Hoffman Arms 10.75x68

09 April 2018, 18:28

At the Tulsa Arms Show over the weekend I was able to pick up Hoffman Arms 10.75x68 from a friend. I looked at this rifle when I was at his house last year and fell in love with it then. So when I was helping him set up his table on Friday I pulled this rifle out of the case, and when i realized which one it was I just had to take it home with me. It is one of the rifles built in their later years when they were located in Amarillo Texas. My friend that I got it from said that he had bought it from Ray Atkinson several years back. When I was back up at the show yesterday, I was able to find a couple of old boxes of Kynoch ammo for it, and a Rigby hard leather case that it fits nicely in. Hope you all enjoy.

09 April 2018, 19:06

Redoak8

Wow!

Really Nice!

Thanks for posting the photos.

09 April 2018, 19:20

ismith

Beautiful rifle! Thanks for sharing.

09 April 2018, 20:33

Jmbrown

Thanks! I'll take some pictures of the shroud and safety in just a little bit. It's a pretty neat safety design that I hadn't seen before.

09 April 2018, 20:41

bpesteve

Beautiful!

The bolt shroud and safety look like the ones on the model 21 & 22 Brno rifles, which in turn look like a '95 Mannlicher straight pull. One of my favorite styles of safety, although one could argue they are too easily pushed off inadvertently.

09 April 2018, 22:04

Frostbit

Beautiful and welcome to the Hoffman family. I'll be interested in a range report.

Cheers
Jim

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09 April 2018, 22:12

Atkinson

I did own that rifle for quite some time, the person you purchased it from used to be a regular on AR...I shot 3 or 4 Buffalo with that gun..At the time is was hell to load for, no brass or load data, but Im sure you got the load data with it and the seller had a ton of brass for it also RCBS custom dies..Hornaber makes brass..I have often lamented on selling that gun, its a good'un..You done good!!

BTW, it killed buffalo as well as any other caliber Ive used on the black bulls. The advent of the later monolithic and Woodleighs changed the bad rap it got some many years ago.

09 April 2018, 23:01

Jmbrown

Thanks!
Ray, I am getting load data and some components from him in the next couple of weeks when I get the chance to run down to his house. I'm really looking forward to playing with this rifle some and seeing how it will do. I ran out to the range with it yesterday evening and shot a couple of the old Kynoch shells through it, just to cure an itchy trigger finger.

09 April 2018, 23:08

Jmbrown

Here's some better pictures of the shroud and safety that were asked for. The safety being located on the left side seems to be in the perfect spot when you've gotta flip it off in a hurry. With the safety in the up position it is on safe, but the bolt does not lock and flipped down is fire. It is very crisp and does not seem like it could be fipped off unintentionally very easily.

10 April 2018, 00:14

igorrock

I have bought similar BRNO safety to my both Mausers. I like it very much.

10 April 2018, 01:05

butchlambert

A very very classy and beautiful rifle.

10 April 2018, 01:50

john waugh

thanks for the photos....as another hoffman owner..i really like to see anything "hoffman"..also lookking for a hoffman barrel..i have a squarebridge magnum with ..harry snyder's signature in gold on the floorplate....but..over the years someone switched out the barrel.....best regards...john

10 April 2018, 04:57

kda55

Any chance of photos of the inletting. Like to see how it was done in the day.

10 April 2018, 05:01

Jmbrown

I'll try to get it out of the stock again, and get some pictures of it. It's SUPER tight in the stock.

10 April 2018, 06:53

Lee Baumgart

That is a classic. Thank you for sharing.

Lee

10 April 2018, 09:12

Mike_TX

Very nice - true classic!

10 April 2018, 09:43

Savage_99

quote:
Originally posted by Jmbrown:
Here's some better pictures of the shroud and safety that were asked for. The safety being located on the left side seems to be in the perfect spot when you've gotta flip it off in a hurry. With the safety in the up position it is on safe, but the bolt does not lock and flipped down is fire. It is very crisp and does not seem like it could be fipped off unintentionally very easily.
Looks too easy to bump off to me!

10 April 2018, 15:56

ColoradoMatt

Spectacular! Thanks for sharing!

Matt
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12 April 2018, 14:19

ColoradoMatt

The 10.75x68 can be loaded with stripper-clips. I wonder why it was decided to flatten out the rear bridge?

27 April 2018, 22:03

Jmbrown

Loaded up some shells the other day with 400 grain Woodleighs and varget and went and shot the rifle a little bit. The group pictured was at 50 yards and was the first group shot with the rifle. I'm gonna load up some more shells with 350 grain Woodleighs tonight and hopefully go shoot it again this weekend.

27 April 2018, 22:36

BaxterB

Bummer it doesn’t shoot...maybe the 350s will... ;-)

28 April 2018, 00:27

Jmbrown

I know! Maybe it would help if I just mill a dovetail on the quarter rib to mount a red dot on it like some of the double rifles now a days have.

