Heeren Falling Block Rifle

FURTSCHEGGER

Rifles

Category : C

Caliber : 8x68 S

 

A falling block rifle built on a Heeren system by Waffen Furtschegger, Kufstein, in Austrian Tyrol in the early eighties, the weapon having been proofed in Ferlach in July 81. This Heeren was scoped and sold by Waffen Frank in Mainz the same year.

The 26" octagonal solid ribbed barrel is chambered for the powerful 8x68 S cartridge, a caliber developed in the thirties by August Schüler Waffenfabrik, Suhl, in German Thuringia, before being marketed circa 1939 by Rheinisch-Westfälische Sprengstoff-Fabriken, better known as RWS.

The 8x68 S is an ideal choice for mountain ungulates such as Argali or Maral. This cartridge is also perfectly adapted to the African savannah for shooting large antelopes. Thanks to the supply of well-constructed bullets weighting between 180 and 225 grains, the hunter can count on the 8x68 S formidable accuracy to shoot big game at long range.

The Böhler steel barrel carries the bases of a quick detachable side swing scope mount and a fixed rear sight regulated on a fine bead set in the front sight ramp drawn from the rib.

The action is a traditional Heeren produced in Kufstein from the end of the sixties with the conventional manual cocking/de-cocking three-position mechanism combining safety, single stage trigger and set hair trigger.

The right side of the action housing carries a safety lever blocking the striker in cocked position.

The action and fittings are engraved with foliage scrolls with a hunting vignette on each side, a deer in landscape on the right and a chamois on the left flat, the whole old silver gray finished.

The 14½" LOP stock, with kaisergriff grip and triple wave carved Austrian cheekpiece is made of European walnut and ends with a thin 5/8" brown soft pad while the forend is finished with a rosewood schnabel; the whole cleanly checkered.

A ZEISS "Diatal" Z T * 6x42 R4 scope is fitted on an excellent and perfectly executed EAW swing mount.

That fine rifle seems to have never been or very rarely used and has been kept in a near new condition; it weights 6lb 6oz and 7lb 6oz with its scope on.