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&- JANUARY-FEBRUARY $984

N U M B E R 91

U.S. &Canada $2.50 Foreign $3.00

Volume 16, Number 1 January-February, 1984 The Magazine for Shooters

(ISSN 01 62-3583)

IN THIS ISSUE DEPARTMENTS

Custom Gun Guild's Take Down Rifle. . . . . . . . . Ralph Walker

The Schuetzen Stock. . . . . . . Larry Amrine and Ron Swartley

16 Capitol Watch.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

19 Dear Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Air Rifles . 8 Remington Model 7 & Revamped 700 ADL. Bob Hagel 22

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Classic Rifles Winchester's Latest 94 in ,356. AI Miller 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1

Black-Powder Rifles . . . . . . . . . . . 12 American Gunmakers. . . . . . . . . . 1 4

. . . . . . . .....................

Bolt Action Carbines ...................... Layne Simpson 26

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Make A Skeleton Grip Cap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gary Hansen

Manufacturers & Liabilitv Problems.. . . . . . . Layne Simpson ProducTests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 5

Product & Service News. ...... .58 Trophy Pointers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 6

Ultra-Light Sako. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Morris Melani 6. R. W. Scott

The All-Purpose Rifle ...................... Tim Fitzgerald

Thrilling Drillings ........................... Jim Barnard

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ON THE COVER

Takedown rifles have a special appeal, but here's one, made up by the Custom Gun Guild, which is really special. It is photographed by Dan McClure of Athens, Georgia, with its .243 Winchester barrel in place. The action is a Remington Model 7, and the scope is a matte-finiih Leupold 2.5-8x. Beside the rifle are the interchangeable barrels in .22-250 and .308 Winchester. Ralph Walker's story about this rifle appears on page 16.

Rifle Magazine, copyright 1964, is published bi-monthly by Wolfe Publishing Co., Inc., (Dave Wolfe, President) P.O. Box 3030, Prescott, Arizona 66302. Telephone (602) 445-7610. Second Class Postage paid at Prescott, Arizona and additional mailing offices. Subscription prices: U.S. possessions and Canada - single issue, $2.50; 6 issues, $13.00; 12 issues, $25.00; 16 issues, $37.00. Foreign -single issue, $3.00; 6 issues, $16.00; 12 issues, $31.00; 16 issues, $46.00. Advertising rates furnished on request. All rights reserved.

Publisher of Rifle is not responsible for mishaps of any nature which might occur from use of published data, or from recommendations by any member of The Staff. No part of !his publication may be reproduced without written permission from the editor. Manuscripts from free4ance writers must be accompanied by stamped self-addressed envelope and the publisher cannot accept responsibility for lost or mutilated manuscripts.

Change of address: please give six weeks notice. Send both old and new address, plus mailing label i f possible, to Circulation Dept., RiNe Magazine, P.O. Box 3030, Prescott, Arizona 66302.

The Staff Dave Wolfe, Publisher and Editor Mark Harris, Assistant Publisher Jana KOSCO, Advertising Manager Dave LeGate, Art Director Barbara White, Production Supervisor Joyce Bueter, Circulation Director Susan Barney, Circulation Manager Terry Bueter, Accounting Mardell Harms, Executive Secretary Randy Swedlund, Photographer R.T. Wolfe, Ph.D., Consultant

Technical Staff

John Bivins Bob Brackney Sam Fadala J I Galan Bob Hagel Neal Knox Ed Matunas A1 Miller Ludwig Olson Stuart Otteson Homer Powley Layne Simpson Mike Venturino Ken Waters

4 RIFLE 91

Kenneth Bresien

E N BRESIEN is a man of many K parts, but unless you had prior knowledge of his talents you’d scarce guess it in talking to him. He’s a laconic sort, and inclined to speak so softly that I generally have to make him repeat things so that my indiffer- ent ears, long ago left permanently “flat” by highpower shooting, can pick up what he says.

Not only his manner, but also his appearance seem to identify Ken with another time. Replace his modern glasses with tiny round ones, jam a bowler on his head, fit him up in black broadcloth, and he’d look like one of the stalwarts from the old National Rifle Club range in Vernon, Vermont. You’d almost expect him to spit reflec- tively downrange, shove his hat back, and mutter “Ayup. Wind’s fishtailin’ this evenin’.”

