Rick Bin has graciously allowed me to post this raffle on this site. All the funds from the raffle are going to Monika Ottmar, the widow of a custom gun maker who died about 4 � years ago. The custom gun maker was Maurice Ottmar. You may or may not have known him but he was one of the best. He was also one of the finest people I have ever had the privilege to know.
The Ottmar Rifle was started over 5 years ago when I was helping Maurice with the sale of his shop. He had suffered a lower brain stem stroke and had valiantly tried to continue to work. His declining health finally brought about the end of his career. At one point in time during the process of selling items, he handed me what was his last project and asked me to sell it as is. It was a Peruvian Mauser 98 chambered in 6mm Remington and partially inletted into an incredible blank of Turkish walnut. He wanted $1200 for it. The stock blank itself was worth that and more. After taking it home, I got to thinking and called him to see if he would allow me to finish the gun so he would get more money for it. He graciously agreed. After the word got out, a number of his gunmaker friends requested and even insisted that they be allowed to help with the project.
Initially Ray Price was going to do the checkering on the stock but unfortunately Ray passed away to cancer before the time came for him to do the work. I remember the day when he told me apologetically that he would not be able to due it due to his health. Ray had been a very close friend of Maurice and I do remember the day I told him about the rifle. He just looked at me and said, �I am checkering it�
The rifle is built on a Peruvian Mauser 98 and Maurice reshaped the front ring to resemble a bridge. He installed the barrel and chambered it in 6mm Remington.
The rifle is now complete and the list of people that contributed is as follows. I finished the inletting, shaping and applied the finish on the stock and it was checkered by Gary Goudy, who stepped in for Ray and checkered the gun. I fit a leather covered pad to the stock.
Mark Stratton built a set of custom scope bases for the Talley scope rings that were donated by Gary Turner of Talley Manufacturing. The Leupold Vari X-III 1 3/4 to 6 scope was donated by Leupold and Stevens.
The three position safety was donated by Jim Wisner, Precise Metalsmithing Enterprising. The safety was fit to the rifle by Jim Dubell, of Colville, WA, who also built a lever release and hinged the floor plate of the original military bottom metal. The bow of the bottom metal had been given a wonderful shape by the hands of Maurice.
Ted Blackburn donated a trigger for the rifle and had wanted to donate bottom metal but we wanted to keep as much of Maurice work in place on the final product.
Roger Kehr did the engraving on the rifle. That was so very fitting as he and Maurice were great friends and had collaborated on a number of wonderful rifles over the years. I rust blued the rifle with Gun Goddess that I acquired from Maurice.
The rifle will be raffled off using a system that takes the number from the stock market closing. We will limit the ticket sales to 400. The first day of the "drawing" will determine with set of 100 tickets, 0 to 99, 100 to 199, 200 to 299 and 300 to 399. The second day will determine the tens place on the ticket and the last day will determine the ones digit.
The price of the tickets will be $25 or a single ticket or 5 for $100. Please send a check or money order made out to Monika Ottmar and send it in care of Chic Worthing at 3020 Conarty Road, Malaga WA 98828.
Monika is Maurice's widow and all the proceeds will be going to her.
Anyone is allowed to submit for tickets. If you are from out of the United States, I will work with you to export the rifle but any additional expense for the exportation and duty will be paid by the winner of the rifle.
I can accept paypal if you wish to go that way but you will be charged the fee for the transaction
Ticket sales began before I posted the rifle on this site and the thread to follow will show those sales already received. The ticket sales will end on February 15th and the raffle will proceed shortly after that. The goal of 400 tickets may not be reached by that time and if so then the total number of tickets sold will be disbursed so that evenly between the range of 100�s so there is an even chance for each 100 set. We may have to draw the last number more than once to get a winner but I am hoping to be able to end the raffle with either 300 or 400 tickets and then that will not be an issue.
Now for some eye candy of the rifle.
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