My Custom Brevex 505 Gibbs - My first Dangerous Game Rifle that started me collecting Big Bores

Hello All,

I've been going back through my internet postings, and thought to share this story. You know I like guns with stories, and this one is a dandy.

Many of you have read the postings about my Double Rifles and Big Game rifles over the years. Well, this was my first Dangerous Game Rifle. This is the very first one, before all the others. This is the one that started me on the path of collecting Big Bores, especially those built on Brevex actions.

About 6 years ago, in the Fall of 2013, I saw this rifle for sale in the newly opened Cabela's store in Green Bay Wisconsin. It had a "nuts-price" of $15,000. (I don't usually post prices but in this case its relative to my story.) I asked the Gun Library Manager; "Why on earth would a Wisconsin Cabela's store have such an expensive Safari rifle for sale." He told me; "When a new Cabela's store opens, all the Cabela's stores from around the country send an assortment of guns to fill the new store's inventory. This one came from Buda, Texas." I searched and found the original listing.



I visited the rifle about 3 times, and fell in love with it. I started scheming as to how to buy this unique 505. I didn't have any ready cash available because I just spent all my money a week earlier for 8 high grade shotguns at an unadvertised local auction. I bought the shotguns for an absolute "song" because the local auctioneer didn't know what he had, and neither did the few local bidders that showed up for the auction. The shotguns were described as "Imports" with incorrectly pronounced strange names like: Darne, Merkel, Bernardelli, Sarasqueta, LC Smith, Ithaca, Husqvarna, etc. All were from the 40's and 50's and a couple were from the early 1900's. All were near mint. The 8 shotguns were item 1 through item 8, at the very beginning of the auction which started at 8:00 in the morning. Very few bidders arrived that early. Unbelievably - I spent only $3,800 for the 8 rare shotguns.

I didn't want to fall in love with these newly acquired treasures, so the very next day I called and asked the Cabela's Gun Library manager if he would be interested in doing some trading. I said I had some very nice shotguns that I could trade for the 505 Gibbs. I suggested that it would be easier for Cabelas to sell 8 nice shotguns, rather than one expensive Safari rifle, that was out of place in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He agreed, and told me to bring in the shotguns. When I arrived, the manager spent over an hour examining the shotguns and searching the internet and books for values. When finished, he approached with a piece of scrap paper in hand that had his calculations. He said; "The best I can do is $1,200." I was giddy as a school girl knowing that if I paid the additional $1,200, I'd be into the Gibbs for only $5,000. What a bargain! But, like a true gun haggler, I said; "Did you use a sharp pencil? My shotguns are all very minty, and I was thinking you could do better. Is that really the very, very, very best you can do?" He looked at the pile of shotguns, and looked at the piece of paper, upon which he scratched, and scrawled, and scribbled, and erased, and finally said; "OK, I can give you another $600, but $1,800 is the best I'm willing to do. Holly Crap! They were paying me - not me paying them! Apparently even I didn't know what I bought at that auction. I calmly said; "OK", and we proceeded to the check-out counter. When the girl finished ringing everything up, she handed me $2,080 in cash. Apparently there was some sort of "reverse-tax" calculation that added another $280 to the deal because my guns were worth more than the Gibbs. Isn't Life Great!

Now on to the rifle. This wonderful 505 Gibbs is a Custom Magnum Mauser built on a 1955 Brevex Action. The Brevex markings on the action's bottom are; "M 400" and "42" and "BV" (Brevex Model 400 - sn 42 - BreVex BV monogram)



There were a few very tiny edges of some markings peeking out along the edge of the quarter rib. They appeared to be Belgium proofs indicating this was an originally Belgium Dumoulin in 505 Gibbs caliber, of which only a very few are known to have been imported into South Africa in the mid-late 1950's.

I advertised "info wanted" about this rifle on several internet forums. One day I received an email from Danie Joubert, a South African Custom Gun builder of World Fame. He wrote that he was the one that did the custom metal-work for Carl Labuschagne, who was a South African Professional Hunter. He said that Armin Winkler did the Engraving. He went on to tell me that Carl S. Labuschagne. was not only a Professional Hunter, but also a very competent "Rifle-Smith". Carl hand-made this rifle's stock and commissioned a Major Redesign / Customization to the rifle for his own personal use. (noted by the barrel marking) As you would expect from a man that made his living with a rifle, no detail was omitted. Note the special "recoil wedge" that was added to the bottom of the barrel, under the quarter-rib, to prevent stock splitting from the 505's heavy recoil. (3rd from last photo) Sadly, Danie informed me that Carl passed away in September, 2013, only 2 months before I bought the rifle. However, Danie put me in contact with Carl's son Herman Labuschagne who provided me with many pictures and the details about his Dad and this rifle.