Well, you wouldn’t be too far wrong, for Ken is a modern William Billing- hurst, Norman Brockway, Horace Warner, George Schalck, and Harry Pope all rolled into one. His work is just as well known at today’s ranges as those worthies were in their time, and Ken has made just about every sort of competition rifle that those 19th Century high-priests of the X- ring did, ranging from percussion schuetzen rifles and ponderous under- hammer slug guns to fine single-shot breechloading offhand rifles.

An avid competitor who has gath- ered in an impressive array of record scores and trophies, Ken is equally a t home on Friendship’s slug gun range or a t one of the American Single Shot Rifle Association’s events, and he’s even known for being a fine offhand shot with a flintlock. I’ve long felt that buying a gun from a fellow who doesn’t shoot is something akin to having the family flivver tuned by a guy who doesn’t drive. Well, with brother Bresien, you needn’t worry in the least about that.

Born in 1934, Ken worked at various aspects of gunmaking part-time from 1960 to 1976 while doing auto body repair and painting full time. He’s

14

been at the gun trade full time since ’76, though, and has enough business on hand to consider the possibility of taking on a journeyman which could lead to “some sort of partnership with the right person interested in schuetzen rifles,” as he puts it. Now, there lies an exceptionally sterling and rare opportunity for the fellow whose aspirations lie in fine competition rifles!

Ken’s shop is well equipped, contain- ing two lathes, two drill presses, a vertical mill, surface grinder, tool post grinder, a small shaper, metal-cutting band saw, bench grinder, three belt sanders, polishing equipment, a sand blaster, regular bandsaw, gas and arc welders, a metal planer, and a “homemade” stock duplicator. Under the “homemade” category Ken lists his most significant tools: a reaming machine and a rifling machine. Using

the latter, Ken hand cuts all of his gilt- edge match barrels, whether they are to be fitted to massive slug rifles, percussion schuetzens, single shot breechloading schuetzens, or round- ball benchrest barrels. All of his barrels are also hand lapped to Pope- like brilliance; the false-muzzle slug barrels have a bit of choke lapped in as well.

He offers round ball barrels in lengths up to forty inches, ranging in caliber from .45 to .62, and from one to two-inch diameter, with various sizes

heavy bench action, shown at left with stainless sealed ignition com- ponents that employ a pistol primer.

Bresien’s reproduction of the Stevens 44% action, shown below with the investment castings. The complete action will not be available for at least a vear. Ken Bresien’s No. 3

RIFLE 91

between; the standard twist is 1-66 inches. All of the round ball barrels may be had either with or without a false muzzle, though that accessory generally is needed on bench rifles due to the fact that in order to be compe- titive, they’re shot with balls that are over bore size. . .and that takes a pretty healthy “funnel” to get started.

Ken’s slug barrels are all fitted with false muzzles milled to accept cross patches, and his standard sizes run from 1% to 2 inches octagon, with other diameters in between in both round and octagon. Most of his slug gun barrels are in .40, .45, and 5 0 caliber, with twist rates running from 1-16 to 1-22 inches for the big boys. He also makes match-grade single-shot barrels in .32, .33, and .38; however, he can also accommodate specifications for falsemuzzle offhand percussion rifles. The .40s and .45s are a bit on the large size for that particular work, due to the extra recoil one must absorb during an afternoon’s shooting. The 200-yard offhand match is one of my particular interests, and we’ll try to give that most interesting sport some press next summer.

Ken makes three actions for compe tition muzzleloaders, an in-line or “zip gun” action, as Bill Large is wont to

term them, and two traditional appear- ing understriker actions which fall within 19th Century styles so well that one could use the action as the basis for quite an elegant cased set if desired. Ken sells these excellent actions either bare or fitted with barrels, and the slug barrels can be fitted as well with a stainless sealed ignition using pistol primers. All of the accessories necessary for slug shooting, including moulds and swages, cross patch holders, guide starters, false muzzle clamps, and patch cutters are available. Ken’s prices for such precise goodies are sur- prising in this day and time. For example, he can supply a complete slug rifle with all the accessories for barely over $1,000, and will fully test and tune the rifle for an additional $50.

