Passed away the 14th. Truly a pioneer in American Custom Gunmaking

Sorry to hear it. I met him once just before he retired.

I didn't know him at all really but I did speak with him on the phone a couple times. I've had dealings with Roger.
Sorry for OUR loss and condolences to the family.
Zeke

So sorry to hear that.

Bummer. I talked with him a few times while Roger was doing some work for me. This was after his stroke, and though his quality of speech was effected, it did nothing to dim his mind! He left a heck of a legacy!

quote:

Originally posted by Duane Wiebe (CG&R):
Passed away the 14th. Truly a pioneer in American Custom Gunmaking

I was afraid you were going to say that when I saw the topic. You can't think of his name without thinking of Jack O'Connor. Wow, Al was almost 100 years old - he was 60 when Jack passed away. Man, I was just a kid then and now as the hit song by Lukas Graham goes, "Soon I'll be sixty years old..."

He was one of the legends. RIP, Al.

We are diminished...

A great master will be missed.

According to his website he was born in 1918 making him 97 or 98 years old--a very good run. RIP

My first true custom was a Biesen M70 Fwt 270 I paid $225 in 1965 at a gun show in Anoka,MN from Harry Frisbee(how many remember THAT name).It is stocked in Claro,perfectly checkered in #3 pattern.Over 50 yrs looking at it ,still cannot find any faults.Killed 5 deer&retired it.I thought all custom rifles were supposed to be like this,few are.RIP Al.

One of my favorite rifles is a .25-06 he built a number of years ago which found it's way into my safe. He was a legend and his works of functional art will be handed down from generation to generation.

My condolences to his family.

I've had a Biesen Model 70 in 7X57 for many years now. I have never hunted with it, maybe because I have other 7X57's, maybe because I just couldn't bear the thought of damaging it in any way. I had hoped for a son or grandson to pass it on to, but that hasn't materialized. None of my three sons is even slightly interested in hunting or shooting and the closest lives 700 miles away.

Recently, I decided it was time for someone else who appreciated it as much as I to have it, so I turned it over to Ken Pendleton of Pendleton Firearms to sell. You can find it on Guns International.

I never met the man either, but I felt like I knew him from Jack OConner's descriptions, and I did talk to him on the phone a time or two.

At age 77, I have seen many of the familiar names in great gunsmithing pass on, but it's comforting to know that the new crop is, if anything, even more talented.

The old time gunsmiths I have known were self taught and rarely had contact with one another to share ideas and techniques. It is to their credit that they did as well as they did, under the circumstances.

Great gunsmith whose work will be missed. We have very few young men to take his place. My condolences to his family. Some people in this world will be hard to be replaced.

Sad to hear this. He will be remembered well by many and when our time is up is about the best thing we can hope for, to have left something positive that will carry on long after we're gone.

Thank you, Duane, for bringing this to our attention.
The name Biesen will forever be in the upper echelons of the great American gunsmiths.
I can remember his name being brought up in conversation even when I was a kid.
Certainly one of the greats.

Very sorry. He lived a long and productive life and left quite a legacy. His son Roger cut a blank for me, one of a few with a Brevex pattern, at least then.

quote:

xausa:
At age 77, I have seen many of the familiar names in great gunsmithing pass on, but it's comforting to know that the new crop is, if anything, even more talented.

The old time gunsmiths I have known were self taught and rarely had contact with one another to share ideas and techniques. It is to their credit that they did as well as they did, under the circumstances.

Excellent.

quote:

Originally posted by Duane Wiebe (CG&R):
In the same breath, an enormous amount of credit for sharing ideas must go to Joe Oakley. He sponsored many of the gunmakers. old and new at his huge NRA booth for years. The display caught convention wide attention every time and many gun writers of the day wrote feature articles.

Us "youngsters" would have never met the likes of Monte Kennedy, Al Biesen, Leonard Brownnell. John Amber and so many other notables that were either part of the display or stopped by to visit

I have a pics somewhere of the Oakley booth when they were at an NRA event in SLC. Many of those named were at this event and were pictured in the photo. I was invited to the booth to meet and rub shoulders with the masters by Byrd Pearson. It's through him that I met Al and his son Roger.
Zeke

PS: it's been so many years ago that I hope my memory is accurate on the events of that day.

