Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only The great 458 Winchester. Everyone should own one at least once

Pieter in Zambia has this African he might want to sell:

















Looks like it has been rode hard and put up wet by original owner.
Since it is of 1962-1963 shipping, it cannot be the one that belonged to Jack Lott.
But Jack did drop his on the ground in nearby Mozambique in 1959.
And Wally Johnson did pick it up and finish killing the buffalo for Jack.

Anyway, from the looks of it, it has been sandblasted with real sand to remove the rust, and then re-blued,
and then rusted some more. No jeweling remains on action parts that I can tell,
and the sandblasting has blurred the roll marks and serial number.
The stock re-finish looks to have been done more expertly, still has the original Bakelite plugs.
Sir Jerry hates plastic plugs hiding crossbolts in a stock.
He says even Lulu Roman on Hee Haw would never bake lite.

If in excellent condition it would be an $8K rifle.
It is not.
Would any of the Knights of the Square Table care to take a stab or a chop at a price with whatever swords, Bowies or hatchets they are packing ?
I cross my fingers that there is some rifling left in the bore,
and the Aimpoint is not hiding a boogering of the receiver top.

Would not have a clue. The force of the pre-64 mystic is strong in some buyers. May be a fine using rifle, if the bore is good. A good and proper bead blast, if not deep pitted, and a proper CeraKote application should bring the metal visuals up to pleasing to the eye. The wood appears solid. My biggest attraction to the rifle would be the thumb wheel African rear sight.

Hmmm, my personal wallet would say $800 ish. But, I had just as soon have a CFR Classic as a pre-64. Maybe that is rather have, since I own no pre-64's. I have never had the magnetic draw of the pre-64. Now the Browning FN long extractors I do.

Ok gents, first of all this rifle has less than 20 rounds through it. The pot metal trigger guard seem to want to flake off on its own. I will need new bottom metal (one or two piece?) and stock and sights. Any suggestions? This is a win ultimate shadow SS in 338 win mag. The whole gun will be cerakoted. I’m still trying to decide on a number four or number five contour pac nor stainless one and 14 twist 21”.
Smallfry