Consider the following scenario, you have recently arrived in camp and the PH has suggested that you sight in your rifle in advance of starting your hunt the next day. You carefully unzip your rifle case and pull out your "safari rifle":

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=82280621

Question:
Your PH,

Choices:
Launches into a fit of uncontrollable dry heaves.
Politely says, "no really, we need to sight in the rifle you intend to hunt with."
Apologizes but says that he has been unexpectly called back to Harare to advise Mugabe on economic policy.
Asks whether that baby came equipped with curb feelers or were they extra.
Other

 

I chose "Other" because "Beat you senseless with it" wasn't listed.

Looks like Blaser on steroids.

Really, I think the guy selling that piece of art likely has the velvet Elvis paintings in his living room...

Can't a person be cited for poor taste?

I chose Other, because

"Word up, dude, that is ill! Who pimped your piece?"

was by some oversight not on the list.

I doubt most, if not all, would give a shit one way or the other.

A PH might not say anything at all, especially if the gun and shooter shot well, but that has to be the most screwed up p.o.s. that I've ever seen. I posted a picture of a pre-64 .375 H&H below in Big Bores and I thought it bad.... excuse me for not knowing what I was talking about. That is terrible. I like the "artists unknown" statement in the description.... maybe it should read, "artists in hiding".

Oh well; "one man's meat.............."

quote:

I doubt most, if not all, would give a shit one way or the other.

That was my thought. I would guess most Phs would be happier with this guy if he could shoot well than they would be with a guy who shows up with a $50,000 Holland & Holland and can't hit the paper fron 50m.

That having been said, I would rate that as the most tasteless rifle I have seen.

Jason

Doesn't look a lot worse than a lot of early Weatherby's and the ivory looks as if it took some degree of skill to do. It's what SOMEONE wanted and I can't fault them for it. I see an awful lot of guns on here I wouldn't have including some by well known and respected builders but their owners are allowed their pride in what they like without my derision. Sorry I can't laugh at it. Can't see the engraving clearly enough to comment on it.

quote:

Originally posted by zimbabwe:
Sorry I can't laugh at it.

Darn near a day and half left to get a bid in . . . unless someone hits the buy it now price.

I have to go with other.
He may mock you for the next 20 years but he'll do it in private with his other PH buddies. Every PH I've met would tell you what a beautiful rifle you have and what great taste you must have to have bought it. In the same breath he'll compliment you on what a raving beauty your wife is and how not many women can carry 15 stone and 10 and still be so attractive.

Most of the PH's I hunt with would not say a word. They would just let me shoot it and see how it works.

Looks like a Weatherby to me! BTW a "stone" (for the unitiated plebians) is 14 pounds (as I recollect). So, this lady could probably play for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Peter.

I am particularly fond of the deer on one side and lion on the other. Now that really goes together. I wish I could find that "artist" so I could get him to do my Rigby.

Ooofah...my eyes! I really wish I had not opened this right after eating my lunch. Mike, this should have come with a disclaimer of some kind.

What Will said. Most PH's care very litte about what you shoot as long as you are a competent shot.

I actually kind of like the rifle because it is so over the top and tasteless.

Mark

i would like to buy that rifle and then have the hunting rig of my truck crome plated,the rig hand painted wildlife scenes on the side of the truck ... i would get the last laugh when i arrived at the airstip to meet a new client !!

I said "other" because "Smirk, put on his sunglasses and reach for the camo duct tape" was not on the list.

Looks like a Weatherby to me.

Met a parks ranger in Binga that had a rifle that looked almost like that. Problem was it had no scope or front sight. Rory Muil showed me the rifle and asked how I liked it. The ranger didnt see a problem with the missing sights which explains alot. He said he was an elephant cropper and showed me a culling belt full of a mixture of softpoints to prove it. Lucky for him he was to chickenshit to actually face a herd of elephant cows.

So Mike, when are you going to come clean and admit this is your pride and joy?

My first thought was it looks like Pancho Villa's Safari rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by yukon delta:
So Mike, when are you going to come clean and admit this is your pride and joy?

I would have bought it, but it has those crappy Weaver scope mounts on it. How someone could take a beautiful rifle like that and put a set of Weaver bases on it, criminal, just criminal.

Honestly, I would just say "Interesting, never seen a rifle like this before where did it come from?"

I voted "other". Probably no words to express adeguately the disgust and too much effort to avoid disgusting and horror expression on face.

It is worse than ....... I do not know what to choose........

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
I doubt most, if not all, would give a shit one way or the other.

he he - I guess so

It looks like something done in the fifties. It isn't my cup of tea but most people derided me for my Camoed THS 416 Taylor a while back. H*ll it lists the owner from NH and see what they send to congress. Oh Sh*t Ann is going to kill me.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:

quote:

Originally posted by yukon delta:
So Mike, when are you going to come clean and admit this is your pride and joy?

I would have bought it, but it has those crappy Weaver scope mounts on it. How someone could take a beautiful rifle like that and put a set of Weaver bases on it, criminal, just criminal.

Does that look like something Elgin Gates would have used?

YIKES!

I don't know what's worse... the rifle or the rug!

I think I'll buy it, just to get even on a couple of things with some of my friends like Bill Morrison, Butch Searcy, Pierre van Tonder and when I've had my fun I'll send it to Palmer so he can shoot his bear next year as I photo him, that should work for some good blackmail.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
I doubt most, if not all, would give a shit one way or the other.

I looked for a site using Google, but I had no time to find it, but today on an Italian gun magazine I saw the work of a swiss gun maker and engraver, Vivian Mueller.
If anyone find some photos of his works to show here, well, we can continue to manage this poll for the eternity

Excuse me, please I find it, it takes some time to view the presentation, but here is the site:Vivian Mueller Site

I thought Liberachi died...... did he hunt back when he was around?

Damn that stock and pistol make this rifle just plane out right mundane and boring, wouldn't you say.

I don't remember any phs paying the slightest attention to my rifle other than to make sure it wasn't pointed in their direction.

Sublime: inspiring awe, impressing the mind with a sense of grandeur.

I had a "inspiration" for sure, but it felt more like peristalsis.

Hi people,
you should see the Midnight Leopard rifle or the Rodiumflash rifle, both based on Blaser R93, or the Russia Rifle based on a Mauser H&H.

But if you look for the maximum expression of Mr.V.M. look for these pistols: Viper based on a Walther PPK, Prudence based on a Mauser Hsc, Duplex built to have a mirrored Sig P210 with two barrels that shoot at the same time, Tyger based on a Sig P210, and two other "customized" Sig P210, without name, but full of gold, diamond and heavily engraved.

I'm still traying to get back to normality. Liberace? he was really a man with a taste simple and rough compared to this one.