Assistance needed decoding/verifying an A-Squared Hannibal .416 serial number

[ranger2188]

Howdy from Michigan! Gentlemen I am in need of your sage help and assistance.
I have an A-Squared Hannibal chambered in .416 Rigby (that I'm hoping to sell); it has a single square bridge Mauser action and a Leupold scope. Painstakingly, I have looked everywhere in an attempt to verify its manufacture date and model. By appearance I'm fairly certain its a Deluxe, however, its serial number: W137859, I have not been able to locate. My current and "best guess" suggest it to be possibly a 1979 - 1990?
I did find .416 Rigby is stamped on the barrel and on the left side barrel, nearest to the bridge is stamped a "crown stamp" with a G.R. and two crossed flags underneath. It has a single stock of a high grade walnut, which kind I am not certain, with a checkered diamond fore stock and pistol grip.
It also has an OEM Pachmaur recoil pad. Would anyone know how I can find its date and confirm its model; I would greatly appreciate the help.
Thank you Kindly!

 

[Flipper Dude]

I’d say 1917. On both accounts

 

[Flipper Dude]

 

[Flipper Dude]

I stand to be corrected, as I’m not a rifle guru

But I’d recognize that safety and bolt and bolt release anywhere.

 

[358 Norma]

Could it be a Enfield mod 1914?

 

[BeeMaa]

@USMA84DAB may have some knowledge to add to this. If he doesn't respond, send him a DM.

 

[Flipper Dude]

With the W prefix it could be a P14. Made by Winchester. Someone would have to look at the bolt if all else is ground off receiver ring.

 

[roklok]

Not a Mauser action, definitely a M1917 or P14 action as others have said. The serial number is for the action, made over 100 years ago by Winchester. Not sure if ASquare records are available to show when ASquare built it.

 

[USMA84DAB]

I noticed a couple of things:

The fore end tip is not "normal" - most stocks received an ebony tip. Also, the shape of the tip is not what was normally produced. Or perhaps it WAS done this way at the factory, but before my limited time (9 months) there (circa 1996).

I did not see any bolt handles leave the factory tarted up as yours is, so perhaps this was done post delivery, or was done in early models and later dropped due to the increased logistics headaches of sending the bolt out for checkering?

My GUESS is that your rifle is an early production rifle - but running ammo production didn't put me into the greatest position to opine about the complete rifle production date.

Really not much help, I'm afraid, but the best I got for you.

 

[ranger2188]

Wow! Thank you all for the great information, I really appreciate it. Alrighty then let me recap this...

if I'm understanding you guys correctly, Even though it is an A-Squared produced rifle (with limited records) it may not be a Hannibal at all? Instead a Model 1917?
And though it was made, early production, in the USA from what appears to be the late 70's, it used part John Rigby design and part Winchester? And that its proof markings are British Military.
The fore end tip, being a mystery as most were ebony tipped; also the bolt handle not so factory standard, as our 'Tarted-up' bolt appears to be. Lastly, its action (signified by its 'W' serial number)
being a 100 y.o. Winchester style.

 

[roklok]

It can be both a Hannibal and a 1917/P14. Most A Square Hannibals were built using 1917/P14 receivers. A-square used these receivers to build their big bore rifles as they are reliable, plentiful, inexpensive, and very suitable for chambering BIG cartridges.

 

[ranger2188]

thank you USMA84DA8, roklok, Flipper Dude!!,,,,for helping me find the 'rabbit hole'!
y'all are geniuses! I just puller up A-Squared Model 1917 Walnut .416 Rigby and,,,BAMMM!!!
there she be! looks just like mine. Described as a custom safari rifle, based on the 1917 Enfield chasis.
Heavy walnut furniture, exact Leupold 2x scope, AND!!! modified Enfield/Winchester action!

 

[USMA84DAB]

Not a correct interpretation.

Art used m1917s for the great majority of his manufacturing. I built a left handed .495 A-Square rifle, so I had to use a Sako action. That was a Caeser model.

The right handed big bore rifles were Hannibals.

Varmint rifles were Genghis Khans.

Small bore right hand rifles were Hamilcar's.

As I also wore the S-4 hat while there, Art one day confessed concern that he was nearing the point of running out of M1917s to build on. The M1917s were donor actions to build the Hannibals.

 

[ranger2188]

Not a correct interpretation.

Art used m1917s for the great majority of his manufacturing. I built a left handed .495 A-Square rifle, so I had to use a Sako action. That was a Caeser model.

The right handed big bore rifles were Hannibals.

Varmint rifles were Genghis Khans.

Small bore right hand rifles were Hamilcar's.

As I also wore the S-4 hat while there, Art one day confessed concern that he was nearing the point of running out of M1917s to build on. The M1917s were donor actions to build the Hannibals.

interesting....are you then saying my rifle is a Hannibal, with an Enfield/Winchester action?

 

[ranger2188]

interesting....are you then saying my rifle is a Hannibal, with an Enfield/Winchester action?

Would the best assessment then be...."A-Squared Hannibal M1917 Custom .416 Rigby Big Game Rifle, with Enfield/Winchester action"?

 

[Delloro]

Would the best assessment then be...."A-Squared Hannibal M1917 Custom .416 Rigby Big Game Rifle, with Enfield/Winchester action"?

A-Square Hannibal in 416 Rigby.

 

[Delloro]

interesting....are you then saying my rifle is a Hannibal, with an Enfield/Winchester action?

FYI the the Brits designed their Pattern 14 rifle, and subbed some production to the USA. We entered WWI and our 1903 production could not keep up, so we adapted the P14 to the -06 govt cartridge, and it became the M1917.

Big strong actions.

 

[USMA84DAB]

It is an A-Square Hannibal chambered in .416 Rigby. Nothing else needs to be said.

The rifle world knows that Art built all Hannibals on M1917 actions. You don't need to say it is a "Big Game Rifle" - that is derived from the chambering. Also, "Big Game" in the US means deer or elk, bear, moose. "Big Game" in Africa could mean zebra, eland, gnu, wildebeest. Again - the cartridge indicates you can take anything on the planet.

You do not need to say "custom" as all rifle people know that all A-Square rifles were custom ordered/built.

The fact that is is a Winchester action is nearly irrelevant as it is no longer an M1917 and has no collector value. In fact, I strongly DISLIKE Winchester and would take a Remington or Eddystone because Winchester has a greedy habit of using outdated/weak/inferior parts until their supplies are exhausted when the rifle under production had a field modification/improvement put in place. This delayed the better part getting into the hands of the Soldier in the foxhole thus failing to increase the odds his rifle would perform 100% and help to get him home alive.

 

[roklok]

Great post, I agree the Winchester 1917/ P14 actions are the least desirable, Remington the most preferred. One slight correction, there were some Hannibals built on other actions, but most were built on 1917/P14 actions. There is a Hannibal listed on Gunbroker right now built on a Winchester M70 ( incorrectly listed as Rem 700 by seller).

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1139946897

 

[ranger2188]

Thank you again this is a great help!