Best Grade Custom 30-06 For Sale - Prolifically Engraved

[rookhawk]

Well Friends, I'm offering up a really stunning rifle that I originally purchased for my youngest son who is nine. In the intervening year I found him a better "forever gun" in 30-06 with a shorter length of pull that he'll be able to enjoy right away rather than waiting to grow into this one. Hence, this rifle is offered up for sale.

It's a custom from the mid-century built on a Springfield 1903 action. Mechanically, it was clearly buit by a very competent smith with a crisp, light trigger and a silky smooth bolt. It has a custom safety that is very well designed on the bolt cocking piece. The bolt and extractor or finely jeweled. The stock looks like well figured American black walnut and the stock is roughly 14-7/8" (would be 14-1/8" if you replaced the pad with a horn or steel butt plate) The stock is checkered with nicely executed borders and fleur-de-lis on the grip. The stock has a nicely executed cheek piece.

The engraving includes full coverage scroll along 60% of the length of the barrel, plus the bolt handle. The bottom metal has gold inlays featuring an elk on the floor plate and a pronghorn on the trigger guard, surrounded by 100% coverage scroll engraving.

The scope and mounts are a Bausch & Lomb Balfor with good clarity and eye relief, fine plex reticle, and completely field worthy.

Overall condition is excellent with no carry wear or fading, but a few dings from many years in a safe. It includes a supple m1903 style sling and nice rotating swivels. No wear on the engraving whatsoever. The Scope and Rings were added to the rifle in the 1960s and are in good condition but show more dings and some finish fading than the rifle that I believe was made in the late 1940s to late 1950s.

$2850 delivered via FedEx Ground in the lower 48 States to your FFL.

Basically, pay 1/3rd to 1/2 what the engraving and gold would cost, get the rifle for free! Why buy something plastic and depreciating at cabelas when you can own an affordable masterpiece for roughly the same money?

P.S. - I cannot identify the maker of this rifle, I'd be delighted to know his name if anyone here recognized his work as it may add significantly to the value.

 

[wildcatter82]

This is a really cool rifle. Just thinking here....if the scope and rings were added a decade or 2 after the rifle was made, what do you think the sight configuration was before this?

 

[Red Leg]

This is a really cool rifle. Just thinking here....if the scope and rings were added a decade or 2 after the rifle was made, what do you think the sight configuration was before this?

No open sights. It was built to be used with that scope. That B&L mount was made for a fairly short period which would help nail down the date the rifle was built. It has a bit of the Roy Weatherby look which also dates it to the same post-war period. I don't have any research material on the mount, but I would guess the package was completed between '48 and '58? A very, very nice rifle I would add.

 

[rookhawk]

No open sights. It was built to be used with that scope. That B&L mount was made for a fairly short period which would help nail down the date the rifle was built. It has a bit of the Roy Weatherby look which also dates it to the same post-war period. I don't have any research material on the mount, but I would guess the package was completed between '48 and '58? A very, very nice rifle I would add.

I completely agree with @Red Leg date of manufacture of the rifle of 1948-1958. The scope was made briefly around 1962 and judging from the scope and rings having more wear than the rifle, it was added onto the gun as a second hand item in my opinion.

I would imagine one of a few things occurred with the rifle when new:

a.) it had no optics mounted whatsoever and languished in a safe for a few years until mounting. (not that unusual, my son's rifle that displaced this one was made in 1951 and I put the scope mounts on it for the first time this year...unfired, no iron sights)

b.) it originally had a 2x scope such as a lyman or el paso 2x weaver and was replaced with the new whiz-bang technology of the Bausch & Lomb that had the amazing-high-definition-4x sometime in the mid to late 1960s.

c.) the mount is original and had the 1.5x or 2x Bausch & Lomb originally and while the mount stayed and is pristine, the scope and rings were swapped at a later date.

 

[rookhawk]

No bites, so I’ll drop the price to $2650.

 

[C.W. Richter]

No open sights. It was built to be used with that scope. That B&L mount was made for a fairly short period which would help nail down the date the rifle was built. It has a bit of the Roy Weatherby look which also dates it to the same post-war period. I don't have any research material on the mount, but I would guess the package was completed between '48 and '58? A very, very nice rifle I would add.