Here is a link that tells Carl Labuschagne's life story. http://www.labuschagne.info/ca...gne.htm#.UtY-_PQW01A

Carl pioneered "Scout-Scope" mounting on Dangerous Game rifles. (also Jeff Cooper's favorite) Apparently Carl felt strongly that conventional scope mounting on a heavily recoiling dangerous game rifle could cause very severe injury to the shooter if he became caught-up in a hurried shooting situation where the gun was not properly positioned or adequately supported on the shoulder. Such an unexpected, "disorienting blow" to the shooter's eye could lead to his "death" in a dangerous situation.

Another one of Carl's custom rifles, a Mauser in .460 A-Square, with the same Scout-Scope mounting, is shown in the book; "African Dangerous Game Cartridges" - by Pierre van der Walt. (below photo)



My search for information about Carl Labuschagne also discovered a "Special Dedication" to him that appears in the recent book; "Shooter's Bible Guide to the Hunting Rifle and Its Ammunition." by Thomas C. Tabor. References to Carl can also be found in the A-Square loading manual "Any Shot You Want" by A-Square founder Art Alpin, who was a personal friend to Carl.

In addition to Carl's talents as a Professional Hunter and Rifle-Smith, Carl was also a Freelance Writer, having published at least half-a-dozen articles in the mid 2000's. (If anyone knows of his writings, please send me copies.)

For your interest, I have the following details about my rifle. It is truly the "Quintessential Elephant Gun" and is at the very top of my "Favorite Guns List". I actually used it (successfully) in the 2013 Wisconsin Whitetail Deer season. (deer with rifle photo)

Your comments would be most welcome. Thanks

The rifle is a Custom Square Bridge "Brevex" Magnum Mauser. (4-round capacity)
The rifle is in 505 Gibbs caliber.
The stock is checkered Deluxe Walnut with Buffalo Horn Forend Tip and Shadow Outlined Cheek Piece.
The stock has a Silvers Recoil Pad.
The rifle has a Quarter Rib with Single Standing Sight and is cut for Warne Scope Rings.
The rifle has a Gold Bead Front Sight with a Swivel-Folding Hood.
The Metal Grip Cap has a Compartment for an optional Moon Sight. (not with the rifle)
The center top of the barrel is hand engraved: "Customized by C. S. Labuschagne".
The top of the barrel behind the front sight is hand engraved: "Bundock" (a variation of Bundoki which is Swahili for "Big Gun" or "Cannon")
The floorplate is hand engraved with a "Bull Elephant" and signed "A. D. Winkler" (Ferlach trained engraver still practicing in S.A.)
There are various Accent Engravings throughout.
The Brass Escutcheon inlaid into the bottom of the stock is hand engraved with Carl's initials: "CSL".
The bottom of the trigger guard is hand engraved: "1014".
The left side of the receiver it is hand engraved: "1014 / 505 Gibbs".
The left side of the barrel is stamped with the number "1014".
The bottom of the action is stamped" "M400" "4.2" "BV" (Brevex model 400 - sn 42 - Brevex monogram)
The barrel Length is 21" with Engraved Barrel-Band Sling Swivel.
The weight of the rifle is 11 pounds 2 ounces (loaded w/ scope & sling)
The length of pull is 14-1/8".

Here are some photos for your interest.





Although the rifle did not come with a scope, I added a Leupold in Carl's prepared location.





Here are a few photos that I received from Herman Labuschagne, while researching his Dad.

It seems that Carl kept a "Kill Sheet" of all the animals he hunted classified by the rifles he used. These were written on a large piece of cardboard from a shipping box. He owned dozens of different rifles, and had hundreds of Kills, as you would expect from a Professional Hunter.



In the upper left hand corner, you find the record of the game animals bagged by Carl with this 505 Gibbs.



