Here's one I built about 20 years ago.

English/Mauser/Krieger/Kepplinger/Kimber lever & 3 trap doors, 280 Remington. Yes it's a Monte Carlo and yes I like it and yes I'm building another one similar to it right now. But no skip-line checkering.....
Regards, Joe

i just read ac's post and something hit me like i was slamming into a brick wall at 80mph - that s.o.b.is OLD!!! I am talking methuselah territory here!



all in good fun bro! i know you know that, but this is to let others know it is just ribbing from a good bud

les-

great questions. Hands shot tonight and will reply when they are working better-hopefully tomorrow. Wanted to let you know I was not ignoring you or blowing you off or anything

skunk out

oh, and ac-good explanation of "ignorance." people can get all hot and bothered by the term even though it is many times ment to be derisive in the slightest

The year was 1955, For historical information only .

Signs of what I call the "California Look" show up a little earlier than I had thought.

This is a 1938 Frank Pachmayr, all the yellow is gold. Much of it has come off the scope mounting screws. You might take notice of the Zeiss scope, with windage.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Petrov:
The year was 1955, For historical information only .

quote:

World's Finest Optic...Covered in South American Lizard Skin.

Words fail me.

I recognize the stock in the first series of pictures as a Fajen product. It was called the Aristacrat pattern. That is a Fajen checkering pattern with border carving as illustrated in their catalogues. I still have a few of the old 1960's catalogues.

I knew of several gun tinkerers who would order a Sako or Mark X 98 action from Flaigs in Pennsylvania and have them fit a Douglas barrel then ship the assembly to Fajen and have them stock it. You had a choice of having the barreled action inletted to one of their patterns and the exterior unfinished. Or Fajen would do a turnkey job and completely finish and checker too. Even though out of style now, their skill level was pretty good.

A friend of mine would call Fajen and have them send him Polaroid photos of differant AAA fancy american walnut blanks to choose from. He would agonize over which one to choose for days. Finally he would make up his mind, call Flaigs and put everything in motion.

quote:

Originally posted by Craftsman:
I recognize the stock in the first series of pictures as a Fajen product. It was called the Aristacrat pattern. That is a Fajen checkering pattern with border carving as illustrated in their catalogues. I still have a few of the old 1960's catalogues.

I knew of several gun tinkerers who would order a Sako or Mark X 98 action from Flaigs in Pennsylvania and have them fit a Douglas barrel then ship the assembly to Fajen and have them stock it. You had a choice of having the barreled action inletted to one of their patterns and the exterior unfinished. Or Fajen would do a turnkey job and completely finish and checker too. Even though out of style now, their skill level was pretty good.

A friend of mine would call Fajen and have them send him Polaroid photos of differant AAA fancy american walnut blanks to choose from. He would agonize over which one to choose for days. Finally he would make up his mind, call Flaigs and put everything in motion.

You are correct, I pulled a late '60's Fajen cataloge and my rifle looks just like the 1 there .. thanks.

I think the stock in the OP looks great! At least I did when I was 15 (1963) and bought the same stock in about the same grade for a LH Savage 110 in 243 that I worked all summer to pay for. Had a Weaver 3x9 in Williams Rings and Mount on it. Problem was, I had the stock all summer and fall and didn't get the barreled action until 2 weeks before Texas deer season. I had spent the time "shaping" my stock and it fit me like a glove (not OJ's). When I got the action, I realized I had actually taken the top of the stock down at an angle from in front of the receiver to the tip so that the barrel was above the tip! Talk about ugly!! It was my only gun for deer season, so I had no choice but to bed it, sight it in and hunt it. Well, it liked everything I threw in it and was a consistent 1/2 -3/4 inch gun. Must have been that free floated fore end. I hunted with that gun for the next 25 years until some low life stole it and 5 others from me in Meridian, MS. Tastes change and I wouldn't go near that stock again unless it was to shape it into something more "classic", but then I also figured out I had no business being around good wood with sharp tools and have left that business to the folks that do it for a living and know what they are doing. I still have a new Aristocrat stock in my "project pile" (bought cheap off the web) and every time I look at it, it brings a smile and fond memories. However, when I feel patient enough to tackle it, it will definitely not wind up on a finished rifle in its original form.

>>>I took a course from Ansel Adams once and he couldn't explain what made a good photograph other than he knew what it was before he took it. Such was his famous 'Moonrise' picture. Is it 'art'?<<<

I never liked it nor most of his other stuff. But one he did of a dead tree next to a creek in winter was very good....

