Jack O'Connor's "#2" .270 built by Al Biesen is fitted with some type of custom bottom metal. Being built around 1960, who's bottom metal is this? I've been curious for a few years and was just wondering if anyone had any information on it.

Chuck

Someone will certainly know, but I'm guessing it was likely Blackburn bottom metal.

GV

We get Guns & Ammo for the waiting room at the clinic. They just did an article on that rifle. The Biesens were comishioned to make an exact copy for a raffle. If you called them up I'm sure they could tell you what they used for the new copy.
I can send you a copy of the article if you want.

lawndart

Man I would appreciate that!

Chuck

Although I won't bet much, I am betting it was Mr. Burgess that probably did the bottom metal.

I've seen that rifle in person. It's based on a regular pre-64 Model 70 Featherweight barreled-action that came off of a stock Featherweight rifle that Jack bought at a Lewiston hardware store, and it's in the 400,000 serial number range.

The triggerguard/floorplate is a steel factory Model 70 take-off set, and Al Biesen welded-up and remachined the triggerguard to the commercial Mauser-style (similar to today's Blackburn, Sunny Hill, Burgess, etc.), and he built and installed an inside-the-bow floorplate release. Floorplate is regular Model 70.

Biesen checkered the bolt knob, but left the factory hole in the knob intact. The front sight ramp was removed, and the rear sight was removed as well, and a filler wedge (Marbles or Lyman) was installed in the rear sight dovetail.

Factory Tilden scopemounts (they are really cool!) held down the Leupold 'Mountaineer' 4X scope, which is also very cool......

AD

Allen, that makes complete sense. Anything I have read on that rifle has made no reference to the bottom metal. The way that the front hinge is set up on the floorplate does not appear to be anything that would have been done by eigther Blackburn or Burgess. I had assumed that Al Biesen had built that stuff from scratch himself. Thanks for the information!

Chuck

quote:

Originally posted by lawndart:
We get Guns & Ammo for the waiting room at the clinic.
lawndart

Man Lawndart, your patients have it better than we do, when we have to go to the doc... At least the reading materials are far beyond what I get at my doc's - or dentist's for that matter!
- mike

My wife used to work in a nuclear medicine clinic. I would forward our shooting magazines to the waiting area after I read them. Some PC-type person (we think a radiologist who was stuck in the 60s) would then throw them away.