And, here are the details: 2 Cape Buffalo, 2 Elephant, a Hippo, a Lion, and a Warthog.



Although these pictures are quite old and tattered, they show some of the game Carl bagged with his 505 as listed above.









Here are pictures of Carl's License for the 505 Gibbs.



Here is Carl's business card. He had a very unique sense of humor. He was a man with a happy spirit.



A small photo showing Carl with the 505 Gibbs.



Here is my Letter to Editor Magnum Magazine telling of Carl's immortalized quote.



Here is how I display my 505 Gibbs at various shows. I spend a lot of time telling youngsters the stories about Carl and this rifle, and how it came to the USA from a Famous Professional Hunter in South Africa.





I'm pretty sure this will be the "last" rifle I own when I get ready to cash-it-in. I'm thinking I'll hand it out of the coffin - as they close the lid. And, shortly thereafter, I'll thank Carl in person for building it. It is truly my favorite.



Carl, with my rifle.



After I shot my deer, I added my kill to Carl's "kill sheet" (via photoshop) and I sent a copy to Herman. He said his Dad would have liked that.

I remember that rifle.
Great fun and historical record!

Must say, you grow your Whitetails big up there!

Thanks for the post, I enjoyed the story.

Be interesting to know how it came to the states.

Very cool rifle. Before going to Texas it lived at the Cabelas gun library in Rapid City SD. I made a point of visiting the rifle when in Rapid City. A great rifle for sure. I didn't know it's history at the time but one could tell in handling it it's history must have been remarkable. One day I went again to see it but it was gone, I asked the guy in the library if it had sold, he said no they moved it to another store, I'll never forget that rifle as just handling it made a lasting impression on me, I always wondered who Mr. L was but never put the time in to figure that out. Pretty cool. It's an awesome rifle.

Love it ! Thanks.
That secondary recoil lug is a great design.
Warne's old Kimber-style rings are cool for the scout scope.
And I agree that the Wisconsin buck is HUGE !

Rip ...

quote:

Originally posted by Huvius:
I remember that rifle.
Great fun and historical record!

Must say, you grow your Whitetails big up there!

Hello Huvius,
Thanks for the reply.

Yes, not much for horns, but a nice one.

quote:

Originally posted by 470Evans:
Thanks for the post, I enjoyed the story.

Be interesting to know how it came to the states.

Hello 470Evans,
Thanks for the reply.

According to Herman, Carl's son, the gun ownership laws were changed in South Africa from allowing 10 guns, to only 5 guns. Carl decided to sell off his 5 best guns, which included this one. One of the others he sold was his H&H 577 Royal Double Rifle that he mentions in the article quote.

quote:

Originally posted by Timan:
Very cool rifle. Before going to Texas it lived at the Cabelas gun library in Rapid City SD. I made a point of visiting the rifle when in Rapid City. A great rifle for sure. I didn't know it's history at the time but one could tell in handling it it's history must have been remarkable. One day I went again to see it but it was gone, I asked the guy in the library if it had sold, he said no they moved it to another store, I'll never forget that rifle as just handling it made a lasting impression on me, I always wondered who Mr. L was but never put the time in to figure that out. Pretty cool. It's an awesome rifle.

Hello Timan,
Thanks for the reply.

I tracked the rifle's path across the country. I was told it started in a Cabelas store in Tulalip, Washington. From there it went to South Dakota, then passed on to Reno, Nevada. Then it got shipped to the Buda, Texas Cabelas store to be examined by a prospective buyer, who made a lesser offer that Cabelas didn't accept. It then passed to Wisconsin. I'm sure glad it made it to Wisconsin.

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
Love it ! Thanks.
That secondary recoil lug is a great design.
Warne's old Kimber-style rings are cool for the scout scope.
And I agree that the Wisconsin buck is HUGE !

Rip ...

Hello RIP,
Thanks for the reply.

Danie Joubert told me that he imported the quarter rib from a Company here in the U.S. I'll bet it was Kimber.