Of particular interest to a large number of our readers, I suspect, is that Ken has made a faithful copy of the famed Stevens 44% action. In fact, his action is an exact copy of the original, except that he has “fattened” the receiver for additional strength and to allow the use of both 718 and 15116-inch barrel shanks: other than that, all of the internal parts of his action will interchange with those from the Stevens factory, including set trigger parts. The 44%, aside from

the excellent but weak Ballard, is my favorite single-shot action.

Aside from its exceptional strength, the breechblock of the 44% has a rocking motion a t the beginning of its travel which assists in seating a car- tridge not pushed all the way home. Ken’s action is slick as glass, and better finished than the originals throughout. Now, before you pick up the telephone, let me warn you that this action will not be ready for market- ing for another year, so don’t hassle Ken about ordering one just yet. When they are ready, and that means when Ken is satisfied with every detail, we’ll publish a review so you’ll know. Ken Waters, eat your heart out!

In the meantime, Ken does have most parts other than receivers avail- able. Like the frame, all components except for springs are investment cast of 8620, which means (thank God) that they can be color casehardened - just as they should be. All of Ken’s castings are run by Pete Allan in Circle Pines, Minnesota. Write for price lists of Stevens parts and single- shot barrels; a second price list contain- ing information about all the muzzle- loading components. is also available. Both are $1, and Ken Bresien’s address is 3544 Buck Road, Warsaw, New York 14569. 0

41 8 pages covering 83 of the most popular U.S. metallic cartridges - not only fully tested load tables, but full length articles on each cartridge. The manual for all handloaders! Pages are 8Y2” x 1 1 ” in loose-leaf form in a sturdy, attractive 5-ring binder, gold-embossed on leather-textured sturdite cloth hard covers, with two sheet-lifters and index tabs. (Owners of the main volume will be able to purchase supplements semi-annually; the only loading manual which can “grow”!) $29 .50

Wolfe Publishing Co., Inc. Box 3030 Prescott, Arizona 86302 Arizona residents add 5% sales t a x

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1984 1 5

Join an elite gun book club

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A Limited Edition Collector’s Series in Leather & Gold The books will be important volumes, rare and long out-of-print. When originals are

found today, condition may be only fair, but price is invariably high. These are handloading texts by such masters as Mattern, Naramore, Whelen, and Sharpe - and other books from early in this century on sporting and military rifles, handguns, shotguns, every aspect of shooting, hunting and gunsmithing. Every book in our series will be a beautiful and valuable addition to your library.

Premium features of construction will make these volumes more costly than ordinary books - but they will be more attractive and durable than the rare originals.

Size will vay according to the original edition. No effort will be spared to reproduce photos and art with maximum clarity and quality. Paper will be acid- free to insure durability for generations. Page edges will be gold gilded to further reduce the ravages of moisture. Finally, all pages will be Smythe-sewn - an old but the strongest method of binding signatures together.

Custom-designed endpapers will reinforce the volume for stressless opening and closing for years to come. The covers themselves will have set heads, hubbed spines and headbands; these features are also old and seldom used because of cost - but they add immeasurably to durability and appearance.

Genuine leather, goldstamped with the name of the book, covers the spine and partial-wraps the front and back cover. The remainder of the covers will be starched muslin, the front gold-embossed with the Wolfe’s-head logotype. A permanently sewn-in ribbon marker completes the volume.

f imiteed to only 1,500 numbered copies. To receive the same-numbered volume of each book in the series, you send only $15 now to reserve the first book and receive your number assignment. You will continue to receive that number as long as you order each new book as it is offered. If you do not wish to accept a particular offering, you will lose your numerical assignment; we cannot guarantee that you will receive the number again if you resume purchases later in the series. We expect that there will be a waiting list.

Numbers will be assigned as we receive the orders for subscription to the series. The $1 5 fee is a first-time only fee to inaugurate your series, and will be applied to the purchase of the first book.

Prices of the individual books will vary according to their size and the complex- ity of production. Be forewarned that they will not be inexpensive ($30 to $60 range) - but will be priced fairly for their quality. They will, because of this quality and their intrinsic value, be the ultimate in elegance and excellence of fine book publishing.