28 April 2018, 09:00

ismith

What’s the length of the inside of the magazine?

28 April 2018, 14:48

Jmbrown

I'll have to measure it later. I think it's right around 3.375. Standard OAL of the 10.75x68 is 3.189 and I've got my bullets seated out 3.310 so that the edge of the case mouth meets up at the cannelure and it still has a little room left in the magazine.

28 April 2018, 17:50

ismith

quote:
Originally posted by Jmbrown:
I'll have to measure it later. I think it's right around 3.375. Standard OAL of the 10.75x68 is 3.189 and I've got my bullets seated out 3.310 so that the edge of the case mouth meets up at the cannelure and it still has a little room left in the magazine.

Thanks!

28 April 2018, 23:34

Jmbrown

Looks like 3.415

29 April 2018, 03:16

richj

Nice open grip there... NOT. Beautiful rifle

29 April 2018, 03:24

richj

What's the barrel length?

29 April 2018, 03:45

bwanamrm

Darn, too bad Biebs doesn't own this rifle or we would get a shot at it in a month or two...

Seriously, quality piece. I really like that rifle!

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29 April 2018, 03:59

Jmbrown

Thanks! The barrel is 24 inches.

29 April 2018, 16:35

ColoradoMatt

quote:
Originally posted by Jmbrown:
Looks like 3.415

If you get a chance, could you measure the magazine width front and rear? I am in the process of gathering components for a 10.75x68 build. Original Oberndorf magazines are rather short. Sounds like yours may have an Oberndorf 30-06 magazine, which is good, as it allow enough length for mono’s.

29 April 2018, 18:15

cal pappas

As Shirley Temple said, "Oh my goodness" folks in those days knew how to make a rifle! It's so sad today that such a large number of "custom shop" rifles are just plastic stocks screwed to CNC machined metal and then only hand work is to program the computer.
Congratulations on the purchase if such a fine rifle.
Cal

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29 April 2018, 19:23

Biebs

Here's another:

http://www.gunsinternational.c...cfm?gun_id=101027205

30 April 2018, 02:00

richj

farting around. I like the stock.

30 April 2018, 02:04

Atkinson

I,m almost certain I had the late Tony Barnes of Twin Falls installe that Brno safety on that gun. Why I ever parted with it I'll always wonder, but again I am forever a gun whore and after shooting several buffalo I got bored and sold it to LB-404 or AR fame who also shot some buffalo with it as I recall..Its a great gun.

30 April 2018, 05:18

Jmbrown

Thanks everybody! I went out and shot the rifle again yesterday with some 350 grain Woodleighs using IMR 4198. It shot them very accurately, but pressures were getting a little high and it was flattening primers pretty bad and the velocity was quite a bit lower than I was expecting, so I'm gonna go back and try another powder.

ColoradoMatt, the magazine is .905 at the rear and .705 at the front. Keep us updated on the progress of the build when you get is started. I'd love to see what your rifle turns out like.

30 April 2018, 05:21

cal pappas

quote:
Originally posted by Jmbrown:
Thanks everybody! I went out and shot the rifle again yesterday with some 350 grain Woodleighs using IMR 4198. It shot them very accurately, but pressures were getting a little high and it was flattening primers pretty bad and the velocity was quite a bit lower than I was expecting, so I'm gonna go back and try another powder.

ColoradoMatt, the magazine is .905 at the rear and .705 at the front. Keep us updated on the progress of the build when you get is started. I'd love to see what your rifle turns out like.

Great shooting! I can't get groups this tight if I tape the target to the muzzle.
Cal

30 April 2018, 05:42

Jmbrown

Hahahaha thanks Cal!

30 April 2018, 20:23

ColoradoMatt

quote:
Originally posted by Jmbrown:
Thanks everybody! I went out and shot the rifle again yesterday with some 350 grain Woodleighs using IMR 4198. It shot them very accurately, but pressures were getting a little high and it was flattening primers pretty bad and the velocity was quite a bit lower than I was expecting, so I'm gonna go back and try another powder.

ColoradoMatt, the magazine is .905 at the rear and .705 at the front. Keep us updated on the progress of the build when you get is started. I'd love to see what your rifle turns out like.

Sounds like Oberndorf ‘06 bottle metal. I’m planning on using a Blackburn 9.3x64 bottom metal. I have an Oberndorf ‘06 action but it’s been drilled. If I can get the holes filled and cleaned up, I may use it, but I don’t know yet.

08 May 2018, 00:36

Atkinson

I shot 350s in it with a fast ball powder and it was very accurate and fast at 2350 FPS as I recall..I think it was 335 but wouldn't swear to it, but LB has that load in the data I sent him..My favorite load was the 400 gr. Woodleigh softs and solids