Introduction

Even if we are specialized in the restoration of rifled weapons made from the beginning of the twentieth century until WWII, with an obvious predilection for English rifles and pre-war Mauser or Mannlicher, we custom build best quality hunting rifles on Original Mauser, Brevex, Springfield, Mannlicher-Schöenauer or Winchester mod.70 (pre-64 only) actions.

Models

Made of three major variations:

1 – CLASSIC REPEATING RIFLES with the following combinations:

• Small Game Kurz Light Rifle. Exceptional model made on special order, built on an Original Mauser "K" type short action, with Böhler Super Blitz or Lothar Walther CRV4 barrel. The stock is our classic luxury model, standard rifle length or stocked to the muzzle stutzen. This model is optimized for short cartridges like .243 Win, .260 Remington, 7mm-08, .250-3000 Savage or 5.6x57 RWS.
• Light Game Stalking Rifle. Built on a much modified Swedish Mauser 96' or "Small Ring" 98' action, in light calibers from .220 Swift to .275 Rigby, with a 24" light profile barrel and a classic stock with un-tipped short forend, following the pattern of the pre-war H&H or Rigby HV rifles used in Scotland. The Light Stalking Rifle is a more elaborate variation of the preceding, made on a reduced Mauser action with octagonal Böhler Super Blitz barrel and deluxe stock with ebony or black buffalo fittings.
• Plains Game Rifle. Traditional Mauser or Springfield actioned rifles chambered for medium calibers, from .270 Winchester or 7x64 Brenneke to usual standard magnums, as .264 Winchester, 7mmRM or the like. It is a modernized version of the classic rifles produced by Westley-Richards in .318. The Heavy Plains Game Rifle is the same as above, but for medium heavy calibers, as 9.3x62 and standard magnums like .300 or .338 Winchester or old time classics as the .333 Jeffery.
• Big Game Rifle. From .300 H&H Magnum Rimless to .500 Jeffery, through classics 9.3x64 Brenneke, .375 H&H Magnum Rimless, .404 Jeffery Rimless .425 W-R or .416 Rigby. The characteristics largely vary but usually a magnum action and a larger capacity magazine distinguish this model, very close to the Original "A" type Mauser or big Jeffery, Rigby and Westley-Richards of pre-war years.
• Long Range Rifle. Specific model, built on special order using a 98' Mauser, 1903 Springfield or Winchester pre-64 mod.70 action. Long or mid-heavy match barrel, very classic stock, vintage optically "improved" scopes and perfect receiver sights. Build in the style of the pre-war products from the bench of Griffin & Howe or Hoffman, in classic US calibers based on the GVT 30-06, like the 25-06, .270 WCF, .280 Rem, .35 Whelen, etc …
• Fast Game Rifle. A version of the "Plains Game Rifle" improved for fast shooting to running game. Mostly based on a Mauser 98' action, in medium heavy calibers, like 9.3x62, .338 Winchester Magnum and .35 Whelen, but also in great old classic calibers like the .318 W-R or .333 Jeffery Rimless. This variation could use a Springfield 1903 mechanism with lateral G&H scope mount and Lyman sight as well as a Mauser system with a wide field scope on lowered mount.
• The Stutzen models are the stocked to the muzzle versions of the Small Game, Light Game and Plains Game Rifles. They closely follow the clean lines of the Original Mauser M & S types.
• All the above models can be made in "De Luxe" version with selected wood and engraving, following the client specifications.

2 – STALKING SINGLE SHOT RIFLES

The Pirschbüchse are build on special order. They use Heeren system falling block actions originally made by Nagel & Menz, Stefan Heym or Outschar, and for the more modern ones, a Hagn action. They are treated as top-notch luxury rifles either in the Continental style of the end of 19th century or in the neo-classic Hartmann & Weiss modern pattern.

3 – THE TECHNICAL RIFLES

For mountain hunting, we build an Ultra Light Technical rifle, designed for hard country and extreme weather conditions.

These rifles are manufactured on either REMINGTON 700 (and clones) or TIKKA T3X fully blue printed actions, with hand fitted to bench-rest tolerances stainless steel match grade barrel bedded in FBT full carbon or composite McMillan graphite & kevlar stock.

These rifles use the resources of the most modern technologies.

The barrels are chambered by hand to the minimal CIP standards in calibers: .240 Weatherby Magnum, .25-06 Rem, 6.5 Creedmoor, .270 Win, 6.5-284, .280 AI or similar. The short action can also be made for the 6mm Norma BR, 6mm-47, 6XC, .243 Win, 6mm Remington, 6.5-47, 6,5 Creedmoor and for usual wildcats as .22-250 Ackley Improved, .22-243 MDT, 6mm-284 or 6mm RM Ackley Improved.

