She's a Big O' Gal, with Good Bones

[Mekaniks]

I recently acquired a full custom Al Biesen in .458WM

It's on a Mauser FN acton with a Biesen two digit Ser#.

Fully jeweled bolt

22" ported bull barrel with integrated barrel band

French walnut stock with an Ivory grip cap and cross grip checking

Steel trap door butt plate

Leupold !.5-5 Vari-Xiii.

And a Lawrence leather sling.

The bore looks pristine as does the bolt face. It does not appear to have been shot much at all.

I took it to the range today with some HSM 500g round soft points

Shot it off the bench at 50 yards and I am pretty happy so far....

I was thinking about changing out the scope, but I think I am going to leave it for now....

I did some research and believe that Biesen built this rifle in the early 60's, but actual records are scarce......

I am going to break it in at @gizmo 's this fall and put the smack on a pig or two,...THEN

If everything keeps working as it should, we are off to @Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS next spring for Buff!!

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Will the ivory grip cause problems at customs?

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

The steel butt plate would get your attention with a 458, how do you find the magaporting
Gumpy

 

[Mekaniks]

The steel butt plate would get your attention with a 458, how do you find the magaporting
Gumpy

It does get your attention, but it is manageable.
I was shooting off my Caldwell sand bag and it was all good. But, it didn't take long for the guy about six benches away to come down and ask what it was

 

[Mekaniks]

Will the ivory grip cause problems at customs?

I guess we will find out when I go get a 4457 for it....

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Do you have to show up to get a 4457? I'm in Canada and we can do our import/export paperwork online.

 

[Mekaniks]

Do you have to show up to get a 4457? I'm in Canada and we can do our import/export paperwork online.

Yes, in the US we physically take the rifle to the customs office.

 

[Andrew62]

The title of your post had me thinking maybe you were talking about my girlfriend! roflmao

 

[Bullthrower338]

The title of your post had me thinking maybe you were talking about my girlfriend! roflmao

I got to have my guns and Wimin that way or I break um!

 

[gizmo]

She’s a beaut Chuck!

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

Look like a good one chuck
Hope we try it out soon!

 

[Badboymelvin]

That is a beautiful rifle in an awesome cartridge.
You should be proud mate, I would.

Russ

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I guess we will find out when I go get a 4457 for it....

The regs are available on line. As I read them, your grip cap would classify as "carved ivory" (vs raw ivory). As such it is not crossing out of or into US unless it's a +100 year-old family heirloom antique and/or for scientific/museum purposes. And even those exceptions require a ton of paperwork. Since this is CITES international restrictions, even if you somehow could get the gun onto a plane at the departure end, it could easily get confiscated by other authorities anywhere along the way who have different interpretation. Would they peel off the grip cap or confiscate the whole gun? I would be very cautious about taking anything across borders that looks remotely like it could be "carved ivory," especially if the objective of travel is hunting (e.g. white plastic inlay in rifle stock). It would be asking for trouble.

 

[Riflecrank]

Fantastic !
Al Biesen, "most famous gunmaker in the world" according to readers of Jack O'Connor's writing for OUTDOOR LIFE circa 1947 and onward.
O'Connor first paid Al for a build in 1938, a .30-06 on a Mauser action.
He was the best with wood and metal and later his daughter Paula did exquisite engraving. See latest SAFARI magazine article by Wayne van Zwoll,
"Firearm Engraving: A Biesen Legacy -- Paula Biesen's artistry is unmatched." (May-June 2026)

Obviously before Paula started engraving for the Biesen Family, notice the abbreviation for Spokane, WA was "Spokane, WN."
Early 1960s sounds good to me, before the USPS figured out standardized state abbreviations and zip codes:

Greatest safari chambering ever. No nonsense rifle that functions perfectly, perfected by Al Biesen, what he was world famous for.
Priceless I'd say.

Ivory grip cap is a little drop of pee-pee in the corn flakes for customs.
Hopefully a steel grip cap switcheroo, reversible back to original, is easy.

 

[Riflecrank]

1963 for standardized state abbreviations and zip codes.
Might be a "Pre-'64 Al Biesen."

 

[Mekaniks]

Fantastic !
Al Biesen, "most famous gunmaker in the world" according to readers of Jack O'Connor's writing for OUTDOOR LIFE circa 1947 and onward.
O'Connor first paid Al for a build in 1938, a .30-06 on a Mauser action.
He was the best with wood and metal and later his daughter Paula did exquisite engraving. See latest SAFARI magazine article by Wayne van Zwoll,
"Firearm Engraving: A Biesen Legacy -- Paula Biesen's artistry is unmatched." (May-June 2026)

Obviously before Paula started engraving for the Biesen Family, notice the abbreviation for Spokane, WA was "Spokane, WN."
Early 1960s sounds good to me, before the USPS figured out standardized state abbreviations and zip codes:
View attachment 765327

Greatest safari chambering ever. No nonsense rifle that functions perfectly, perfected by Al Biesen, what he was world famous for.
Priceless I'd say.

Ivory grip cap is a little drop of pee-pee in the corn flakes for customs.
Hopefully a steel grip cap switcheroo, reversible back to original, is easy.

Thank You.
Yes we figure that Al built this at about the same time he built one for OConner. This is very similar to that one, with the main difference being that O Conners action was marked INTERAMRS with a manufacture serial number. This action is unmarked with a Biesen stamped serial#. Also this one has barrel porting and O Conners did not.
The grip cap was likely a special request by the consignee, and yes, a steel grip cap should be an easy work around any customs issues.....

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I recently acquired a full custom Al Biesen in .458WM

It's on a Mauser FN acton with a Biesen two digit Ser#.

Fully jeweled bolt

22" ported bull barrel with integrated barrel band

French walnut stock with an Ivory grip cap and cross grip checking

Steel trap door butt plate

Leupold !.5-5 Vari-Xiii.

And a Lawrence leather sling.

The bore looks pristine as does the bolt face. It does not appear to have been shot much at all.

I took it to the range today with some HSM 500g round soft points

Shot it off the bench at 50 yards and I am pretty happy so far....

I was thinking about changing out the scope, but I think I am going to leave it for now....

I did some research and believe that Biesen built this rifle in the early 60's, but actual records are scarce......

I am going to break it in at @gizmo 's this fall and put the smack on a pig or two,...THEN

If everything keeps working as it should, we are off to @Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS next spring for Buff!!

View attachment 765136
View attachment 765137
View attachment 765138
View attachment 765139

@Mekaniks
Beautiful rifle mate BUT that integrated muzzle brake is going to make it a tad noisy.
For pig those 405 gn flat nose at 2,500fps do a job in pigs that leaves nothing to be desired. You won't have any trouble finding a bloody trail if'n y'all need to track it. It leave bloody big holes in things it hits, even big pigs.
Bob