Help me identify.....

[mes228]

Help me identify the maker of this rifle. Custom Large Ring Argentina Mauser Action (Berlin Deuschet Waffen) .270 rifle. Purchased at a Gun Show from a Dealer that knew little of the rifle. The rifle is in "hunted" condition and has a Douglas 27" heavy contour air guaged barrel & Target Crown, Brown Precision synthetic Stock fully glass bedded full length, Timmney Trigger. Pricing these items alone on line it looks to be about $1400 worth of work not counting the rifle itself. Also has a 50mm 3x9 Bushnell scope.

Rifle has been re-blued and I cannot read the makers name completely. Seems to say in script writing "Brya......... Gunsmith". How a rifle of this quality ended up at a show priced as an entry level Savage/Mossberg etc. is a mystery to me. I would not have purchased the rifle from an individual at the price I bought it for. I would have thought it stolen. However it cleared the registration and NICS from a FFL Dealer. So I guess it's legit. This blind hog found a jewel, I do I believe. Anyone here have any idea as to the maker?? Thanks for any replys.

 

[44 AMP]

Its no mystery....

How it wound up at a show, priced low...

Its a sad state of affairs, but custom rifles, except those from "known, name" smiths aren't worth much on the market these days.

Guns with thousands of dollars worth of work done to them are going for a few hundred dollars. Sometimes this is because the original owners are passed, and the family has no idea of their worth. But mostly, its because the bulk of the buying public wants factory guns, and today, wants stainless and synthetic more than blued and wood.

What you have could have been done, and done well by any of a thousand smiths over the last half century, or more. But it has no commercial value, beyond that of a hunting rifle in today's market.

I've got a few rifles, Mausers, Springfield, even an Arisaka, beautifully done, gorgeous wood, probably cost the owners $1000 in 1960 dollars. Today? $4-maybe $500 with a scope!

Now, a fine job by a nationally recognised smith from those bygone days can still be worth several thousand dollars today, but a rifle (perhaps equally fine) done by someone who never made a name is only a few hundred today.

Can't help you with who the smith was, sorry. Be glad you got a gem at a bargin price!

 

[taylorce1]

The problem with used custom rifles is that they are somebody else's idea of the perfect rifle. Sounds like you got a nice beanfield rifle. I just recently picked up a similar deal on a pre 64 M70 fwt action built in .280 Remington for $625 with Leupold 2.5-8x36 scope on it sitting in a Brown Precision stock as well. The whole rifle was a purpose built elk killing machine weighing in at 7.6 lbs. Believe it or not I bought the rifle for the scope, selling the rifle three days after I bought it to my buddy for his son to use.

 

[Jim Watson]

You see the gunsmith's name, unfortunately buffed partly away by the next reblue. That may well be all you ever know. Just enjoy a good rifle.