Wolfe Gbrary @assics

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We anticipate shipment of the first volume of the series in early spring of 1984 One of these three books will be the first offering J.R. Mattern’s Handloading Ammunition (1 926) Earl Naramore’s Handloader’s Manual ( 1 937) a n d Townsend Whelen’s The Hunting Rifle ( 1 940)

%e W o l f e &t.wut-y (ijussics Post Office Box 3030 9 138 North Montezuma P rescott, Arizona 86302

3 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1984

Schuetzen stock on a Winches-

VEN THE CASUAL observer can E see how distinctive Schuetzen gunstocks are compared to other long- gun stocks. That prong butt-plate, the often pronounced cheekpiece, the spherical palm-rest found on most Schuetzens, the slim-line foreend, and the traditional tang sight tucked in forward of the comb, all tell of a gun very distinctive of function and tradi- tion.

Schuetzen rifles were brought to this country in the 1800s by German, Austrian and Swiss immigrants, who started Schuetzen clubs in the eastern U.S. Those first Schuetzen guns had massive stocks and massive cheek- pieces, designed to satisfy the shooters’ ideas of functionality for offhand medium-range target shoot- ing. Later, the Schuetzen evolved into a distinctly American style - slimmer lines in the stock and more weight in the barrel.

The Schuetzen enthusiast generally has two choices when he decides to build a stock for a new Schuetzen rifle, or to restock an old one: he can opt for a completely custom stock, made by a professional stockmaker, or he can choose a semi-shaped, semi-inletted factory model that he can finish himself. Whichever route he chooses, there are a number of things to bear in mind as he settles on a custom design. Personal satisfaction is a t stake - not

Which of cqurse it is.

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1984

ter LoWall action. Note the twin prongs on the butt-plate, and the full size cheek-piece.

to mention an often hefty monetary investment.

Offhand Schuetzen shooting (most bench rest Schuetzen shooting is done with the same rifle) is a subtle game, featuring such particular design features as two-ounce trigger pulls, precise stances, and controlled angles of cant, all designed to enhance chances of shooting half-inch groups at a hundred or two hundred yards. Obviously, the Schuetzen shooter wants to have everything going for him that’s possible.

He’ll be looking, basically, a t three things when deciding on a design: form, function and tradition.

It’s always nice if a gunstock’s line and shape - its form - is pleasing to the eye. The often sculptural beauty of its butt-stock is the hallmark of the Schuetzen breed. One of the reasons those old Maynards, Ballards, Stevens - as well as many a modern edition, - stand out, is just because of the unique beauty of the stock.

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Of course a Schuetzen has to func- tion well too, especially in the case of the finicky Schuetzen shooter, who’s a perfectionist by definition.

Finally, if it’s going to be a true Schuetzen rifle, it must incorporate traditional features.

Butt-plate -As a practical matter, the butt-plate design must be such that when the shooter shoulders the gun the butt settles in comfortably a t the shoulder with great repeatability of position. One of the laws of good shooting is consistency. The Schuet- Zen’s hook-shaped butt-plate helps to establish a stable gun platform for making those long offhand shots, and the better fitting and comfortable it is,

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the more accurate the shooting will be. A custom stocker - especially one who carves a lot of Schuetzen stocks - will have a variety of these hook butt-plates. made of brass or alumi- num, to fit the build of most Schuet- Zen owners, and most stock designs. The idea is to have the particular hook butt-plate complement the lines of the stock, as well as fit the shoulder of the owner reasonably well.

Comb Height und Design - The governing factor in comb height is the necessity for the line of sight of the eye to be in line with the scope when the gun is shouldered, but with the head erect. In the Schuetzen game (and in other types of offhand shoot- ing) you don’t want to crane your neck when sighting downrange; it will lead ultimately to muscle tension, which in turn will lessen the ability to be con- sistent from shot to shot (not to mention the fatigue factor, which could be an important consideration toward the end of a long shooting day). To a large extent, comb height will also be affected by the particular type of action (Sharps-Borchardt, Win- chester high-wall, Ruger No. 1, or whatever), and the coincident tang

design. The stock doesn’t have to be massive, since the weight - a t least in American style Schuetzens - needs to be in the barrel. So the major design consideration becomes one of ade- quate height for sighting. with the curves and planes blending together to form a harmonious relationship.

Tied to comb design, of course, is the shape of the cheekpiece. Functionally, the ideal Schuetzen cheekpiece must be large or small in accordance with the shape of the shooter’s face - anything to get his eye directed through the scope quickly, without strain. Again, consistency of cheek placement is a key factor. Natural cheek pressure is the desire. Too little or too much will be hard to duplicate shot after shot. This is an area of importance when it comes to customiz- ing a stock to fit the shooter.

