Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Flaig's barrels????

I have seen a couple custom guns for sale with Flaig's barrels, and was wondering if anyone had any information on them.

What was the qality of their work?

Did they build their own barrels or use a different company?

Any information would be great.

Thanks

I'm certainly no expert, but, my understanding is that they used exclusively Douglas barrels.

I own a Flaigs "ACE" 25-06 and it's very accurate. It's built on an FN Supreme action and is my go to whitetail gun.

I've seen a couple of more through the years, but, don't have any first hand knowlege of those.

Rojelio

PS: Flaig's was a gunshop in Pennsylvania.

+1
When I asked Charley Flaig what barrels he used for sporters he made, he answered that he used Douglas barrels. That was in the late 1960's

I remember seeing Flaig's advertisements from years ago. On some of their rifles and barreled actions, they did claim to use Douglas barrels.

I don't know if they used other than Douglas barrels on some of their other actions and rifles or not.

Seems like I remember they sold complete FN Mauser rifles, made in Belgium, and these might have had factory barrels on them. What factory, I don't know. Maybe FN. I think some of their barreled actions came from Belgium already barreled, also.

Flaig's was about 2mi from where I used to live. Going in there was like stepping back in time to what a good 1940s German gun shop must have looked like. Dark carved wood every where. Lots of German stuff that I wish I would have had the sense and money to buy back then. Had a lot of good stuff that would be hard to find in one place today. 98's were all over the place for a song. If they liked you they would bring out drillings and other great stuff with heavy German engraving and carving. Cool place.


Battue

Flaigs used to supply ribbed barrels of German manufacture. If memory serves they advertised them as 'Bohler Stahl' barrels. I bought several from them and they were uniformly good. Magnificent store in the evergreens on the side of the hill as I remember. Made you think of the black forrest even if you had never heard of it. Had a good catalog and I still have some wood working chisels I bought from them in the late 50's. Along with The Original Sight Exchange they were my prime suppliers in the 50's for gunsmith stuff.

I had A Flaigs 6MM Rem. built on an FN action with a Fajen roll over stock some yrs. back. I sold this rifle and have regretted it every day since. It was equipped with A Douglas bbl. and it accounted for the demise of many generations of woodchucks. If the price is OK I would not hesitate to buy another. Good luck!

I have seen a few FN Mausers with Flaig barrels in 250-3000
caliber over the years, the next one I bump into hopefully
will come home with me.

Pro-Nazi stinker. Flaig kept a bust of Adolph in his house.

In 1972, my youngest son and I went to Flaig's on a Saturday morning for a look-see at guns. Charley Flaig was just finishing breakfast, and saw us parking outside. When my son and I entered the store, Charley was there to welcome us. He asked if we would like to tour his living quarters, which were behind the store in the same building. So, I accepted, and got the cooks tour, including seeing Herman Goehring's presonal Drilling, along with a lot of other Drillings owned by high ranking Nazi's. As we toured the house, we turned a corner in the hallway and, there was the bust of Adolph Hitler. Being an Army guy, I had some STRONG thoughts about that which I won't elaborate upon here.

Don

The man may have had deep roots in the past, but as far as I know lived his life "on the hill" as good or better than most.

Many on the "fire" still wave the confederate flag and talk about southern leaders with respect. The majority of us don't criticize them for that connection.

Many here still grab those old 98s used in the war and praise their quality.

I don't think Mr. Flaigs past history or memories are to much to get excited about. We all have a past and its not always good.

Battue

Battue, you insult the Confederates by mentioning them in the same breath with Nazis.

Seems like most understood what I meant. In fact so far your the only one that didn't.


Battue

Whoa, I had no idea about that connection and Flaig.

Here in Ohio I see occasionally a flaig. Some extraordinary pieces, a sako vixen with tapered ocotogon, full rib, rear leaf, hooded front ivory, very nice.
AND the last one I saw was a converted Mauser 98 12 GAUGE! Yup, bolt gun 98 with honking pipe threaded on the front. I was torn between how hideous it was inspite of the workman ship and how cool it was. Some young guy had it. Nice piece of eastern black on it-shoulda taken a photo.
CWG

Those 12ga mausers are about the most unsafe thing you can shoot.

while going thru a 1950 American Rifleman, the Flaig's ad shows they used Ackley-Johnson barrels on their commercial and surplus actions. They only mention "Ace" gunstocks . No mention of Douglas yet. I remember the 60's ads with Douglas bbls.
Bob

That's good info on the Ackley-Johnson barrels in the 1950 timeframe. I wasn't aware of that.

We used to be neighbors battue. I was just a few miles further north, but right there in the same area.



I remember them opening old wooden drawers full of 98 (and others) actions. Yep, they just kept them in drawers.



Absolutely.

I remember spending days there with my dad as a little kid. He had one of their gunsmiths build him a beautiful M98 on the side. I had no idea of the unique situation I was experiencing as a kid. I'd sure love to be able to live it again now.....

Does anyone know if Flaig's Barrels is still in existence and/or operating under another name?

In what town was Flaig's Barrels located?