Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Eleanor O'Connor's 7x57

Anyone know what kind of, or better yet have a picture of, Eleanor O'Connor's 7x57? thanks, capt david

I think it was a VZ-24 built by Tom Burgess. I have one of JOC's books with a picture of it but don't know where the book is right now.

That's part of the story; Burgess did the metal work, Russell Leonard made the stock. According to O'Connor's biographer, Robert Anderson, Jack had the gun built for himself in 1951. Eleanor tried it, liked it, kept it, shot all manner of game with it for the rest of her life. It wears a 3x scope.

Call the Jack O'Connor Hunting Heritage and Education Center in Lewiston. It is sitting right there. I took a close look at it when we were there in August. It is a fine rifle indeed.

forepaw

Gun Digest 1974 page 50

Here's a photo of Eleanor's 7x57, plus one of both her rifles, teh 7x57 and her"big gun" the Brownell 30-06.

Enjoy.

TT

Was it a 24? I thought it was a vz-33

Nice pictures of rifles that we've all heard about and read in articles by Jack O. Nice to see them in color and to think of the times and places they've been.

Thanks Mouse

Beautiful works of art, those. Thanks for posting, Tom.

That Brownell is a honey.too...IIRC that rifle killed lion,tiger,and elephant....but the little 7x57 gets most of the attention and is best remembered......I'd like either one!

Thanks for posting the pics Mr Turpin. Fantastic to see both of those rifles!

Here's what O'Connor wrote about it in a caption to a photo of it in The Big-Game Rifle published in 1952, shortly after he acquired it:

"Bradford O'Connor shooting a fine, lightweight mountain rifle owned by the author. It is a 7x57 built on a Czech VZ-24 action. Floor plate has been hinged with release button in the trigger guard, bolt handle altered, Sukalle safety installed. Scope is Weaver K-4 [later replaced by a Leupold 3x] on Buehler mount. Barrel and metal work was done by Tom Burgess, Spokane, Russ Leonard of Spokane built the light, handsome stock. Complete rifle weighs 8 lbs on the nose and is a joy to carry and to shoot."

thanks

I've got an article somewhere about O'Connor having one built on a 33. Will paw around.

In the Gun Digest 1974 article on the 7x57 by JOC he had a picture of the same rifle but said it was built on a VZ33. I think he may just have mis-stated it. I put more credence in the Rifle Book caption since he had just acquired it then and wasn't relying on memory from 20+ years later.

Icould quite easily come to lust after both of those rifles. [drool]

Now those rigs have some panache...!

Dober

Thanks, capt david