doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com F/S Chilean Mauser in 7 X 57

I thought I would offer this rifle here before any other venues as many will appreciate the workmanship.
I bought this rifle originally about 20 years ago from the estate of Einar Wegstein who was a gunmaker/gunsmith in a small town (Tofte) along the shore of Lk Superior. His son told me this was one of his own hunting rifles. I now have it on consignment to sell again.
Briefly, here is what I know about Wegstein. His son said that in the 50's and into the early 60's Einar did some kind of work for the US Army rifle team exactly what he did not know. In the estate lot of guns was an arsenal new Mod.42 Springfield packed in a wooded shipping crate and wrapped in oiled paper. The old Springfield was out of character with every thing else in the estate.....I wondered if he took it in trade for some work but that is only speculation.
I had an old time shooter who came by the shop periodically. He was a founding member of a still existent local rifle/pistol club. I had a number of the Wegstein guns on display and from 10 feet he saw a restocked Mod. 69 Winchester and said "Einar Wegstein made that gun...I will buy it". I don't know how he knew it was Wegstein's work, but he did say "It must shoot well or Einar wouldn't have fooled with it". This fellow also noted that Wegstein worked in the Minneapolis area after WW2 with another gunsmith who did metal work while Wegstein did stock work.
The rifle is a bit short, the pull at 13 1/2". 22" barrel with a nice bore. Priced at $600.00 and actual cost of FEDEX shipping. Must ship to FFL. 952-435-8402
I have included a couple of pictures of some very nice workmanship and have about 10 more for anyone interested.
Jim Westberg





The humps are not glued in blocks!!!!

Interesting way of inletting a stock. I'm not sure if I understand the reasoning for inletting those...pedestals(?) in the bottom.

In the training of a stockmaker of old....one removed only the wood needed for the metalwork to fit in. Just look inside a best sidelock actioned gun and see the precision of the inletting done there. I have had in my hands a percussion rifle made in England circa 1860 with inletting so precise and smooth even a CNC machine would be envious. However even a CNC machine can't make a square corner in 3-D. I strive to get my inletting as nice consistently as you see here. It also lends to the strength of the wood as you are removing only wood needed for the metal to fit in. Fast, easy install, and by machine just didn't exist then. Beautiful example of the stockmakers skill and art.

I'm having a hard time visualizing a "Model 42 Springfield." Would it be a 1903A1/1903A3 Springfield with a barrel marked "42"?
Or an earlier Springfield rebuilt and rebarrelled with a "42" Barrel?

Model 42 Springfield
Mfg 1842 to approx 1852 at Springfield and Harpers Ferry. The first US musket designed with the percussion system.
Jim