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I am delighted to share some photos of my new Mauser custom rifle, which was built for me to my tastes and preferences by Matthew Roberts: Matt's work is impeccable, and Matt is a great guy and wonderful to deal with besides. I can't wait to take this fine rifle afield! Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | ||
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Very, very nice. Classic elegance. Good job Matt! | |||
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Maybe you should have looked for wood with some figure! LMAO Sick rifle bruh! (the kids mean this as "way better than just good") Matthew built you a fabulous rifle. Congratulations to you both. Zeke | |||
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Simply superb. Couple of questions please Mike. 1). The symbol on the magazine floorplate seems unusual. Is that an original feature now enhanced or something of your design ? If you don't mind me asking, what does it signify ? 2). In the last pic, what is the small white dot on the side of the front sight ramp ? Hunting.... it's not everything, it's the only thing. | |||
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Thank you. All credit goes to Matthew Roberts. The stock is made of Bastogne walnut, from a blank I bought many years ago. Matthew turned it into a masterpiece using his Hatari pattern. It is even more beautiful in the hand than in the photos. The floorplate is hand-engraved and gold-inlaid with a traditional Celtic cross. I chose it as a token of remembrance and appreciation for my Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Breton ancestors, all devout Christians. It is a difficult and wondrous work for an engraver to achieve, with intricate and intertwined Celtic knots on the stem and arms and in the center of the cross, and a golden border and halo all around. Finis coronat opus. The bead on the front sight ramp is a spring-loaded button that locks the front sight hood in place. It mates with a semi-circular recess cut into the hood, and on my rifle has been left "in the white." It is a feature of Recknagel/NECG front sight ramps. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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Its always interesting to hear what accoutrements were chosen for such a special rifle: Barrel, bottom metal, bolt handle, safety, trigger, etc.? KJK | |||
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Happy to oblige! The barrel is a Shilen, 25 inches long, with a 1 in 10" twist. Bottom metal is Sunny Hill. Bolt handle is a Matthew Roberts Oberndorf with three panel checkering. Safety is a J. Wisner three position. Trigger is an Alaska Arms single stage and breaks clean at just under two pounds. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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It’s beautiful | |||
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Exquisite. Love the wood and the Celtic cross. Doug Humbarger NRA Life member Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club 72'73. Yankee Station Try to look unimportant. Your enemy might be low on ammo. | |||
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Kudos to both of you. Very nice. | |||
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ooooooh I love that! Nice touch on the Celtic cross! Also, you HAVE to love the jeweled bolt. It looks like the follower has some intricate details on it as well doesn’t it? | |||
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I would be delighted to share that rifle with you. That's what I call a nicely made workhorse not a safe queen with all manner of silly adornments, 5 cartridges engraved on the floor plate for owners who can't remember how many their rifle mag holds, excessive relief engraving etc. I like the 'proper' Pachmayr Old English recoil pad fitted to that beautiful wood too. Your tastes and preferences are spot IMO. | |||
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That front sight ramp is very cool. | |||
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Wow! Magnificent. | |||
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That is a very nice looking rifle. | |||
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Beautiful rifle! I am anxiously awaiting my turn in the line with Matthew, he is doing a 300 H&H on a GMA for me. | |||
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Basogne, Cl,aro...just doesn't send my flag up the pole..But ..have to admit it just kind of fits the theme of this rifle..well done! | |||
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Gorgeous!!! DRSS | |||
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I cannot keep my eyes off your rifle! Sorry (not sorry) for my lustful gaze! Zeke | |||
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Congratulations to you and Mr. Roberts, Mike. You're both deserving of the kudos for a job well completed. Thanks for sharing. Now, what are you planning to do with it?! We better see some photos in the hunt reports section, pronto! _____________________________________________________ No safe queens! | |||
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Very nicely accomplished~ Great checkering and overall detailing~ Very elegant architecture~ Who added the attractive engraving an gold-work? ACGG Life Member, since 1985 | |||
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Sweet looking rifle and classic caliber. Gorgeous stick of wood. Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue. What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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excellent in every detai WELL DONE | |||
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What scope with the rifle wear? What is the principle game the rifle will hunt? KJK | |||
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A very different Bastogne blank, and one heck of a nice rifle that you put a lot of thought into, enjoy. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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My favorite stock design set up for irons but just high enough to work fine with a scope contrary to some who prefer the long straight stock that comes back at you like a torpedo..Just my two bits but hey I learned to shoot stocks with that design with the early mod 70s and gild guns thank goodness. I never could buy off on that 3 point hookup as necessary or stocks designed so, but thats a personal choice..I could shoot this gun with irons and scope equally as well..good job, good stock, good caliber, congrats.. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Thank you, all. All credit really and truly belongs to Matthew Roberts. I cannot praise his work or recommend him highly enough! Matt knows his profession so well. Before starting work and during the build, Matt asked me any number of questions about what I wanted and made many excellent suggestions about what to do regarding features and finishes and engraving, many of which would not even have crossed my mind. The result is what you see. Some answers to questions: Sabretooth - The follower is engine turned in the same pattern as the bolt and extractor. It is finer than a lot of jeweling one sees and adds greatly to the beauty of the rifle, IMHO. Kolo-Pan and Clayman - Not sure what I will hunt first with this rifle. I have several international hunts for suitable game coming up, so I'm sure I will find something! SDH - The engraver did a fantastic job but I didn't get his or her name. Kolo-Pan - Not 100% sure about the scope. It will either be a Schmidt & Bender Zenith 2.5-10x56 Flash Dot or a Leica Amplus 6 2.5-15x56i. I will try both of them and decide which I like better. Now I need to choose and mount the scope, load up some ammunition and head to the range! Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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I stand impressed. Matt turns out incredible work. Now that yours is done, he has a 7x57/.275 Rigby that should be ready for deer and stag season for yours truly. Will post photos when this is done! Congrats Michael! | |||
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Wow Mike! Thanks for the very kind words and ringing endorsement! I appreciate all the other comments as well. We've been off the grid this week traveling across the country. This post is very nice to see. I would add that the client/gunmaker relationship is very much a two way street and it was a pleasure working with you on this. Can't wait to see what adventures you take it on! | |||
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The scope bases look like early Talley or maybe Warne. My .458 Dakota has special Talley bases and they also have a scant recoil stop on the front of the bases. It's amazing to me how little steel it takes in front of a scope ring to stop the scope from moving. Quick, Cheap, or Good: Pick Two | |||
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A beautiful rifle. Matt is a great guy and an excellent gunsmith/gun builder. Hoping you find many opportunities to put her to good use Mike. Congrats! On the plains of hesitation lie the bleached bones of ten thousand, who on the dawn of victory lay down their weary heads resting, and there resting, died. If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch... Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son! - Rudyard Kipling Life grows grim without senseless indulgence. | |||
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