Anybody Recognize this Custom and Whom the Maker Might Be?

01 April 2020, 02:47

cdsx

I'm afraid I'm no help to you, but what a handsome, clean-looking rifle - my compliments! Nice to see someone understood the beauty of restraint, and didn't go all crazy with the frou-frou gingerbread all over it. Love to have something like that myself.

One question: What does it have for a rear sight? That hooded front is no trivial afterthought, so I'm assuming it was intended to be paired with some sort of classic aperture?

01 April 2020, 03:29

marley7x57

There was no rear peep sight setup when I obtained it. Have not really looked for one but may have to as scope was mounted on it today and ammo to be loaded this week. Rear peep would be the final touch as my thought was as yours - surely there was a rear sight for it when built.

01 April 2020, 21:20

cdsx

There's not much of a top tang for the traditional vernier aperture, unless you just want to mount it to the wood. A nice no-drill option might be a low-profile ghost ring extended back from the rear scope mount.

01 April 2020, 21:41

bluefish

I don't understand the double sling swivel.

02 April 2020, 03:53

Bill Leeper

If one wants to use a shooting sling, he wants the stock-mounted swivel. Many like to have a barrel-band s
wivel so the rifle carries lower when slung. This may be to offer both options. Very Nice. Regards, Bill

02 April 2020, 06:01

cdsx

Barrel-mounted rings are traditional on hard-kicking express rifles because the recoil can drive a stock-mounted swivel back into the shooter's hand. That, and they really look the part, let's face it. They're not conducive to accuracy, I suspect, which is probably why they're not used on precision rifles. I was so mesmerized by the look of this rifle I completely missed the two swivel rings. I'd make a rotten detective.

02 April 2020, 10:02

RogerAlan

Why don’t you call them and ask? Your second photo says Miller Arms St Onge, SD. Their number is listed as 605-642-5160

I have seen two or three falling block actioned rifles stamped with that name on the auction sites over the past few years. Looks like a very nicely finished rifle.

03 April 2020, 02:19

marley7x57

I wish it was that easy!

Miller Arms built the action but they did not build the rifle. At least I have never seen one of their builds looking like this one. Their builds were also signed on the barrel. Thanks for phone number but it was disconnected years ago.

quote:
Originally posted by RogerAlan:
Why don’t you call them and ask? Your second photo says Miller Arms St Onge, SD. Their number is listed as 605-642-5160

I have seen two or three falling block actioned rifles stamped with that name on the auction sites over the past few years. Looks like a very nicely finished rifle.

03 April 2020, 06:38

Craftsman

Frank De Has designed the action and had the Miller company build it. De Has specialized in single shot rifles and actions. He wrote several books on the subject, one of them has this action and the story of developing it. I have all of his books. They are very informative.

I don't know who built this rifle .

03 April 2020, 08:55

gunmaker

quote:
Originally posted by Craftsman:
Frank De Has designed the action and had the Miller company build it.

You sure about that?

03 April 2020, 21:15

impala#03

Miller Arms was at one time part of Dakota Arms a few years back.

03 April 2020, 22:06

cdsx

quote:
Originally posted by impala#03:
Miller Arms was at one time part of Dakota Arms a few years back.

They dropped them from the catalogue in 2019, and email confirmed they are no longer making the Miller rifle.

De Haas wrote a number of books that are probably quite informative, but you have to be Elon Musk's wealthy brother to afford them, so.... I'll never find out. I've seen photos of what are supposedly his FM No. 1 and No. 2 vault locks; they look like they were designed by the same committee that styled the Trabant. I fully believe that function comes before form, but a little bit of form really wouldn't have hurt these.

03 April 2020, 22:30

marley7x57

I thought it was a joint venture of sorts. But sometimes the actual efforts get distorted, or really twisted, over time. Just like Pete Grisel's involvement/contribution with/to Dakota Arms.