We prefer to use TIKKA T3X system for medium magnum cartridges such as .257 and .300 Weatherby, .264 Winch. Mag, 7mm RM, .338WM and the PRC medium bore cartridges.

The barrel with our special conical profile are (minimum) 600^mm/24" long and 635^mm/25" or 650^mm/26" for the magnum cartridges.

The muzzle is threaded for a sound moderator and can be fitted with a muzzle brake outside turned to the appropriate diameter. The recoil lug is an oversized one by PTG or Tubb, the bolt is rectified, squared and polished and the trigger mechanism is usually a Jewells or a Bixn'Andy BR single stage system.

On request we fit an improved three positions side swing safety or install a Sako extractor on the bolt head and a special bolt stop on the receiver rear left side.

The percussion system is entirely rebuilt in a composite assembly of stainless steel, titanium and AU4G; the percussion latency being reduced to about 30% of the original value.

The assembly on the stock is realized through epoxy full bedding on AU4G pillars.

For the metal bottom we usually prefer to use a Badger Ordnance type trigger guard with AICS magazine.

All metal parts are treated in Cerakote H as is the stock finished the same way.

Included in the assembly is our low scope mount and we advise the fitting of a light scope so as not counterbalance the effort to lighten the rifle of which the weight varies between 5lbs-5oz to 6lbs depending of configuration and caliber, allowing a less than 7bs scoped assembly.

Those technical rifles are made under estimate, following the specifications and options selected by the client. They are delivered in a carrying case with Cordura carrying belt and guaranteed performance.

On demand we can provide a specific ballistic table based on the values measured in our own tests at the range.

The above represents general indications and certainly not a rigid frame, every rifle being individually built and all realistic and reasonable combinations being possible.

Fabrication Protocol

1. The most used action remains the Mauser, 98' type or 96' for Stalking Rifles. Even if we have in stock some beautiful commercial Original Oberndorf Mauser systems, simple or double square bridge, solid wall, "Intermediate" or "Kurz", we don’t consider those to be superior to the productions of Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken. Generally, the systems made by DWM for Brazilian 1908, Argentinian 1909 and the Mauser "Standard Modell" made in Oberndorf are of exceptional quality.

The use of forged Swedish steel (AISI 1330 type) with proper thermal treatment of these military "luxury" versions could only be amortized through large series made in arsenal. Similarly, models 24 made by Ceska Zbojovka CZ and especially G33/40 are exceptionally good, as well as, in a lesser measure, the Polish Model 29.

We reserve the superb Gewher actions, made in Erfurt or Amberg before WWI to intermediate calibers and we do not hesitate, although they require extensive file modeling and finish work, to use the very hard and strong Byf.42/43 military productions, which, with the latter FN, remain our favorites for "hard" or "violent" calibers.

Particular mention should be made of the remarkable ZG47 system developed at Ceskoslovenská Zbrojovka, Národní Podnik by engineer Otakar Galas that, for many specialists, represents the best civilian Mauser 98 large ring system produced after the war.

Like the famous Mod.21/22 of the Ceská Zbrojovka BRNO, we reserve these actions for the making of medium caliber stalking rifles.

The Swedish 96 is by itself a superb foundation for intermediate calibers such as 6.5x57, 7x57 or .284 Winchester.

For special executions, and for all our left-handed rifles, we use the superb FZH (Feinmechanische Zerspanungs) systems that are made with the same steel as the old Oberndorf ones.

However, the selected mechanism remains a starting basis that has to be carefully blue printed, squared, adjusted and polished. To do this, after the first file shaping, the receiver is carefully checked to make sure an hazardous barrel take apart hasn’t warped it, then it is set on a special jig, surfaces are rectified and squared, threading is cleaned and the bolt lug squared and lapped. Now the base is sound and can receive the barrel.

2. The barrel is not the sole element of precision. Its quality is fundamental, but we think the care brought to threading, chambering and profiling is way more important. A "standard" barrel, properly fitted is much better than a mismounted match grade barrel. It is useless to select the most accurate barrel if the setting is botched up!

Having an important choice of chambering reamers, we take care ourselves of this operation. This allows us to master with precision the centering, alignment and the free bore. We can also freely select the twist rate in relation with the final use of the rifle, without being forced to use the standard twist of the factory pre-chambered cartridge. Also, we often use chambering reamers, with tighter tolerances than CIP, especially for high velocity mountain cartridges.

