I finally had my second custom built. My first was a 7x57 on an 09 Mauser. This is the second rifle I have ever ordered built. It's a 257Roberts on a Winchester Model 70 Classic action. The barrel is a Lilja 3 groove 22". Stock is a very nice piece of California Walnut with an ebony tip (with widows peak) grip cap is a steel checkered 2 screw and pad is a silvers. Swivels bases are Talley Oval Base. Bolt handle is a McFarland 2 panel. Bottom metal is Winchester with Williams guard. Scope is a Zeiss Diavari Z 3-12 x 56 MC in Leupold rings and bases. Irons are ERA fully adjustable pedastal rear wide 'V' with front band ramp with gold bead with flip-up night sight (I know dumb on a 257 but I just LIKE iron sights on a rifle). Action has been fully blueprinted and stock is fully glassed. Checkering is a simple pattern to not steal from the wood. Checkered flawlessly by Tim Smith-Lyon who is both fast and reasonable. Rifle was built by Brian Murray,
Murphy's Guns & Gunsmithing in Tucson. I have 40 rounds of 110gr Accubonds loaded to break it in with tomorrow. Sorry about the quality of the pictures as they in no way convey the quality of the rifle they represent. I will try and get some better ones ,just wanted to show it off as I'm quite proud of it.

Beautiful rifle, with good lines.
It's in a good caliber too.

Don

Very, very nice!

Very nice and the iron sites are a must. I think scopes size over powers the rifles beauty though. But that is just a personal taste.

First off, a very, very nice rifle and package.

Second, I think you are building custom rilfes just to show off those tusks again. And again.

Third, normally it freaks me out to see a photo of these guys that post on the forum but I am dying of curiosity. How about someone taking a pic of you sitting on the table in front of those tusks?

Will,
I'm sure you will think this is BS but thats about the only place in my house I had to set the board. My tripod won't go down further than 2 feet and this just works out to the right height. If I knew how to do things in the photo programs I would blank out the background. I see so many beautiful pictures on here that it's frustrating to try and compete. This rifle especially the wood is so much prettier than the pictures show it's a crime to show them. As to a picture of me,I live alone so no one to take it. That's me sitting on the elephant in my Avatar. Just an old fat bald headed man with a white beard certainly nothing to show off in a picture. I know the scope overpowers the rifle and the whole rig weighs abou 9+ lbs but I dearly love the Zeiss when I look thru it and it was not intended as an offhand rifle in any case. When I went to gunsmith school in 1952 I carried with me a byf Mauser that a friend had rebarreled for me. A Pfieffer 22" midweight barrel in 257 Roberts. The bolt handle was a 2 panel straight handle. Was done for me by a gunsmith in Koscuisko,Ms named Red ? (cannot for the life remember his last name seems like it was Ware). I got to school and found it would be a year before I actually WORKED on anything so I traded the barreled action for a shootable rifle by a guy named Gerald Paulsen. Have never owned a 257 since so took this opportunity to finally fulfill that desire. The only two custom rifles I own(other than those I built) were both built by close friends and have special meaning to me. I'm curious as to how the 3 groove Lilja shoots and cleans as have never seen one before. Ordered it just to try something new with an old caliber. Thank you for your kind comments and interest.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
How about someone taking a pic of you sitting on the table in front of those tusks?

Will, care to show some leadership and doing exactly that for us.....we all know you have an ele somewhere!!!

The only tusks I have are rats. Not even in the same league!

Zim

That Rifle is absolutely gorgeous, and you should be very proud of it. About the only thing is that Leupold doesn't seem to want to make a rear base for the classic action that doesn't have to hang over the bolt becasue you have a scope thats long enough to mount.


Let us know how she shoots.

beautiful rifle, pass on my congrats to the builder!!

Rich
DRSS

That's sweet