The Buck I killed was short on horns, but big on meat. It was a straight-on shot into the chest from 75 yards. I was sitting on a 5 gallon pail. When I pulled the trigger the recoil knocked me off pail, and I lost sight of the deer and didn't see which way he ran. But, I had marked the spot where he was standing next to a small pine tree and I made a bee-line toward that tree. I was hoping to pickup a blood trail. When I got there, I found that he had dropped right where he stood with all 4 legs neatly tucked underneath. The bullet went through him lengthwise. (and its likely still circling the earth) Unlike a 30-06, there was absolutely no wasted meat and no meat damage from bullet shock. Just a entrance and exit hole as if someone had shoved a broom handle clean through him.

What a great story and a really nice rifle.

Ditto what JFE wrote. The story is food for thought on my next purchase

What power is the little scout scope? I see another benefit in having the scope way out there for the dangerous game hunter: it cuts down on country hidden by the magnification and image-movement tunnel vision, where another, belligerent, member of the herd or pride might be lurking.

While a scout scope must have a small field of view, the size of it guarantees the field blacked out by magnification is also reduced. I have observed that that hidden field is roughly equivalent to the scope's FoV multiplied by the true power. (That is with constantly centred reticles. With the old reticle-movement scopes, you can often subtract most of the original field of view from that figure.)

Fascinating story, thanks for posting it.

I like his business card a lot!

quote:

Originally posted by JFE:
What a great story and a really nice rifle.

Hello JFE
Thanks for the reply.

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
Ditto what JFE wrote. The story is food for thought on my next purchase

What power is the little scout scope? I see another benefit in having the scope way out there for the dangerous game hunter: it cuts down on country hidden by the magnification and image-movement tunnel vision, where another, belligerent, member of the herd or pride might be lurking.

While a scout scope must have a small field of view, the size of it guarantees the field blacked out by magnification is also reduced. I have observed that that hidden field is roughly equivalent to the scope's FoV multiplied by the true power. (That is with constantly centred reticles. With the old reticle-movement scopes, you can often subtract most of the original field of view from that figure.)

Hello sambarman338
Thanks for the reply.

The scope is a 2X Leupold EER (Extended Eye Relief) pistol scope. It has an 18" eye relief and a 21-1/2 foot field of view at 100 yards. When shooting with both eyes open, the scope's view field shows the slightly magnified view, but you still see the entire view at the same time. Its hard to describe, but really works great. Another advantage of the forward mounting is that it keeps the entire action area clear for fast reloading or topping off the magazine.

quote:

Originally posted by Cougarz:
Fascinating story, thanks for posting it.

I like his business card a lot!

Hello Cougarz,
Thanks for the reply.

Carl's business card says a lot about him. He had a remarkable sense of Humor. Sometimes subtle, sometimes "belly-laugh."

Thanks buckstix.
that field of view is not bad and should be wide enough to fit a whole elephant - at 100 yards. At seven yards the scope is so far away that you should at least have some idea which crease in its hide you are looking at through the scope. Leupolds also have less tunnel vision and hidden field than some other brands, so you should be OK as long as the erector spring(s) hold up. As Atkinson recommends, it might be a good idea to have another scope of the same model, also sighted in on the rifle, in the case just in case.

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
Thanks buckstix ...... Leupolds also have less tunnel vision and hidden field than some other brands, so you should be OK as long as the erector spring(s) hold up. As Atkinson recommends, it might be a good idea to have another scope of the same model, also sighted in on the rifle, in the case just in case.

Hello sambarman338
Thanks for the reply.

No need for a second scope.
That's why you have the iron sights as a back-up. The iron sights are good out to 100 yards.

The scout rifle type forward scope mounting makes really good sense for any such a powerful rifle.

Yes, buckstix, that makes sense to me. Are the mounts readily detachable? By that I mean: would an Allen key or something in your pocket get them off if necessary?

I don't worry about the type that can be put back on in a hurry as they often comes with a strength draw-back, just something that can be removed soon if needed.

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
Yes, buckstix, that makes sense to me. Are the mounts readily detachable? By that I mean: would an Allen or something in your pocket get them off if necessary?

I don't worry about the type that can be put back on in a hurry as they often comes with a strength draw-back, just something that can be removed soon if needed.

Hello sambarman338
Thanks for the reply.

The Kimber quarter rib is one piece and is factory milled to accept their quick detachable "lever rings". When the scope is mounted, the rings butt against the milled shoulders in the quarter rib. The picture does not show the back side of the rings where the levers are located.

I have several heavy recoiling rifle with these rings. They are solid, and most important, they are very repeatable. The scope can be removed, and replaced, without any tools, and when the rifle is fired, the groups will repeat within 1/4" at 100 yards.



