Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters E O'Connor's 7x57 - On Gunbroker?

What do you think?

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/814137783

Did someone rob the museum?

Rev, you signed up to bid?

Looks like your kinda rifle, even has some history.

DF

Noooo....not me.

I just find it hard to believe that one of your rifles is sitting on Gunbroker.

I knew that rifle was in the museum. I wasn't aware that Biesen built (another) one for her.

Ron's is a reputable dealer that frequently advertises high grade and unusual/uncommon firearms, so they probably have the provenance documentation to support their claim.

I have always been under the impression that Eleanor O'Connor was on the short side and that rifle looks to have a pretty standard LOP.

When you're paying a premium price for the story attached to an item it has long been my rule of thumb that you need provenance, provenance, and more provenance. Without provenance a great story, no matter how true, is just another story about the big one that got away.

I've bought a couple of firearms from Ron's, all unusual and premium priced, but I've never seen any of them for sale elsewhere.

And it certainly doesn't look like a stock that JOC had a hand in, but who knows. As you say, in this case the provenance is critical.

Pics show a 33/40 action with a winchester style safety, doesn't look right to me. Nice enough rifle, but not that nice!

The closer you get to Wyoming, the more guns you will find that belonged to Tom Horn. This is the nature of anything of value. Until you have ironclad proof, that is just another gun with a story and nothing more...

May very well be as advertised, but I’ve never seen a stock on one of JOC’s guns with that type of comb or forend.

I’d have to be convinced of the provenance. Lots of questions that don’t quite build confidence. Like LOP, her gun had a recoil pad, etc. She may have owned it but wouldn’t think it was one she used, based on the above info.

Still a nice rifle.

DF

In THE LAST BOOK (or at least that's where I recall the story is from) Jack O'Connor mentioned receiving a gift rifle, out of the blue, from a well-known custom gunmaker. I also recall it was was 7x57, but both he and Eleanor agreed it was too heavy for either of them to like hunting with it, so they sold it.

Dunno is this is that rifle (might have to try to find that part of the book again) but do know, and not just from that story, that gun writers sometimes receive gift rifles that they would never order, whether in style, weight or other details.

The GB ad says "Please call the shop for more infor, ask for Ron."

Contact Information, Ron's Guns Inc. 194 Boston Post Rd. East Lyme, Ct. 06333, 860-739-6805.

If it is a Biesen it would be so marked on the barrel.

One would think Ron would therefore be able to spell Al's surname correctly.

Yeah, if it's on the barrel, he should be able to read and copy the correct spelling...

DF

nyrifleman,

I have seen a BUNCH of ads in various places (including the Campfire Classifieds) where the item was misspelled, even though whoever wrote the ad could theoretically just read it off the product.

No doubt John.

But if I were selling a $7500 rifle attributed to both Bieson and O'Conner I would be sure to dot my T's and cross my I's.

I think I read something about this in an old thread that Tom Turpin (I think) contributed to. It might have been a thread about JOC and the .280.

The .280 was a Ruger 77, the last rifle he had commissioned before his death.

Seems I remember an unfinished Ruger rifle when JOC passed away.

Don't you guys think this rifle would be worth about half the starting bid without the provenance?

Nice rifle, but $7500 starting bid in a relatively soft market.

We'll see how it goes.

DF