Custom threading of barrels for Mauser LR actions is mandatory if we want to respect the original values of Whitworth 12TPI at 55° angle as too often commercial barrels are delivered with UNC 60° 12 TPI.

The barrel profile has to be adapted to the balance and future use of the rifle, and this becomes necessary to who wants to install with elegance sling swivel, rear and front sight bases on a full or half rings. We use barrels of the highest quality from Lothar Walter, F.W. Heym, Border or Shilen and we also have in stock a limited number of Böhler Super Blitz octagonal barrels from Austria.

3. The stock is made of French walnut (juglans regia) we select first on mechanical quality and good grain flow against flashy and tormented aspect.

We have seen too many warped or split so-called "Luxury" stocks on expensive industrial firearms, but never have discovered woods of civilian pre-WWI Mauser or Mannlicher that hadn’t kept their integrity in spite of long time unrestrained use. The ideal is the kind of wood used by top British makers at their apogee: some figure, hard and dense, and a lot of sturdiness !

The blanks are roughly cut before the master stocker craftsman does the hand inletting. Generally we use invisible thin epoxy bedding and if necessary we add one or two steel recoil blocks. These can be hidden by internal inclusion if the client doesn’t like to see the round steel blocks on the outside.

File shaping, contouring, fashioning and finishing remains our favorite domain and we hope to bring, through the simplicity of the shapes we use, a style proper to our brand.

4. Finishing touches and accessories depend mostly upon our client’s choices. Optical mounts are either Suhl or reduced Ferlacher claw type or H&H pattern system. If needed we can fully machine a G&H side mount perfectly adapted to the chosen action. Mechanical sights follow the wishes of the future owner and we are always delighted in building intricate but not delicate arrangements.

For safeties, even if we like better the Mauser "flag" because of its legendary reliability, we also offer left or right hand three positions systems or a two positions conversion that we make ourselves on the original Mauser shroud. Triggers can be of any type, from the traditional German double set to the dry, varmint style let-off or Mak and Era combined single set "stecher". However, we favor the single stage trigger we make on a fully modified ERA blank.

Engraving is part of the options, but anti-glare matting of the action front ring and light engraving of the scope mounts bases, letters hand engraving of the various markings and line gold inlays on rear sight blades and of the serial number on the trigger guard are included. Usually main screws heads are also engraved with simple rosettes unless our customer disagrees.

Metal parts are blued following the formula of the Swiss Bern arsenal that produces a slate colored dark blue or traditional case hardened in color by Dr Jörg Schilling in Zella-Melhis, following our owns specifications.

All contact parts are draw filed and polished in the white. The woods are treated with several coats of English oil until getting a satin glossy finish on a perfectly pores filled base.

Prices and delays

All prices are established through a preliminary estimate in agreement with the customer, on a case-by-case basis following its requirements.

As an example, base price for a standard model without optics or mount and without any specific option for sights is 15.000 €.

The average price for a Plains Game Rifle with some individual finish options varies from 16.000 € (sixteen thousand) to 18.000 € (eighteen thousand)

A claw mount, depending upon its complexity and finish, costs from 1.200 € (twelve hundred) to 1.800 € (eighteen hundred). A Holland & Holland pattern mount is about 4.500 € (four thousand five hundred). We can also offer, after estimate, a custom machined all steel Griffin & Howe style mount.

Delivery time varies from 18 to 36 months, depending upon options and engraving requests.

For a "technical" rifle, base price is 5.500 € (fifty five hundred), whatever the system used, including our special low mount, but without optics. Delivery is from 20 to 30 weeks.

We request a 30% deposit with order, 20% when the rifle is completed in the white for proofing and the balance when completely finished and ready for delivery.

All prices are net F.O.B our premises and are guaranteed whatever the duration of realization.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

• We respect our client without yielding to his whims: It’s our name engraved on the barrel !
• To do our best without any concession to fashions or waves, prioritizing a discrete quality rather than a flashy presentation.
• To turn our mistakes and failures into steps to elevate our standards.
• To never be satisfied with a hazardous solution, to never close our eyes on a hidden vice and pursue a search for excellence, one piece after the other.
• Never accept requests of bad taste.

IMPORTANT

• We guarantee all our rifles and we shall be glad in maintaining or renewing them for a symbolic fee for their original owners.
• We do not sell complete mechanism or spare parts from Original Mauser, Mannlicher-Schönauer or others.
• We do not accept work to modify or "customize" modern industrial productions or guns from another makers.
• We accept an action provided by the client only after exhaustive examination and in this case we do not offer any warranty for the system.
• All works that do not appertain to our standard production will be treated under estimate.

You are free to download our PDF protocol :Protocole UK