I keep the scope in the case with the rifle, and mount it on the rifle only when I'm ready to shoot.

So, those levered, detachable mounts are not actually on there at the moment but could be substituted if needed?

I wouldn't worry too much as long as an Allen key in your pocket could get the existing mounts and scope off within a minute or two.

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:
So, those levered, detachable mounts are not actually on there at the moment but could be substituted if needed?

Hello sambarman338
Thanks for the reply.

No, the levers are permanently in place "on the right side" of the scope rings. You just can't see them in the picture which shows the left side. I only have pictures of the right side of the rifle.

Didn't Roy Weatherby use the Brevex for some of his earlier 378s

quote:

Originally posted by Mike McGuire:
Didn't Roy Weatherby use the Brevex for some of his earlier 378s

Hello Mike McGuire,
Thanks for the reply.

Yes, Brevex actions were used on a very few early Weatherby 378 and 460 rifles. Winslow Arms also used a Brevex action for one 378 Wby Mag and one 460 Wby Mag. I have the one in 378 Wby Mag caliber.

quote:

Originally posted by buckstix:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike McGuire:
Didn't Roy Weatherby use the Brevex for some of his earlier 378s

Hello Mike McGuire,
Thanks for the reply.

Yes, Brevex actions were used on a very few early Weatherby 378 and 460 rifles. Winslow Arms also used a Brevex action for one 378 Wby Mag and one 460 Wby Mag. I have the one in 378 Wby Mag caliber.

Those Winslow rifle were wild looking guns.

Amazing you have the only one they made in 378. You have some interesting gear that is for sure.

General Curtis Lemay had a Weatherby 378 in the Schultz & Larsen Model 54.

I think I remember reading somewhere that Weatherby made 2000 378s in actions like the Schultz & Larsen Model 54 and Brevex before the Mark V was introduced.

Thanks for the write up. I enjoyed the whole story, but did a double take when I saw the issue of "Magnum" magazine. I bought that issue over the counter in Zimbabwe on my first trip to Africa in 1994. I knew next to nothing about DG rifles back then, but the "Make mine a turn bolt" article made a lasting impression on me and my thinking about what I wanted in a DGR.

I kept that rational in mind when I decided to build a 500 cal bolt rifle in the early 2000s, rather than go the double rifle route.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike McGuire:

quote:

Originally posted by buckstix:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike McGuire:
Didn't Roy Weatherby use the Brevex for some of his earlier 378s

Hello Mike McGuire,
Thanks for the reply.

Yes, Brevex actions were used on a very few early Weatherby 378 and 460 rifles. Winslow Arms also used a Brevex action for one 378 Wby Mag and one 460 Wby Mag. I have the one in 378 Wby Mag caliber.

Those Winslow rifle were wild looking guns.

Amazing you have the only one they made in 378. You have some interesting gear that is for sure.

They sure are/were wild-looking rifles, as '60s as flared pants. I recall one on the red cover of a magazine from about 1965 and remember the plunging grip cap, hollow behind the MC and the basket-weave chequering.

Did they invent the roll-over comb?

While I realise it makes a rounder surface to butt against your cheek bone without adding lots of wood, it does look a bit strange now. I'm considering buying an old Zastava with one and the big, contrasting grip cap - but am tempted to make some alterations, oblivious of the further reduction in value that might cost.

.



.

This is a off topic for this story, but I'll diverge a bit. Perhaps someday I'll do another story of the "Winslow Episode" of my collecting, because that's how I got my first Double Rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana_500:
Thanks for the write up. I enjoyed the whole story, but did a double take when I saw the issue of "Magnum" magazine. I bought that issue over the counter in Zimbabwe on my first trip to Africa in 1994. I knew next to nothing about DG rifles back then, but the "Make mine a turn bolt" article made a lasting impression on me and my thinking about what I wanted in a DGR.

I kept that rational in mind when I decided to build a 500 cal bolt rifle in the early 2000s, rather than go the double rifle route.

Hello Bwana_500,
Thanks for the reply.

Yes, Carl was a very convincing writer, and his opinions were based on his personal experiences. Just look at his "kill sheet" record. Those were his kills, and didn't include the hundreds of kills of his clients.

