My first "Sleeper" Brevex Mauser that started me looking for unknown Brevex Mausers

Hello All,

Not much to do these days by staying shut-in, so I thought to share the story of this interesting rifle.

I found this one back in December of 2014. It was my first "Sleeper" Brevex.

As you have seen from previous posts, my interests had shifted to Big Bore rifles. I found this one on an on-line auction back while I was searching for 416 Rigbys. Its really neat when you discover one where the seller has no clue what he has.

Here is how it was described in the original auction listing.
This description also included a lot of miss-information.



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Well, I never heard of a "Full" Magnum Length Interarms, and when I searched the Net trying to find an example of one, I was stumped. Here are the pictures that were listed in the auction.

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After much searching and comparing the shape of this action, to pictures of various Interarms Actions that I located on line, I was sure this was NOT an Interarms Action. The only thing I could see that remotely resembled Interarms, was the sliding safety.

Well, I had a 'hunch' what this was. Could it be? I watched this rifle for the full 14 days of the Auction. That was a very, very long 2 weeks. High bid was $400 and, in the last few minutes of the Auction, I placed my bids. After a couple of back-and-forth bids, I was the winner! - $720 It was 2 days before Christmas, so this was a Christmas present from myself - to myself. Perhaps the close-Christmas timing kept the other would-be-bidders too busy to find this treasure.

Here is what I found when it arrived home ...

A very nice Magnum Length BREVEX Mauser action - you can barely see the "M400" model marking and the "/92" serial number stamp. It looks like these were partially removed during the final "squaring" of the action bottom and the finishing process during the rifle's build.



and .... with a SAKO trigger..... This explains the sliding side safety that looks similar to the Interarms safety.





and ..... a LES BAUSKA barrel..... This was also a surprise. Les Bauska was a famed barrel maker and worked with Buhmiller during the 50's and 60's ... likely when this rifle was built. He took over the business when Buhmiller retired and was known for his superb Octagon Barrels.





Another real surprise was the rifle's stock. It has a Rosewood Forend Tip, an Ebony Grip Cap, and a Pachmayr Recoil Pad. It was an early Custom Laminated Stock by Merlin "Mel" Smart, the founder of Acra-Bond Co. This Company later became Serengeti Stockworks. The Serengeti Gunstock was a feature of Kilimanjaro Rifles.

http://webcache.googleusercont...&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

I topped the rifle with a compact 2x-7x Burris Scope, which brought the shooting weight to just a tad over 11 pounds. The perfect weight for a 416 Rigby.

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BREVEX actions were made in Suresnes, France from 1955-1965 by M. Polonsky (an engineer from the Radom plant in Poland) He used captured German machinery taken from Oberndorf Factory by the French Troops (Gal. Leclerc 2nd DB) and delivered by the M.A.S. (Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Etienne) The machinery was later sold to Polonsky circa 1951. This was the only true Magnum Length Mauser action available to the trade in the years following WWII. They were imported and sold exclusively by Tradewinds to the U.S. gun trade. Here is a 1955 GUNS Magazine ad from Tradewinds.



Lots of people ask me how I find so many rare collectibles. And some people call me Lucky - they are wrong. I credit my findings due to a bladder problem. As I age, I find myself getting up several times a night - to pee. Before I go back to bed, I do a little WEB Surfing. The search engines run pretty fast at 12 o'clock, and 2 o'clock, and 4 o'clock, in the morning. All the reading makes me sleepy, so I go back to bed, until the next urge wakes me again. And that's exactly how I found this one.

As always, comments are most welcome.

buckstix,

Your true story is as strange as a Hollywood movie based on a "true story."

I love all artifacts of Les Bauska and John Buhmiller.
Belated congratulations.

I have a similar bladder problem, but I hit the .458 win mag thread after taking care of my business, instead of starting more business at the auction sites.
I would probably get hosed there after doing my hosing here.

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
buckstix,

Your true story is as strange as a Hollywood movie based on a "true story."

I love all artifacts of Les Bauska and John Buhmiller.
Belated congratulations.

I have a similar bladder problem, but I hit the .458 win mag thread after taking care of my business, instead of starting more business at the auction sites.
I would probably get hosed there after doing my hosing here.

Hello RIP,
Thanks for the reply.

Both John Buhmiller and Les Bauska have become forgotten pioneers in our beloved gun trade. I'm proud to own several of John's creations; a 22lr Marlin-Ballard Schuetzen rifle with one of his precision match barrels, a 32-40 Marlin-Ballard Schuetzen rifle, also with a Buhmiller precision match barrel, a 500 SRE Custom Enfield with his barrel and his trade-mark muzzle brake, and John's personal 416 Rigby, also with his unique muzzle brake.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...371046722#1371046722

I search regularly for "John Buhmiller" in hopes of finding another treasure.

Do you think this is the .416 Elmer shot when talking about Buhmiller’s rifles with the large muzzle breaks? The original article was in American rifleman.

Elmer loved his barrels, and talks about them in his articles, including I think, some of his ivor Hendrickson rifles.

There is also a picture of the .50 bmg bolt action he put together in “hell i was there”.

quote:

Originally posted by Colin Masters:
Do you think this is the .416 Elmer shot when talking about Buhmiller’s rifles with the large muzzle breaks? The original article was in American rifleman.

Elmer loved his barrels, and talks about them in his articles ...."

Hello Colin Masters,
Thanks for the reply.

Did that article that mentions Buhmiller's 416 have a picture of the rifle? If I could see a picture, I could likely tell if it was the same rifle.

Looking back, it was the article you posted on 24hour campfire.

Interesting and a great buy!

M Polanski, didn’t know who he was until now. I am sure I have seen a hunting photo or him written about in Africa.

Happy New Year all.

quote:

Originally posted by Colin Masters:
Looking back, it was the article you posted on 24hour campfire.

Hello Colin Masters,
Thanks for the reply.

This is a quote from an article written by Elmer Keith - unfortunately no photo.

quote:

Originally posted by Rockdoc:
Interesting and a great buy!

M Polanski, didn’t know who he was until now. I am sure I have seen a hunting photo or him written about in Africa.

Happy New Year all.

Hello Rockdoc,
Thanks for the reply.

If you run across either a photo or article that mentions Polanski's name, I'd like to see it.

It’s got me wondering now. Buggered if I know where I read it. I think it was about being kept up all night by very close lions. Hope I haven’t got it wrong!

quote:

Originally posted by Rockdoc:
It’s got me wondering now. Buggered if I know where I read it. I think it was about being kept up all night by very close lions. Hope I haven’t got it wrong!

Hello Rockdoc,
Thanks for the reply.

If you do find something, please let me know. I have found that As I get older - I have a good memory, it just isn't very long.

quote:

I think it was about being kept up all night by very close lions. Hope I haven’t got it wrong!

I read that too some where.

But having read thousands of books magazine articles ect.

Might be awhile before I figure it out.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:

quote:

I think it was about being kept up all night by very close lions. Hope I haven’t got it wrong!

I read that too some where.

But having read thousands of books magazine articles ect.

Might be awhile before I figure it out.

Hello p dog shooter,
Thanks for the reply.

Well, when you do, please post it here.