If you have more information I certainly would like to hear it.

quote:
Originally posted by gunmaker:
quote:
Originally posted by Craftsman:
Frank De Has designed the action and had the Miller company build it.

You sure about that?

04 April 2020, 00:11

gunmaker

I worked for Miller Arms in StOnge, SD for about a year starting in 98. Dean and Cyle took chunks of metal and wood and made supremely accurate single shots. I learned a lot during my short time there. Dean built his personal elk rifle using a Sharps Borchardt action. This rifle, along with huge elk racks & pictures that hung around the shop predate the DM action by quite a bit. Dean went on and on about all the shortcomings of the Sharps and came up with a better mousetrap. The Millers showed me all the history behind the development. Boxes and boxes of fixtures and in process parts. How it all started by drilling 4 holes in a block of steel and welding a bandsaw blade through the hole, cutting out the plug and hand filing out the final hole.

While DeHass MAY have had some ideas for this action, I'm not sure how many ended up in the final version.

As with DakArms, building something from nothing deserves more credit in my book than promoting it. Then again history is only as accurate as the authors who write the books.

04 April 2020, 02:46

marley7x57

quote:
Originally posted by gunmaker:
I worked for Miller Arms in StOnge, SD for about a year starting in 98. Dean and Cyle took chunks of metal and wood and made supremely accurate single shots. I learned a lot during my short time there. Dean built his personal elk rifle using a Sharps Borchardt action. This rifle, along with huge elk racks & pictures that hung around the shop predate the DM action by quite a bit. Dean went on and on about all the shortcomings of the Sharps and came up with a better mousetrap. The Millers showed me all the history behind the development. Boxes and boxes of fixtures and in process parts. How it all started by drilling 4 holes in a block of steel and welding a bandsaw blade through the hole, cutting out the plug and hand filing out the final hole.

While DeHass MAY have had some ideas for this action, I'm not sure how many ended up in the final version.

As with DakArms, building something from nothing deserves more credit in my book than promoting it. Then again history is only as accurate as the authors who write the books.

I always wondered about ol Frank DeHaas and his contribution! I just located an old flyer from Miller Arms dated January 1995 and it states that "...new breech block action designed, developed and patented jointly by Frank De Haas, author of the books; "Single Shot Rifles and Actions" and "Bolt Action Rifles", and by Dean Miller, well known custom gunsmith and stockmaker."

Seems pretty clear now as to who was building and who was promoting and I, like you, feel like the builder deserves more credit.

Sure would like to find another completed rifle by Dean Miller. I had one years ago and let it slip out of my hands.

Thanks for the info.

04 April 2020, 06:25

Craftsman

quote:
You sure about that?

I was quoting De Hass from his book. So I certainly would not argue the point.

One thing puzzles me though, if De Hass had no part in creating this action why would his name be on the Logo ?

04 April 2020, 08:54

gunmaker

Dean was a gunmaker.
Frank was a writer and historian and I have some of his books in my collection.
Promotion in the gun industry can be a good thing.
Sure there was plenty of spitballing.

04 April 2020, 18:35

cdsx

quote:
Originally posted by Craftsman:
quote:
You sure about that?

I was quoting De Hass from his book. So I certainly would not argue the point.

One thing puzzles me though, if De Hass had no part in creating this action why would his name be on the Logo ?

It's right there in the company literature: jointly patented. Regardless of how much or how little he contributed to the design (I've honestly don't know for certain one way or the other), owning part of the patent gives him the clout to have his name on the finished product. (reference: Westinghouse vs Tesla)

05 April 2020, 20:24

eezridr

Nice chamber for a nice rifle (7MM STW).
I like it!

05 April 2020, 22:54

marley7x57

It has a 30" barrel which should generate some good velocities. Getting componets ready for reloading and hope to shoot it soon.

06 April 2020, 00:01

470Evans

Might check under the recoil pad. I’ve seen some guns with the makers initials there.

