Stock by Don Allen heavily engraved.

http://www.hallowellco.com/Don_Allen_+%20Pete%20Grisel%20%20%20%2025-06.htm

wow, what a beauty!

Beautiful...

That piece of wood is just outstanding! The rifle isn't half bad, but who could stand to own such a thing- they didn't even clean the lint and dust out of the screw slots and the rim around the grip cap- unacceptable!

Bob

Really like the stock, but engraving on rifles leaves me quite cold. This rifle is a nice artifact as a piece of art, but I would prefer that stock on a perfectly executed, accurate barreled action. YMMV

Bet you a beer I have a better one based on that action. (The concept of "better" could hinge on how fond you are of that style and extent of engraving.) But mine unequivocally has a superior stock, both in terms of the quality of the blank and the execution.

Any takers on that bet?

I, too, prefer mine over that one.

Utah, Ed, would love to see them.

Mine is stocked by Ottmar, .270 Winchester

A few range pics.

[img]http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/12704779[/img]

[img]http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/12704779[/img]

[img]http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/12704779[/img]

Maybe I can pull off a photo session on the weekend.

I like the stock not a big fan of the engraving. I would have thought the sling swivel studs could have been done better but maybe in letting them wasn't an option at that time. I don't know what the asking price is on it but dollar for dollar I'll keep my custom 25-06. FWIW I like my 275 Rigby a lot better than this one.

Love seeing the pictures of beautiful wood and great craftsmanship. Keep 'em coming.....

Bob

A guy could accumulate a very fine collection of rifles just by collecting Grisel's DSB Mauser.

I've only ever seen five of these for sale.

Some of the finest stock makers extant contributing to some relatively lightweight rifles.

My Ottmar weigh's eight pounds scoped.

I don't need a 25 - 06 but I'm thinking hard on this one.

Wow that really goes to show you can get a ton of custom for the money if you let someone else build and take sloppy seconds... guess it’s like buying a new vs used car.

That’s an awful lot of custom rifle boner for the money!

I plan on selling mine, a light and lean 280 by Roger Green and built in 1985. I need to take photos and get it on Guns International.

It's nice to see another Grisel DSB for sale let alone one with so much engraving. Don's wood to metal fit is always among the best in the world. It may not have everything I want, but sure is an eye catcher. I just knew as soon as I spent my budget for the year, another Gris would show up. Oh well. At this price it won't hurt too much.

Very Nice!!

Don Allen flew for Northwest Airlines for a living. He owned a company called "Don Allen" that built custom rifles and employed several very talented smiths in Northfield, MN. Don also did custom gun work as well.

The listing says Don Allen.

What could that mean?

If you buy an old Ford does that mean Henry Ford built it?

possibly...
possibly not...

I'm not dissing Don here. Just adding some context. I would assume most of the rifles that came out of the Don Allen shop in Northfield were not built by Don. Yet, they are still Don Allen rifles.

I spent some time visiting Don Allen's shop in Northfield every once in awhile. It was a great place to go and look at sticks of walnut that I could not afford.
One very talented metalsmith that worked for Don was Mark Lee. I suspect that most anything metal that went through that shop was in some way smithed by Mr. Lee.
Another thing they did there was build some of the stock duplicators that were marketed by Don Allen.
In all of the times that I went there I think I saw Don maybe once or twice. Most of the time if you went there you had to deal with Norma, Don's wife.

Worth a re-hash, after several more looks at that Grisel at Hallowell's, I don't think the price is off the mark as much as some other offerings like their Jack Haugh 22 bolt Winchester. That one looks like a $3200 rifle to me maybe $3,500-ish.
About the engraving on the Grisel, I appreciate that the depth is the same all around. Nothing is more of a turn off than engraving that has various depths of the work. I think it is a $7,500 gun and even worth $7,995. if it {especially the grip cap} was cleaned up properly. Anyone agree?

I think some of what your paying for are the names, Allen and Grisel. I don't think it's worth what there asking for it and my experiences with them is that they aren't much for adjusting their prices. In a full custom I'd like to see an Ebony for end tip and island sling swivel studs and a fancier checkering pattern. I posted pics of a custom 275 Rigby that the floor plate, trigger guard and grip cap were engraved a nice piece of English Walnut but no skeleton but treatment. I have about $5K in that rifle so IMHO it's a big swing to their asking price of $8700. Custom guns are hard to judge because they are custom guns for someone else not the new buyer. To me it's $7K max.

It could be that the rifle is on consignment and the owner has set a minimum dollar amount he wants.

Combine that with Hallowell's commission will bring you up to that $8,700 price tag.

That could be. If so then the seller needs to figure in the commission into his pricing margin. I just don't think the rifle is worth $8700 if the commission rate is 20% (which is high in my opinion) then the actual value of the rifle is placed at $6960.

True, however it's probably human nature to tend to overvalue the rifles we own and undervalue rifles we want to purchase.

Grisel DSB's are top quality and function smooth as buttah. Well, if you don't care for the engraving, then it's hard to see nearly $9K for it. I like the engraving but the caliber has become more and more of a turnoff. I'm dropping another $1,000. to $6500 to $7,000.{quote=GSPfan]I think some of what your paying for are the names, Allen and Grisel. I don't think it's worth what there asking for it and my experiences with them is that they aren't much for adjusting their prices. In a full custom I'd like to see an Ebony for end tip and island sling swivel studs and a fancier checkering pattern. To me it's $7K max.[/quote]

Did you guys see the added text below the pictures of the Grisel?

Did not, interesting read.

A little background info but it doesn't do anything for the rifle value wise. I like the caliber and have a custom built on a 1909 Argentine Mauser action. I'd still give $6K for it.

At $6K, I'd have t buy it. Screw the budget that already been spent.

I always thought the budget was a myth kinda like Santa and the Easter Bunny
You'd have to beat me to it for the $6K

I expect there would be quite a line of buyers at 6.

As long as I was first buyer that would be ok with me The chances of that happening are slim to none however.