The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Guns, Politics, Gunsmithing & Reloading Gunsmithing Al and Roger Biesen Custom Rifles-Opinions?Go | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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One of Us |
Does anyone have any opinions or experience with the rifles produced by Al and or Roger Biesen? I am looking at doing a custom rifle on a pre-'64 M70 action and thought they might be a good choice. | ||
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I have a Mdl. 70 in .375 they built a few years back, and no complaint. Over the years, and many Gun Guild shows, have never heard anything derogatory about either. ~Arctic~ A stranger is a friend we haven't met | |||
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Cant go wrong with a Biesen custom. You're in good hands. | |||
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Chet, You can't go wrong by dealing with success. They build a great stock and are very nice honest people who will treat you right. | |||
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Chet, Biesen & O'Connor is as American as grand ma and apple-pie. The Biesens are for more than half a century in the custom gun trade, and make a great product. Their reputation is impeccable. Success with your endeavor, Roland | |||
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Chet, I took delivery of a Biesen pre-64 7x57 i at Christmas, great looking rifle, wood is outstanding, metal as well. As custom rifles go I consider the Biesen to be relatively inexpensive for what you get. The few I've looked at ran in the 4500 range, scoped. My 7x57 is not the most expensive rifle in the rack, but is among the nicest. Doug | |||
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Al Biesen is a very good craftsman at his trade... I personally do not like his stock pattern with the very thick comb as I do not believe it to be more functional that any other comb and I like all the wood off a stock that I can get and still be functional... I have also seen several stocks with the wood poorly laid out and that was probably because the customer furnished the wood, I would hope..... Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Chet-I'm no professional when it comes to photography, but PM me with an e-mail addy- I have a few pics of Biesen's rifles from the ACGG show in Reno this year including one of Al himself. Doug | |||
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| Moderator |
I've owned at least a half dozen rifles built by the Biesens and for my money there isn't a better looking or better feeling custom stock made by anybody. Their signature comb and buttstock shape is as good as it gets for me, and their recessed checkering is a work of art.  | |||
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Of course AD and I are pre-64 fanatics lol........ Doug | |||
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Does Biesen have a website? Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum | |||
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hikerbum, Yes, they do. Biesen Rifles I got a chance to examine the Biesen's rifles at the ACGG and they are really fantastic. Some of the best looking hunting rifles in my opinion. Regards, Dave | |||
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I got my first Biesen rifle (well...actually, Al stocked my existing .30-06 Springfield rifle) in 1961. I still think it was one of the best deals I ever got in my life. Alberta Canuck My country gal's just a moonshiner's daughter, but I love her still. | |||
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Al is pretty much retired. Roger did these two rifles for me. A Pre 64 .375 H&H and a Pre-War .416 Rem. As Allen said, they are made to hunt.   Here's how they shoot.   Regards, Terry  Msasi haogopi mwiba [A hunter is not afraid of thorns] | |||
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Terry, I have seen the pics of your Biesen rifles before but, I don't recall seeing those targets. All I can say is WOW that'll work!  Regards, Dave | |||
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Good God, those are beautiful! | |||
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Terry, 2 beautiful pieces of custom gun history. Congratulations, Roland | |||
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A couple more pictures.    | |||
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Ray,
First off, that is your personal opinion of Biesens stock shape as you stated. You have also stated for ages on here of all the guns you have made. Why don't you let us see your idea of what one of YOUR stocks look like and why it is superior. You seem to have some firm opnions so let us see one of yours. Maybe we can learn something from your skills. From my perspective from your post, you make it sound like the Biesens don't know good grain layout from bad. I think they have forgotten more about making stocks than you will ever know. Just my opinion of course, like yours above. | |||
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| <JOHAN> |
Ray I would love to see a few picture of the guns you have built and stocked that you done. I imagine they must be good  Gentlemen- What shall one look for when selecting wood or stock blanks, grain stucture etc. Cheers / JOHAN | ||
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Where's the pictures RAY    Terry, Those two guns are keepers for sure..... | |||
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Biesen rifle for sale on Gunbroker: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=29163888 Good hunting! Mehul Kamdar "I ask, sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."-- Patrick Henry | |||
