Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Found a Neat One at My LGS

Another consignment piece that I spotted a week ago. I dropped by again today to give it better look. Fairly high condition. The action dates to 1953. No builder name unless it is hidden. Tomorrow I will take it apart to check. Clearly not the builders first rodeo. Inside the bow bottom metal, two panel checkered bolt, built up and checkered bolt release and it appears to be rust blued. I have wanted a Swede for years and finally found one that ticked the box. Zeiss Diavari-C 1.5-4.5x18 in Leupold QDs's. I have set of sculpted Talley bases that will go on it along with 1-screws QD's. Pretty well priced too. Pretty stoked. Now it's dies, brass and bullets.

Wow, that's gorgeous! A great cartridge too.

Finding a custom rifle without paying for the custom build, you did very well there!

Wow is right . What a beauty!! Congrats

Ed;
Good afternoon sir, I'm going to go out on a limb here and surmise that wonderful find has more than offset other grievous occurrences of late?

Now as you know, my Teutonic heritage both keeps my hat from blowing off in a stiff wind and affects my tastes in stock shape, but Holy Smokes sir that one checks all the boxes for me.

I do love the chambering, the figure of the lumber is wonderful and the little accent carving in front of the front sling swivel is icing on the cake.

I'd agree with your assessment that whomever did this, it wasn't the first attempt.

The checkering and the lines on the stock are very well executed in my opinion.

Absolutely wonderful arm there sir, well done on picking it up.

Thanks for sharing it with us.

Dwayne

Edit to add;

We've killed local mulie and whitetail bucks with two different 6.5x55's with a bunch of different bullets. Mostly nowadays our daughter runs 130gr TSX in her 20" barreled '96 and I've been playing with either 120gr TTSX or GMX in my 21" barreled rifle on a 98 action.

But 140's worked too, as have 129gr Hornady.

Any slower powder - say IMR or H4350, RL 19 or either H or IMR 4831 have all given acceptable results.

Excellent find Ed.

Great looking rifle Ed, I really like that stock and I am not a fan of full length stocks!

Sweet!

Beautiful rifle, congratulations.

The stockmaker will most likely be stamped somewhere like the barrel channel or under the buttplate..

Based on the styling details of the buttstock and the Checkering pattern my prediction as to the maker of the stock is one of these three men-


1) Dale Goens

2) Al Bieson

3) Maurice Ottmar

I am almost 90% sure it is a Dale Goens stock as his buttstock architecture was similar to Bieson's and he used that exact ribbon and Fluer de lis pattern quite a bit. As a matter of fact that stock is a near duplicate of a Mannlicher style stock he made out of Oregon Black walnut that was pictured in Monte Kennedys "Gunstock Carving and Checkering" book from the 1950s. That even had the same checkering pattern and the Schnabble carved mid way up the forend..

what a beautiful find, please keep us informed as you explore further...

Thanks gents. JK16 greatly appreciated. I was going to post it on AR and see what the folks say there.

JK16, I think you nailed it with Goens. The bottom metal screws on mine are given a similar checkering and the checkering appears spot on. Do you know if he typically "signed" his work?

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/dale-...lis-checkering-3-of--438538082455539188/

REALLY cool Ed...Don't let Patrick see that wood!

Congrats on a very nice rifle. That would have come home with me in a second and I have a custom Mannlicher stocked 6.5X55!!!. You will love the cartridge.

It is sweet Tom. Now if I could find some 6.5 bullets...

If it shoots half as good as it looks it'll be a 1/4'' rifle. Wow! Gorgeous!

Congratulations on a great find. It's simply stunning and I appreciate you sharing photos with us. Please keep us updated as it begins its journey with you.

Very nice-- good snag

Work of art.

Yes sir, that is a neat one. I'm a stainless, coated, synthetic stocked guy for using but I can really appreciate one put together like that. Very nice.