocks are very 1970ish, with a more robust stock, with the monte carlo and the rosewood foreend. They are heavier because of this, It will come in around 9 lbs maybe slightlyl less with a scope on it.

The BSAs were good, but unremarkable rifles, typical of the era when manufacturers were switching from CRF actions (mainly Mausers) to easier to manufacture push-feeds. I recall seeing a lot of ads for the Monarchs, but I don't think I ever saw one in a store, and in those days I lived near DC and hit the gunshops pretty often (and there were a number of good ones). I think O'Connor mentioned them while discussing the general lightening up of sporters, and may have commented on the square-bridge feature.

The U9, along with the .401 Powermag revolvers are good examples of the amazing variety of stuff Herter's sold in their heyday. They tried very hard to be the end-all, be-all outdoor supplier and did pretty well at it. Now the name is used by Cabelas on a variety of in-house products, probably to stir the juices of old geezers that remember Herter's glory days. They acquired the Herter's name when they bought what was left of the business.

Yep. Back in the 70's my hunting buddy had a Herters brand 4 wheel compound bow (for those old enough to remember 4 wheel compounds). I remember gander mountain being the mail order catalog over cabelas, but that did not last long.

Cabellas in Garner NC has one on the rack in 6mm Rem.