Maybe, but if the Smith is dead, and there are not many rifles of his work in pristine condition left, it would almost ammount to vandalism to take it out where it need not go, fall on it, and ruin it. Your moose and bears won't care what you pop them with.

If a government (like mine did) grabed it and mashed it there would rightly be a scream from Alaska to Adelaide.

I'm leaning towards hunting them. They either get hunted, or they get sold-no in between. By the way, I picked up the 30-06 for less than I would have to pay to get a similar rifle built by Dakota. The issue isn't the cost (I hunted my Dakotas no problem-all of which have moved on down the road for various and sundry reasons), the issue is the artisanship of Ottmar, and the fact that his work is absolutely irreplaceable. Ruin a Dakota stock-you can get another one from Dakota or another stockmaker. It painful to the pocketbook, but doable. Ruin an Ottmar and your choices are zero and none...

Just take it out and hunt with it on nice day's and enjoy it.

Terry