Agreed fully! The stock looks like something Paul Jaeger would do at the same time (only the trademark shadow line is missing.) What else has your 9 y/o for sale???

 

[rookhawk]

Agreed fully! The stock looks like something Paul Jaeger would do at the same time (only the trademark shadow line is missing.) What else has your 9 y/o for sale???

That's it for the 9 y/o. Every kid needs a few things in their life to develop into functional, self-reliant adults. 1.) A side by side shotgun in 12 or 20 bore. 2.) A stalking rifle for large game. 3.) A quality rimfire 22. 4.) A decent pair of binoculars you keep with you whenever you're outdoors. 5.) A sharp knife that you can keep sharp.

The 9 y/o got this rifle but we then found a Marholdt Peterlongo 30-06 with a shorter stock, prolifically engraved, never fired, so that is his forever rifle. (forever rifle = not viewed as a turd when you're 80 years old) Hence, this rifle is up for sale. His shotgun is a modest Victor Sarasqueta 20 bore sidelock ejector we found for him.

The 11 y/o is a bit more of a fanatic. He shoots an E.J Churchill XXV 12 bore, a 7x64 brenneke custom mauser stalking rifle, a 7x65r double rifle, and a dakota 375HH for dangerous game. Plus he shoots his bow for north american big game.

In all these cases, the boys paid me back for their initial purchases and my only involvement thereafter was giving short term bridge loans between what they were selling and what they bought as an upgrade. I'm proud to say they've never bought a piece of junk and as their expectations of quality went up they were able to create a plan to replace A for B wisely.

Kids that hunt and fish don't mug little old ladies. Keep them excited about the outdoors and everything solves itself.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

I bought one of his boy’s 270. I must say the boy has good taste.
Buy with confidence.

 

[rookhawk]

I bought one of his boy’s 270. I must say the boy has good taste.
Buy with confidence.

Other boy, but yeah they have good taste. Middle kid had to upgrade his weaponry to a 375HH. Brained a croc with it back in March. Sad to see that other gun go, but he needed something with more oomph.

 

[rookhawk]

I'll drop the price to $2600 and move it back to the top. There has to be someone getting ready to drive to a local gun store to buy a plastic junk gun as we speak? Turn the car around and buy something of lasting quality. $2600 wouldn't cover the price of the gold inlays, much less the engraving overall on this rifle today.

 

[sestoppelman]

Beautiful rifle. Any idea the maker or vintage of the receiver?

 

[rookhawk]

Beautiful rifle. Any idea the maker or vintage of the receiver?

Circa 1924 made receiver. 22.5” Barrel. Drop at comb 1-1/2”. Drop at heel 2-1/2”. Length of pull 14-1/2”. Weighs about 8-3/4 lbs.

No idea of the maker. If I could figure out the maker, the price would increase by at least a grand.

 

[sestoppelman]

Circa 1924 made receiver. 22.5” Barrel. Drop at comb 1-1/2”. Drop at heel 2-1/2”. Length of pull 14-1/2”. Weighs about 8-3/4 lbs.

No idea of the maker. If I could figure out the maker, the price would increase by at least a grand.

If you dont know who made the receiver how do you tell its vintage? I meant was the receiver a Springfield, Rock Island or what?

 

[rookhawk]

If you dont know who made the receiver how do you tell its vintage? I meant was the receiver a Springfield, Rock Island or what?

Springfield because only Springfield had the serial number of the weapon and it was made roughly in 1924.

You’re misunderstanding the value point of the gun. The receiver is a 1903 made by Springfield, a totally irrelevant fact that has no variation on value. The custom master that built the rifle is unknown and if he was known, the value of the gun would significantly increase. (E.g. Sedgley, Hoffman, Schollhammer, Griffin, etc, etc)

 

[sestoppelman]

So must be in the 1.2 million range, thats good. At least its a high number '03.

 

[rookhawk]

So must be in the 1.2 million range, thats good. At least its a high number '03.

Indeed.