Two of my favorites, top craftmanship regardless of style:

The only problem I see with those two is that they don't show enough hunting wear

quote:

Originally posted by zimbabwe:
but Picasso is a joke of great expense

hey Zim:

Every been to Museo del Prado and seen Velasquez's Las Meninas? I love that painting. I remember Ms AZwriter telling me when we entered the room it was like the Mona Lisa, in that you only had to look for the crowd.

Anyway, later on that year we visited Barcelona. One of the places we went was the Picasso museum. I had no desire as I thought the guy was a crackpot and ripoff artist, kind of like Mark Rothko today. Anyway, in one room they showed a charcoal drawing of Hercules that Picasso did at age 9. He was doing masterpiece stuff by age 14. I was impressed. Then I went to the next room, and there were about 50 different versions of Las Meninas done in his cubism style; some had the princess's head lying on the floor, etc. I thought, "Wow, Picasso really liked that painting too."

I still much prefer good sporting art, but I do feel differently today about Picasso.

quote:

458Win: The only problem I see with those two is that they don't show enough hunting wear

#2 actually does have a fair amount, not by me unfortunately, but enough to account for several 100+ pounders (pp. 251-263, "Memoirs of An African Hunter", Terry Irwin)

Fla30-06

That is a gorgeous fiddleback maple stock on the top piece. Wish I lived close to you, I'd figure out a way to talk/trade/buy you out of it!

Can you tell us all something about it...maker? Chambering? Accuracy? Whether you've ever hunted with it? Anything else you find interesting as its owner? (And, is that a Monte Kennedy stock?..it sure looks like one to me.)

It may not be a modern "classic" in the eyes of the gunmaker's guild, but to me it is a fabulously beautiful rifle of true American "classic" style.

You are a lucky man indeed.

Canuck, I can't tell you much about it, got it years ago at a pawn shop. FN Supreme action, featherweight 26" barrel, 6mm Rem, accurate none-the-less with the big Leupold but mainly a safe queen. 60's styling isn't my cup of tea either but the stock work is very nicely executed, especially the checkering.

I would guess the California flair from the sixties is the only true all American design, isn't it?

Everybody seems keen on reproducing British and Germanic guns these day.

I like the old guns myself... This is a 6.5x06 by Flaig's

Whatever works. When it comes to the rest, "all is vanity"

quote:

Originally posted by fla3006:
Two of my favorites, top craftmanship regardless of style:

I used to collect Kleinguenthers. The bottom one reminds me of 3 I had, all pimped out like that one. French grey receivers, German engraver (name escapes me), R. Fajen stocks and sent to Wby in Cali for the inserts. I believe the stock guy at Wby was a "? James ?" Peterson.

I need to take a pic of the only 98 I own- Turkish Monte rollover, G&H sidemount .270 Win once owned by Clark Gable 60s vintage.

quote:

I need to take a pic of the only 98 I own- Turkish Monte rollover, G&H sidemount .270 Win once owned by Clark Gable 60s vintage.

Clark Gable died in February of 1960.

quote:

Originally posted by jim62:

quote:

I need to take a pic of the only 98 I own- Turkish Monte rollover, G&H sidemount .270 Win once owned by Clark Gable 60s vintage.

Clark Gable died in February of 1960.

Well then I stand corrected, that would make it 50s vintage then now wouldn't it - wrong thread then.

quote:

Originally posted by FMC:

quote:

Originally posted by jim62:

quote:

I need to take a pic of the only 98 I own- Turkish Monte rollover, G&H sidemount .270 Win once owned by Clark Gable 60s vintage.

Clark Gable died in February of 1960.

Well then I stand corrected, that would make it 50s vintage then now wouldn't it - wrong thread then.

1950's or 60s no matter..I am sure we'd all like to see some pics of a rifle Clark Gable once owned.

quote:

Originally posted by jim62:
1950's or 60s no matter..I am sure we'd all like to see some pics of a rifle Clark Gable once owned.

Yeah I need to do that and take some pics of conetrols also for another thread. Problem is not remembering to do it, but remembering why the hell I went into the other house............lol!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by FMC:

quote:

Originally posted by jim62:
1950's or 60s no matter..I am sure we'd all like to see some pics of a rifle Clark Gable once owned.

Yeah I need to do that and take some pics of conetrols also for another thread. Problem is not remembering to do it, but remembering why the hell I went into the other house............lol!!!!

Seriously, though.. I sure would love to see pics of that rifle.

Quick iPhone pics. The scope mount is a G&H style Echo, Unertl 4x Hawk.