Home Forums Hunting & Shooting The Lefty Forum Left Hand PO Ackley Mauser

I'm trying to decide about this one. The workmanship looks very fine, but the Ackley name stamp does not match any of the other photos I have found of his work. Typically his name is stamped in small letters on top of the barrel. But were it someone else's work, you'd think they'd stamp their own name on it.





Anyone have opinions on its authenticity?

Quick Google Search

From Bench Rest Central, seems that Mr. Ackley sometimes signed the bottom of his barrels with a vibratory marker. And provided some type of booklet or pamphlet with each rifle. Any chance you could get the current owner to pull the barreled action out of the stock ? If there was a signature on the bottom side of the barrel, that might prove provenance.
http://benchrest.com/showthread.php?67694-Help-identifying-PO-Ackley-rifle

The prologue for the book listed below indicates that Mr. Ackley may have worked for a company called Emdeko. Any chance this might be an Emdeko rifle built under Mr. Ackley's supervision ? versus built BY Mr. Ackley ?
http://gunsmithtalk.wordpress.com/2011/03/19/p-o-ackley-inc-a-devision-of-emdeko/

The only sale value I could find for a LH Ackley rifle...
https://www.proxibid.com/asp/LotDetail.asp?ahid=3693&aid=40026&lid=11733366

Interesting piece. At least from the Left hander's view point. Let us know what you find out....

i seem to remember reading somewhere that ackley had some left handed mauser actions made overseas and he imported them into the country for his use.

One of the forums that came up when I was Googling this a.m. mentioned that at one time he ordered about 140 to 150 Mauser actions from off shore, of which about 50 were LH...

Was Mr. Ackley Left handed ? Or just trying to fill market demand ?

The one pic I found of an Emdeko rifle, was stamped as such on the barrel, in small letters, next to Ackley's name.

I'm wondering if someone rebarreled an Ackley rifle, and chose to put his name on the Action, so as to not lose Ackley's hand in it.

The interesting thing for me relative to this rifle is that it appears to be a true LH action, not a conversion. Besides the bolt handle, the safety, claw extractor and ejection port are all located on the "proper" side of the action.

Can I ask, what cartridge is it chambered for ?

I am told, 7x57 AI

tnc,
Read shooter42's post again. Back in the early 70s, Ackley imported his own Mauser actions from Japan (could be wrong on the country). I've heard that about 50 to 75 each of right and left hand made it into the country. Mr. Ackley may have just sold the action to another smith that built the rifle.
I have an old Outdoor Life magazine in the attic that had a small article about these actions.
Anyway, whether Ackley actually had a hand in building the rifle or not, it is a very rare bird and I would consider it very collectable to a left hand rifle enthusiast.
What kind of dollars are they asking?
Good luck,
Steve

under $1k

Yes, they were made in Japan for Ackley. There is an article in Bolt Action Rifles by Frank de Haas. Aprox 150 were made, 50 left handed, before the Japanese company making them went bankrupt. The words "Made in Japan" are stamped on the flat under the receiver ring. It doesn't say anything about rifles being made, only actions.

After thinking about it, I also got out my copy of "Bolt Action Rifles" and it pretty much confirmed my earlier recollections. He also described the markings on the receiver wall exactly as shown in the picture above. The bolt handle also looks the same in his pictures except for the flat area on the knob. I would say there is little doubt that it is an authentic Ackley LH Mauser action. One of fifty made.
As I said before, even if P.O. Ackley didn't build the rifle, it has some collectors value and it well may be a good shooter and hunting rifle. At less than a grand, if you can see it in person, and it tickles your fancy, I don't see how you go wrong.
Good luck and more pictures if you buy it.
Steve

All good & accurate responses, Being a Lefty,I wanted one ; There was poor communication in the early Seventies and by the time word got out ,that they had arrived , they were gone or spoken for.
Harry McGowen got a good share of them ,and by the time I found this out ,Those were all gone!
The stamping on this receiver,obviously was made with individual letter stamps,or at best a Stamp Holder. Later Ackley acquired a custom made METAL STAMP with with P.O.ACKLEY w/out the Salt Lake City on it . I have had Barrels with that stamping on them. There may have been other Stamps as well.
I was told the Receivers only were imported the final machining completed at Ackley's and the bolts were Mausers modified and fitted to them.

The article in BAR also mentions the bolts. According to de Hass, "I tried to put the Ackley bolts in other M98 actions, and the bolts from these actions in the Ackley receiver, but none would interchange. The Ackley bolt body is about .705" in diameter." He also noted there were differences with the triggers, trigger guards and followers in the two rifles Ackley sent him. I don't know what that says as to their origin, but it would seem the lefty bolts would had to have been made specific to the action. Any way you look at it, it's a scarce action associated to a big name in the shooting world. If you were to buy it, you'd belong to a pretty exclusive club. If you don't want it, post the info and I'll bet it'll be spoken for in a heartbeat.

Looks real to me but it has had some work done.
I have one in 30-06

If you can get a look at the action removed from the stock - per the deHaas Bolt Action Rifle book, "the words MADE IN JAPAN are stamped on the flat area under the receiver."

The book references them as being stamped on the receiver wall -
P.O. ACKLEY
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

The bolt handle is mentioned as a close copy of a Model 70 which yours appears to be.

Something else mentioned is - "Unlike late-type FN actions, the Ackley receiver has the near-full inside collar, slotted only for the extractor."

If this is truly an Ackley since there were only 50 LH ones made it is the price is pretty much how much someone is willing to pay to own a piece of Ackley history.

drover

well, it's mine now. I will work on getting more photos

Well done, look forward to seeing the "porn"!

Good for you ! Look forward to the pictures....

minor problem is, the dealer thinks it's a 7x57 AI, but it's stamped just plain 7x57. Guess I'll just have to kill a deer with it, to figger out the difference...

patrick,

you know im a lefty.....