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| <JOHAN> |
Mehulkamdar Most of the Biesen rifles I have seen looks fantastic and price is resonable  I wonder how felt recoil is with Biesen's stock pattern? Ray- don't be shy, show us Cheers  / JOHAN | ||
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| <allen day> |
Stocks such as Biesen's with a high, straight, thick comb handle recoil better than any other design. The trim, curved pistol grip and trim, round forend offer superb control of the rifle and make for incredibly fast handling. The rifle seems to point itself, as if it has a will of it's own. Unlike some comtemporary/recidivist stockmakers, the Biesen's don't have proper riflestock gemometry confused with shotgun stock geometry. AD | ||
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Well, without starting a big battle about design/function..........I think you're confusing the premise. The grip as a component of rifle handling and recoil taming lies on a scale of compromise. The thumb-hole is one extreme......the British straight grip is the other (or the Winchester 94 if you will). As far as the thick comb goes.....you can't get a much thicker comb than a thumb-hole, considering the latitude the bridge between nose and tang allows you. The thumb-hole is very precise and solid.......the straight grip is quick to point. Stock designs that lean one way or the other are compromises that favor the attributes of the extreme they lean toward. I wouldn't necessarily term a stocker a "recidivist" for creating a stock with a specific intent in mind. GV | |||
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| <allen day> |
I think you're getting bogged-down in word games and mental gymnastics. I wish I could fly a test-squad up here to test three different rifles in .375 H&H that I can lay my hands on. One is a contemporary custom job that was built in the old pre-war British style with a long, sloping pistol grip and a thin, low comb with a pancake-style cheekpiece. The other is a fullhouse custom job built on a Model 700 action with an "Apache" thumbhole stock. The last is my own Echols-built Model 70 custom job which pretty-much follows the basic Biesen concept of a high, straight, thick comb, etc. Shoot all three of these rifles side-by-side with the same ammo from the bench and under field conditons with a rest, and then handle and shoot them as fast as you can off-hand as if your life was on the line, and once the exercise is all over, I don't think there'd be any room for doubt as to which design handles better and kicks less. The semantics and guesswork would all become moot..... AD | ||
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Allen..... Are you under the impression you are the only person to have accomplished that exercise? Including the makers of stock styles you would term less than satisfactory? You have articulated your preference.......it might not be universal truth, however. GV | |||
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Allen, Could you elaborate on the functional difference between a pancake cheekpiece or a classic cheekpiece as found on a Biesen if the comb that has the same dimensions from where the bolt just clears the comb nose and has about ½ drop at the heel in relation to the comb nose of the stock? This is just a question that I ask of you since you own and use an Echols stock with a high comb and a classic cheekpiece? I've never owned one so I wouldnt know, I bet his rifles are a dream to shoulder! Sincerely, Mike | |||
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As someone who has never bought a lottery ticket, nor placed a bet on anything, I would love to put money down on Allen's scenerio. Not much of a gamble and a darn fine investment I think. Chuck | |||
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The definition of that quote is anyone who disagrees with Allen, particularly if it is a well thought out response. | |||
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I might offer the same premise involving an 80's Manderino or current Hensley stock. Likely a darn fine and useful investment...........on quite different stock styles. GV | |||
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Here's an Al Biesen G33-40 Mauser that just showed up on GunsAmerica (not mine, just passing it along):BiesenG33-40 NRA Life Member, Band of Bubbas Charter Member, PGCA, DRSS. Shoot & hunt with vintage classics. | |||
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| <allen day> |
GV, I'll stand by what I said. Chic, sounds like you've got a issue with something I've said, or maybe it's just me in general. I don't have a problem with it either way. AD | ||
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Allen, You have never been able to tolerate someone with a different view than yours. EVERYONE has gotten used to that. | |||
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I am a newbie here, but not to firearms. A stock is the connection between an individual and a weapon. We are all different. Therefore it is pretty difficult to believe that your predilection in stock design trumps all. Laughable, in fact. | |||
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Why do custom gunmakers insist on that pathetic Redfield scope base design? | |||
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HP Shooter, Did it occur to you that just maybe the maker didnt put the mounts on the rifle or they were put on at a customers request? | |||
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Yes, it sure did after I made my post. A cheap Weaver base is better than a set of Leupold standard dovetail mounts. A MIL-STD-1913 base/ring set trumps all except a set of milled dovetails. | |||
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