Maker was "Ferguson" according to seller. Al Bieson grip cap, Niedner steep butt plate, Jantz model 75 safety, Blackburn trigger guard/bottom metal. Calber is 6mm Rem. Action is a FN. There is no rear sling swivel installed so I will need to get that done. Lots of fiddleback in the wood, maybe bastogne??? [URL= ] [/URL] [URL= ] [/URL] [URL= ] [/URL] [URL= ] [/URL] [URL= ] [/URL] [URL= ] [/URL]
Posts: 411 | Location: USA | Registered: 26 March 2016
Twist is 1:10 which is what I expected given the presumed age of the build. I plan to try some 80 gr Barnes TTSX bullets at decent speeds, maybe 3400 fps or so. Should be a great little deer and coyote rifle out here in CA.
Posts: 411 | Location: USA | Registered: 26 March 2016
Thanks to all for the complements. If it doesn't shoot I am in it cheap enough that I can get it rebarreled and still feel like I got a great deal. Of course, if that happens it might turn into a 7x57...
Posts: 411 | Location: USA | Registered: 26 March 2016
Have tried to learn more about the builder, Ferguson, not really finding anything, do you know anything more, for example is he still around, was he an American, that kind of stuff? Thanks
I seem to recall a Ferguson who used to post on here occasionally. Seems that maybe I bought a scope from him several years ago. Out of Montana maybe. Been a long time. Maybe Bill? I believe Monte Manderino recommended him to me for some work at one time. As I recall he did some pretty fair work.
John
Posts: 575 | Location: illinois | Registered: 03 April 2003
The info that I was given listed Ferguson as working in Ashland, Oregon. I will post this over at doublegunshop and see if I get a response. Thanks for the tip Mr. Hughes. I enjoyed listening to your interview with Reto by the way.
Posts: 411 | Location: USA | Registered: 26 March 2016
I was able to get ahold of Bill Ferguson and he was kind enough to look it over. He said it looks like a build he may have done some 35 years ago. All of his barrel work was done by CP Donnelly in Grants Pass and the font for the caliber looks right. He also lived in Ashland, OR where my note said the rifle was built. He doesn't recall the specific details such as the barrel band and grip cap. All in all, I am pretty confident that it is indeed his work.
Posts: 411 | Location: USA | Registered: 26 March 2016
Glad you figured that out bghntr. It has always baffled me how or why someone doing professional quality work would not be proud enough to sign it in some way so it could be identified by all who looked at it. I began using mt first form sdh stamp very early in my career. They are well know in the trade and one very seldom sees a gun attributed to me.
I have evolved through 4 professionally made SDH stamps over the years and am now on the verge of destroying them so they will never be used by anyone else. Point of fact; I recently disassembled a known Jerry Fisher rifle that had been purchase from Jerry's widow Celeste Fisher who said he had built it in the 1960's and one owner had kept it and hunted a lifetime with it. I know Celeste well and spoke with her about the rifle and heard the story of the client from Celeste. But the new owner, my friend Kirk was delighted and relieved when I found the professional stamp in the barrel channel reading, " Jerry Fisher, Kalispell MT." Over the years I've seen several rifles identified as Jerry's work. Most often as Jerry Fischer and there may have been a gunmaker by that name? Later in his career Fisher had his name engraved on the rifle barrel of most of his projects, where all could see it.
Thank you again for pointing me in the right directions Mr. Hughes. There is a lot of unsigned work out there and like you, I don't understand why the gunmakers don't sign their names to it...
Posts: 411 | Location: USA | Registered: 26 March 2016
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