The shape of the cheekpiece should, in addition, be of such design that it moves away from the face when firing, to keep flinch-reaction habits from developing. This calls for a slight angling of the cheekpiece. Beyond these two factors, the task of the stock- maker is to create the most pleasing

lines possible, taking into considera- tion such things as grain pattern, and the overall shape of the stock. The shape will normally flow down from the comb with no interruption, gaining maximum width a t the presumed cheek placement, then dropping off in any of a variety of ways. Normally a target rifle cheekpiece is going to be a bit longer than those on other guns anyway .

Since the pistol grip is not grasped when shooting the typical Schuezten - the fingers instead are entwined on the shaped finger-lever - the shape and embellishment of this part of the stock becomes one of fineness of line and detail. No great need to feature coarse (16 or 18 lines to the inch) “grippable” checkering spacing. Instead, eye-pleasing spacing, with additional tasteful “fleur de lis” - or other pattern - is possible. Some Schuetzens have no pistol grip a t all (as with some of the old Stevens).

The same general consideration holds true of the foreend. The fore end is less functional .in Schuetzens, since the left hand (in the case of a right-handed shooter) uses a palm-rest

Below, an old German Schuetzen with its massive stork form, ornate lever and rear sight typical of the European style. At right, another German rifle with large palm rest. Below right is a Stevens 44%, its palm re51 folded, showing the high- comb stock with double-prong butt-plate.

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or finger extension when supporting the gun with the left hand. With the fore-end the stockmaker can exercise his artistic imagination to create an attractive appearance, with some closely spaced checkering to cap off his work. Tradition could well be the key factor as he remembers such beautiful stocks as found on the Maynard Model 1882, with its abruptly rising comb and compara- tively narrow overall lines; and the Stevens “Ladies Gun,” incorporating a highly graceful flow of line from grip all the way back to the end of the lower butt-plate prong.

Many a match rifle incorporates often discordant lines and “gadgets” (adjustable butt plates for example) in the pursuit of improving its shooting at long ranges. Attractiveness is strictly a secondary consideration with these long guns. Schuetzens, on the other hand, by virtue of tradition, allow for a distinctiveness in beauty as well as function. Many are “hangers” as well as “bangers.” Schuetzen matches are still largely a family affair (as originally) with Schuetzen “show and tell” a pleasant part of a shooting day. Thus the stock customizer has more freedom of artistic expression.

Less attention need be paid to grain pattern as a bulwark against high recoil, since Schuetzens, with their light-loaded cartridges, don’t offer a

lot of recoil. Neither are they normally subject to the rigors of hunting in the field. This increases the potential for high-figure, exquisitely colored stock wood. For the same reason, the light- ness and strength of walnut aren’t quite as important as they would be in some rifles (although walnut would be hard to beat when it comes to beauty). Add to this the basic overall flair inherent in a Schuetzen rifle, and the way is open for more diversity of stock wood than in some rifles. Maple, mesquite, and even laminated stocks have been made, with great eye appeal and tastefulness.

A highly recommended course for the prospective owner of a custom Schuetzen stock is to get a feel for what’s been done in the past. He should study the stocks of the classic old Maynards, Stevens, and others, as well as the more modern editions, a t gun shows, in private collections, and at Schuetzen matches. He can shoulder the ones that appeal to him if allowed (Schuetzen enthusiasts tend to be a friendly crowd) to see how they handle. That way he’s able to make a sounder judgment about a stock he may be paying a lot for, and which he may not see possibly for a year or more, depending on how far behind the stockeris. ,

Costs - A fellow can buy a stock blank for as little as $10, and have it

Hook butt-plate is a distinctive aspect on Schuetzens. This Winchester HiWall khuetzen features only the lower prong.

semi-finished and inletted for another $10, and finish it himself if he has a few basic tools, and some experience working with wood.

To have a professional stockmaker do the job is going to cost much more - $1,500 to $2,000 or more these days, in the case of a top man, especially if he’s experienced in the building of Schuetzen stocks.

But either which way, he’s going to end up with a truly distinctive, possibly very artful, piece of gun hard- ware. If the workmanship is good, he’ll probably never have to worry about having made a bad investment. -

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