Xausa--Please check your Private Messages.

quote:

Originally posted by Duane Wiebe (CG&R):
In the same breath, an enormous amount of credit for sharing ideas must go to Joe Oakley. He sponsored many of the gunmakers. old and new at his huge NRA booth for years. The display caught convention wide attention every time and many gun writers of the day wrote feature articles.

Us "youngsters" would have never met the likes of Monte Kennedy, Al Biesen, Leonard Brownnell. John Amber and so many other notables that were either part of the display or stopped by to visit

For anyone that would like to see a photo of that, you need look no further than page 42 of your copy of the Gun Digest Review of Custom Guns edited by Ken Warner.

The sign says OAKLEY and MERKLEY, and pictured were Jay frazier, Joe Okaley, Dick Hodgson, Tom Burgess, Thomas Wilson, Larry Amrine, Robert Winter, Gary Goudy, Duane Wiebe, Steve Billeb, Phil Pinkington, Joe Balickie, Herman Waldron, Robert Swartley, Al Biesen, and Byrd Pierson.

Wonder how many here have guns by those fellows?

Oy I think I have that book

lindy2....that is a great book. I've worn the pages out on mine since the early 80'. I tried to get a clear photo of the page, this one was the best.

Hope you don't mind, gives me an excuse to try the scanner on the laser printer

Thanks for passing on the news Duane.

Does anyone know the date of that picture??

Thanks for posting. He was one of the greats.

Condolences.

Joe

I thought immediately of Jack O'Connor as well. He sure thought a lot of Al Biesen's work. I am amazed he was with us so long.

quote:

Originally posted by lindy2:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Malloy805:
Does anyone know the date of that picture??

One time when I was visiting Tom Burgess he told me that photo was taken at the 1979 NRA Meeting at Salt Lake City, but he didn't recall the exact date. I do not know if he was correct. You could check with the NRA. Or check with one of the other gentlemen who was there. /QUOTE]

Speaking of Jack O"Connor, if you ever find yourself in Lewiston ID, or across the River in Clarkston WA, or nearby, make it a point to visit the Jack O'Connor museum. There you will get to see up close and personal some of Jack's Rifles and trophies, including a couple of Rifles by Mr. Biesen.

I sure miss his trap buttplates. I have one on the only true custom rifle I've built for myself.

quote:

Originally posted by lindy2:

quote:

Originally posted by Duane Wiebe (CG&R):
In the same breath, an enormous amount of credit for sharing ideas must go to Joe Oakley. He sponsored many of the gunmakers. old and new at his huge NRA booth for years. The display caught convention wide attention every time and many gun writers of the day wrote feature articles.

Us "youngsters" would have never met the likes of Monte Kennedy, Al Biesen, Leonard Brownnell. John Amber and so many other notables that were either part of the display or stopped by to visit

For anyone that would like to see a photo of that, you need look no further than page 42 of your copy of the Gun Digest Review of Custom Guns edited by Ken Warner.

The sign says OAKLEY and MERKLEY, and pictured were Jay frazier, Joe Okaley, Dick Hodgson, Tom Burgess, Thomas Wilson, Larry Amrine, Robert Winter, Gary Goudy, Duane Wiebe, Steve Billeb, Phil Pinkington, Joe Balickie, Herman Waldron, Robert Swartley, Al Biesen, and Byrd Pierson.

Wonder how many here have guns by those fellows?

Wow. What a lineup.

Only ones missing from those days are Len Brownell and Dale Goens, unless memory fails me.

I have a LH 416 Hoffman built on a Dakota 76 action by Bob Winter.

Once I found out he had built the rifle I found his # and called him.

He was very gracious with his time and told me all about the build and the gentleman he built it for, a Dr. from Missouri. He then proceeded to mail me all of the notes and build sheet.

What a class act.

An example of Al Biesen's works of art. this one was made to the same specifications as those he built for Jack O'Connor.

We truly are diminished. He left quite a legacy.

Jack O'Connor wrote that his recovery from the auto accident started the minute he took possession of the rifle Al Bison did for him.

Joe