06 April 2020, 07:29

kda55

Can you show us how the forend is secured fore and aft. Is there a lip that holds the wood in place at the front of the action. Might find the builders name under there as well.

06 April 2020, 09:13

marley7x57

quote:
Originally posted by 470Evans:
Might check under the recoil pad. I’ve seen some guns with the makers initials there.

I have not checked there but will have to get gunsmith friend to take it off. Nice pad and I generally screw up nice stuff.

06 April 2020, 09:58

marley7x57

quote:
Originally posted by kda55:
Can you show us how the forend is secured fore and aft. Is there a lip that holds the wood in place at the front of the action. Might find the builders name under there as well.

There is a screw at the front of the forend that screws into a rod which is attached to the front of the action, and which runs parallel to the barrel. Forend slides over the rod.

No name under the barrel or on the underside of the forend.

28 April 2020, 22:47

Scoty

Beautiful rifle!

Sorry for the hijack, but, what is the pattern on the top of the rear of the front sight and on the tops of the scope bases? How is that achieved?

Thanks,
Scoty

28 April 2020, 23:25

marley7x57

quote:
Originally posted by Scoty:
Beautiful rifle!

Sorry for the hijack, but, what is the pattern on the top of the rear of the front sight and on the tops of the scope bases? How is that achieved?

Thanks,
Scoty

I have always referred to it as "stippling" but "matting" might be a better word. Need a gunsmith to tell us really.

29 April 2020, 03:19

cdsx

quote:
Originally posted by marley7x57:
quote:
Originally posted by Scoty:
Beautiful rifle!

Sorry for the hijack, but, what is the pattern on the top of the rear of the front sight and on the tops of the scope bases? How is that achieved?

Thanks,
Scoty

I have always referred to it as "stippling" but "matting" might be a better word. Need a gunsmith to tell us really.

Stippling is the term I've always heard. I've seen it done by hand, using a punch. I don't know if there's a mechanized way of doing it nowadays.

04 May 2020, 00:52

crf

...a friend of mine had a Larry Brace rifle built for him aprox 25 years ago. It was a bolt action, but the style of stock and particularly the checkering of your rifle is very similar, so it may be a Brace.

04 May 2020, 04:03

SDH

quote:
Originally posted by crf:
...a friend of mine had a Larry Brace rifle built for him aprox 25 years ago. It was a bolt action, but the style of stock and particularly the checkering of your rifle is very similar, so it may be a Brace.

Larry Brace did very high quality checkering, from what I can see here, it just isn't up to his high standards.

04 May 2020, 04:14

marley7x57

quote:
Originally posted by SDH:
quote:
Originally posted by crf:
...a friend of mine had a Larry Brace rifle built for him aprox 25 years ago. It was a bolt action, but the style of stock and particularly the checkering of your rifle is very similar, so it may be a Brace.

Larry Brace did very high quality checkering, from what I can see here, it just isn't up to his high standards.

Now now SDH, my photos do not do justice to the checkering!

05 May 2020, 02:17

SDH

The mullered borders are weak, lots of un-pointed diamonds in the last rows, some obviously crooked lines.
Not Larry's quality.

If it's unsigned it's unknown.

10 July 2020, 11:14

Atkinson

One wonders if the DM in the circle is entended as Dean/Miller Dean the maker and Miller the action..?? but guess and by gosh seems to go too far on these posts, so just a thought..

10 July 2020, 23:34

Peter Connan

quote:
Originally posted by marley7x57:
quote:
Originally posted by Scoty:
Beautiful rifle!

Sorry for the hijack, but, what is the pattern on the top of the rear of the front sight and on the tops of the scope bases? How is that achieved?

Thanks,
Scoty

I have always referred to it as "stippling" but "matting" might be a better word. Need a gunsmith to tell us really.

Pneumatic engraving pencil, with the air turned down.

Really nice rifle.