Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Flaig's???

hello to all! Looking for info on FLAIG'S. I bought a Mannlicher Schoenauer sight unseen, a 1903 Greek Sporter. When it came in I looked down the barrel and it was mirror bright so I looked at the barrel and it was hand-stamped "6.5X54M-S." and over that was FLAIG'S. I think that they produced rifles at one time, right? this gun is just super-nice, but can I get more info on Flaig's who they were, where they were, and how long they operated?

Thanks!

They were a gunshop in PA I believe. Others hear will chime in. They used Douglass barrels I believe.


ddj

I believe there was a thread on this topic earlier in the year, you might try a search.

Here is a link to that thread.

http://24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/2276601/Flaig_s_barrels#Post2276601


ddj

I have a 1903 Springfield 280 that he did in the early '70's for my uncle. Still shoots great.

Flagg's was just across the river form Pittsburgh in Millvale, PA.

Not the easiest place to find; there was a small sign and long winding drive up a steep hill. I used to see their ads in the AR in the 1950 and always wanted to visit. I finally got the opportunity in the late '80's on a business trip. It was not as busy as I imagined, but I almost bought a Springfield or a Mauser action - I could not make up my mind, so I stupidly passed on both.

I grew up 4 miles from Flaig's. I am told in the 80's it was quite the different place than it was in the 50's and 60's.


Charlie Flaig was a bigtime Nazi sympathizer. He had a bust of Hitler or Goering next to his shop. He had a 100 yrd. underground range that I believe is stil there but not used.

I was told that there was a stock duplicating machine in the basement of the building.

About 1965 a friend of mine told me his father was considering buying Flaig's. The cost (asking) was about $200,000. I don't think he ever made an offer.

I remember Flaigs catalogs from back in the 60's. Full color and some of the most beautiful wood imaginable. But I was a kid and the cost seemed waaay over my head.

O

Flaig is written up extensively in John Carlson, Under Cover, My Four Years in the Nazi Underground in America (Dutton, 1943). He was a complete stinker. But the FBI never picked him up so apparently he limited himself to shooting his mouth off.

That was in the building next door to the main Lodge. I had Flaig duplicte a stock for me in the 1960's, using their sporter pattern. I watched them do it. It's now installed on my 22-250. I did the stock finishing.
Charley Flaig would let me scrounge through his stock scrap barrel for good looking leftover pieces of Walnut for knife handles. He'd charge me $1.00 for all I could carry. Them were the days...

Edit to add: Flaigs was located in Millevale, PA, just north of Pittsburgh, PA.
I live about 15-20 miles north of Millevale in Mars, PA. Mars is the town that Unertl Scope Co. moved to after leaving their main location on East Street in Pgh.