A friend just acquired a rifle and would like some info on it.
The details are a little unclear, due to him not being very clear over the phone so...

Alitalia, the main airline here used to carry a rifle(apparently a very nice one) and some ammo onboard all their flights, that only the catpain had access to.

This was some 25 years ago.

I remember hearing about these rifles which were sold off at one point when the law/airline policy no longer permitted the rifles to be carried. Two went to an Alitalia pilot who would be a friend of a friend. Both rifes were in .300WBY.

One has since changed hands and gone to a good friend of mine who has collected fine smoothbores all his life, but knows very little about anything rifled.

He tells me the rifle is a Weatherby/Sauer, but there is nothing stamped on it to indicate so.

Mark V

Cali______somthing.

Now, I don't know much about this kind of thing, but I do recall reading an article on a Weatherby rifle, years ago that spoke of a California model.

The other info seems to just be more confusing.

The rifle is as new, spent 25 years of its life in a hard case greased up and never saw the light of day.

He paid 1800Eu for it, with a Zeiss 6x40 on top, so it was a mates rates deal.

Does anyone know anything about these or similar rifles?

Joe, the first Mk V's were made in Germany for Weatherby, who's headquarters were in California at the time (hence the roll marking on the barrel). I have one of the German (Saur made) Mk V Deluxes in 300 myself. They are very nice rifles, well made, and usually quite accurate. With the Zeiss on top, and considering your prices over there, I would say your FOAF (friend of a friend) got himself a pretty good deal. - Dan