I have all but one of the Magnum publications that show his articles.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike McGuire:Those Winslow rifle were wild looking guns.

Amazing you have the only one they made in 378. You have some interesting gear that is for sure.

Hello Mike McGuire
Thanks for the reply.

I was once a big time Winslow Arms collector. I had 7 of them. During my collecting of Winslow rifles, I became friends with the widow of the last Winslow Arms company owner. In the early years, she was also a Winslow Arms employee and kept the production records. I obtained copies of those production records and still look-up information for Winslow collectors. Those records show that only one 378 Wby Mag cal, and only one 460 Wby Mag cal were produced. And both of those were built on Brevex Magnum Actions, the only 2 Brevex Actions ever used by Winslow.

Yes, some were very radical with lots of fancy inlays. This one was the fanciest one that I once owned. It was a 375 Weatherby Mag caliber. The stock inlay was carved Rhino Horn and it was signed my the stock maker/carver, Nils Hultgren. Nils also once worked for Weatherby, and for A&M. He could knock out one of those Fancy Winslow stocks in one day. Nils was originally from Wisconsin.

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338: They sure are/were wild-looking rifles, as '60s as flared pants.

Hello sambarman338,
Thanks for the reply

Yes, they were very radical. They were like a Weatherbys on steroids. As I said, I was once a Winslow collector. I sold off the Rhino horn rifle shown above, to a Winslow family descendant. Soon after I parted with the others. I always displayed my Winslow collection at local Gun Shows. At one of those Gun Shows, the Gun Show promoter really liked them, so he bought one. It was a 375 H&H. Shortly thereafter, he decided he wanted more. At the time he had a cased Alex Henry 450 3-1/4" Falling block rifle with all the accessories, and a cased Daniel Fraser 9.3x74R Double rifle. He said he didn't care much for "foreign" guns, and he really liked my Winslows, so he ended up trading his 2 foreign guns, for 4 of my Winslow rifles. That's how I ended up with my Alexander Henry and my Daniel Fraser. That Fraser was my first ever Double rifle and got me hooked on doubles.



The only Winslow rifle I kept is the one in 378 Wby Mag cal because its a "one-of-a-kind" built on a Breves action, and I collect Brevex Action rifles. Other than the sweeping stock lines, my 378 Winslow is pretty plain compared to the others I once had. It doesn't have any fancy ivory inlays, and the stock has plain skip-line checkering instead of the fancy basket-weave or vine carving.

quote:

Originally posted by sambarman338:

They sure are/were wild-looking rifles, as '60s as flared pants. I recall one on the red cover of a magazine from about 1965 and remember the plunging grip cap, hollow behind the MC and the basket-weave chequering.

Did they invent the roll-over comb?

While I realise it makes a rounder surface to butt against your cheek bone without adding lots of wood, it does look a bit strange now. I'm considering buying an old Zastava with one and the big, contrasting grip cap - but am tempted to make some alterations, oblivious of the further reduction in value that might cost.

The whole idea of, let's call it Weatherby style, is the drop is like a traditional English open sighted rifle and a comb or cheek piece is added because of scope height.

I don't know if you remember but there was fibreglass stock maker in QLD, Corporal Trading?? and they made one stock that would be classed as classic American the other was a copy of the Mark V stock and the Mark V copy was their recommendation for big kickers.

Thank you for taking the time to share all this with us. I enjoyed the whole story very much.

buckstix's presentation is great for sure,
including this by Carl's son:

http://www.labuschagne.info/ca...gne.htm#.XZpu5EZKjIV

Carl and his son:



which also includes this article by Carl:

http://www.labuschagne.info/a-...ica.htm#.XZpv4kZKjIU

Carl's Pop, holding Carl's Grandpa's rifle:


"Chip off the old block" comes to mind.

Altogether, this thread is plumb fantastical !

Rip ...

quote:

Originally posted by RIP:
".... Altogether, this thread is plumb fantastical !

Rip ...

Hello Rip,
Thanks for the reply.

Yes, the history about Carl is really awesome. I am honored to own his rifle.

Thanks guys, the Winslow story is great, too. No Mike, I'm afraid I don't recall that Qld rifle stock. Somehow the enterprise reminds me of Purvis sports cars.

Hello sanbarman338
Thanks for the reply.

