FIFY
Who builds custom WOOD/BLUED bolt-action hunting rifles built around Mauser controlled-feed actions?
- Thread starter TomTeriffic
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Bowmannate2000
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T Bone
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If you can settle for a gorgeous Browning Safari in 270 Win, with high figure walnut, I know where one lives.
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Cheesehead
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Bowmannate2000
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If you don't mind a 30-06.
BrentD
Well-known member
And this is the @BrentD we have come to know and love - ask a $1,500 question and get a $15,000 answer(and some pretty pictures).
Thou dost exaggerate, dear man. Not even 100% over budget.
But as pretty as that gun was, you can find somewhat plainer guns for less, which was my point. But you have to work at it and really learn a lot about what you are looking for. They don't grow on trees.
Actually, there is a recent clone of this rifle that might be bought for somewhat less than I paid. But it comes with caveats and a long twisted story (no, it's not mine).
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Bowmannate2000
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My dad has one... It is beautiful!
TomTeriffic
Active member
Sadly, gramp's Husky 3000 in .308 was lost in a 1999 home burglary along with his Savage 99 in .300 Savage. Both priceless guns never to be recovered. I'm still bitter about it to this day. There's a bunch of cheap hunting rifles out there for under $1,000. None of the dozens of them I've seen warm my heart and soul like either of gramp's guns did. Ok, gramp's Husky retailed in new 1962 for today's equivalent of just under $2K. Nobody I know of builds the likes of his Husky anymore within that dollar amount. That 2oth century California classic style seems to have faded away into oblivion. The vast majority of new bolt hunting rifle makers don't use a ball-shaped polish metal knob on a curved-back bolt handle as was common on European-built hunting rifles that were Mauser action based. The Belgian Browning Safari bolt guns of the 1970's used a similar bolt handle and action. I don't know why today's hunters don't want a bolt handle they can comfortably palm open and closed. Why haven't Savage, Remington, Winchester and Ruger adopted that Mauser style action with that particular beloved bolt handle shape? Production costs too high on such Mauser-based guns? Why are white spacers and black caps virtually all gone?
The only thing I've seen remotely close to that classic style is a new Weatherby Mark V retailing near $3K.
Somebody still wants a minty Savage 99 or Husky 3000. Every time I Google either of these, they are listed as SOLD already. Only the less-than-perfect ones are still listed as unsold. Gun Values by Guns Digest has listed the Husky 3000 Crown Grade as not to exceed $700 in NIB condition and a plain-grade/non-takedown/non-.250-3000 Savage Savage 99 model not to exceed $900 NIB. But I have seen less-than-mint examples of Savage 99's exceeding those numbers in online listings. Any "safe queen" Husky 3000 listed online is likely to have a SOLD sign by it. A safe-queen Savage 99 might approach $2K. Somebody still appreciates these. Husqvarna Vapenfabrik has built my perfect bolt-action hunting rifle from 1952-1972 and Savage Arms Corp. has built my perfect rotary magazine/counter lever gun before 1960. The devil is in current prices, overall condition and availability. The only other hunting rifle that somewhat warms my heart is a Belgian Browning BAR in minty shape. Japanese Brownings do nothing for me. The prestige of Browning lies in the hands of European craftsmen in Belgium. There are still Husqvarna brand products but in the form of motorcycles and power equipment. For some reason in the early '70's they decided to get out of the gun business altogether. Maybe they could not stand up to the competition from Weatherby. Younger generations have lost an appreciation of wood and blued steel. Young people don't know what is good. Young people are spoiled, lazy and have no work ethic. Those classic guns, like those classic automobiles, of the 2oth century were built by older generations who were raised correctly. Yes, indeed, I want a hunting rifle of '57 Chevy or '64 Cadillac appeal.
TomTeriffic
Active member
The bolt handle knob has a flat bottom that is knurled. Not ball shaped and smooth all around. Still not as pretty in my eyes as the Husky.
BrentD
Well-known member
Because, thankfully, they have gone the way of of the dodo and bell-bottom jeans. Be grateful. I certainly am.
Why do you? If you had Gramp's Savage or Husky, it would not be minty. Personally, I don't much care for minty guns. They are the soulless guns.
Which brings me to comment,
You really don't know much about Belgian or Japanese guns. Japanese guns sold under the Browning, Winchester, or Ithaca names were superbly made guns. You personally don't care for Japan perhaps, but their guns are nothing to sneer at, and I own two myself. Belgian Brownings, on the other hand, can be great. And can be junk. I had one of the latter. Thankfully, now gone.
No you don't. If you did, you would have them. This is not that hard. You complain about a whole pile of things ("bison" of all things, imagine an eye roll here), guns, cars, etc. Why not just go out and find yourself a gun? There are plenty of them.
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TomTeriffic
Active member
A bit overpriced for its condition. I would expect a safe-queen at that price. There are a few rough spots in the wood and the bolt handle knob looks like it might have pits in it. No, I don't mind any caliber this model was produced in. I would definitely need a past pad or a good shoulder pad built into a hunting vest to shoot such .30-something caliber rifle with a hard butt plate. My grandad's Husky in .308 hurt my shoulder and the only thing between the steel butt plate and the skin on my shoulder was a thin summer shirt. I would not like to butcher such a pretty gun with a recoil pad. That somewhat rough Husky remains unsold for a good reason. $500 tops, maybe. Anytime a minty one shows up, it will be grabbed as fast as Snoopy zaps Dolly Madison Zingers.If you don't mind a 30-06.
TrumpkinTheDwarf
Well-known member
That Husqvarna is a good deal. Inflation will not be defeated by wishful thinking. And hating on model 70's is unamerican! Baseball, apple pie, and pre '64 M70's.
TomTeriffic
Active member
Don't like the un-palm-able Model 70 bolt handle knob.
If the most you would pay for that rifle in this market is 500 dollars, you will never find what you're looking for (if that was even possible anyways)
Sounds like someone is stuck in the past. You can wish all you want but the past is never coming back.
Cheesehead
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Pearls and swine
SaskHunter
Well-known member
Thomas the Terrific Boomer, is this a late life crisis or have you always been this unpleasant?
Your generation has enjoyed some of the best times and economic growth benefitting most of you, and are now constantly blaming mine for shit we had nothing to do with. YOU raised us, deal with it!
But by all means, enjoy the finer things such as not slaving away on packing a moose, eating game who feeds on vegetables and obsessing over hardwood and the coldest of blue steel.
I’m surprised you guys have not pointed him towards an Echols Classic. I’d bet D’Arcy would flatten a handle for him.
TTom, you are not going to find what you want for double the price you want to pay. You obviously haven’t been in any gun shops lately.
TTom, you are not going to find what you want for double the price you want to pay. You obviously haven’t been in any gun shops lately.
ImBillT
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So you can’t afford one, yet you don’t understand why no one makes one anymore? It’s because not enough people can afford to buy it. Mausers and pre-64 Model 70s didn’t go into obscurity because no one liked them. They did so because very few people could afford to buy one.
I appreciated wood and blued steel when I could only go to the range. After a few five day hunts with very little time at the truck and zero time in doors, I quickly began to appreciate stainless steel and resin/fiber composites.
I appreciated wood and blued steel when I could only go to the range. After a few five day hunts with very little time at the truck and zero time in doors, I quickly began to appreciate stainless steel and resin/fiber composites.
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