Someday I'll post detail pictures of all the other Winslow rifles that I once owned.

These from Weatherby would give the Winslow a run for their money. I was Mike375 back then.

http://forums.accuratereloadin.../913107281#913107281

Hello Mike McGuire,
Thanks for the reply.

Back in the 1970s, the stocks with the carved basket pattern with the ivory animal inlays, were made for Roy Weatherby by Nils Hultgren. He worked for Weatherby, and then also as an independent stock maker back then.

quote:

Originally posted by buckstix:
Hello Mike McGuire,
Thanks for the reply.

Back in the 1970s, the stocks with the carved basket pattern with the ivory animal inlays, were made for Roy Weatherby by Nils Hultgren. He worked for Weatherby, and then also as an independent stock maker back then.

Thanks for the info. Also, notice those Herb Klein rilfes were 264 WM and 284 WM. I wonder if they were on the 300 case or shorter 270 Wby case.

I have a feeling custom gun builder Ryan Breeding worked for Weatherby at one time or maybe it was someone else that is/was a wll known custom builder.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike McGuire:

quote:

Originally posted by buckstix:
Hello Mike McGuire,
Thanks for the reply.

Back in the 1970s, the stocks with the carved basket pattern with the ivory animal inlays, were made for Roy Weatherby by Nils Hultgren. He worked for Weatherby, and then also as an independent stock maker back then.

Thanks for the info. Also, notice those Herb Klein rilfes were 264 WM and 284 WM. I wonder if they were on the 300 case or shorter 270 Wby case.

I have a feeling custom gun builder Ryan Breeding worked for Weatherby at one time or maybe it was someone else that is/was a wll known custom builder.

Gill Van Horn was the bloke I was thinking of and he had an association with Ryan Breeding.

I don't know that Carl could claim fame for pioneering the use of scout scopes for dangerous game rifles although maybe for Africa he did. I think his idol Pondoro Taylor mentions the value of scout scopes somewhere in his books. Judging by the early dates Carl hunted and most likely used his scout scopes, I had perhaps a little earlier installed the very same Leupold EER scope on my Mauser Type A 404 shortly after returning from buffalo hunting in Australia in 1978. I'm sure others must have done so earlier than that too although it is probably not the most popular scope mounting system out.

For what it is worth a Weaver bridge mount sits perfectly level from the receiver ring to the rear flat behind the standing blade on the safari sight fitted to the large ring M98 Oberndorf Mauser sporter. I drilled and tapped two mounting holes on the receiver ring and one on the rear flat of the safari sight and epoxied glued the base and screws. The 2X EER Leupold can be mounted in a 'semi-scout' position where it can be used with either both eyes open or one shut if more comfortable with that.

The photo below shows my setup and a view thru the scope. A quick flick of a knife blade is all that is required to loosen the Weaver rings on the bridge mount to remove the scope and it returns to zero as good as any other QD mounting system. One thing for sure my scope has never moved in four decades on the 404.

Hello Mike McGuire
Thanks for the reply.

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:
I don't know that Carl could claim fame for pioneering the use of scout scopes for dangerous game rifles although maybe for Africa he did. I think his idol Pondoro Taylor mentions the value of scout scopes somewhere in his books. Judging by the early dates Carl hunted and most likely used his scout scopes, I had perhaps a little earlier installed the very same Leupold EER scope on my Mauser Type A 404 shortly after returning from buffalo hunting in Australia in 1978. I'm sure others must have done so earlier than that too although it is probably not the most popular scope mounting system out.

Hello eagle27
Thanks for the reply.

Not sure who first used the scout rifle scope mounting system, but it sure works. Its fast, and keeps the action area clear for fast reloading or topping-off if necessary.

quote:

Originally posted by eagle27:

That's a pretty good picture, Eagle, not only in regard your ability to take it but also the relatively good field blending Leupolds give.

Someone showed a view through a Docter scope here recently; the picture and reticle were fine but the image-movement field stop and rubber eye piece took up most of the photo:
https://ssaagunsales.com/listing/21559

Excellent photos and story! I love a good gun story.

quote:

Originally posted by Buglemintoday:
Excellent photos and story! I love a good gun story.

Hello Buglemintoday,
Thanks for the reply.

I also love guns with stories, and try to document them for future owners.