doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com CLASSIC SPORTER BY GREAT GUNMAKER-GUESS WHO?

Description: Custom Pre-64 Winchester Model 70 Bolt Action Rifle, #155564, Rifle originally mfg'd in 1950. .270 Win. cal., 22'' custom barrel non-factory high quality rust blue, jeweled bolt, magazine follower, right side rail, and polished left side rail; custom checkered bolt handle as well as bolt release; custom finely checkered arrow-point pattern stock with shadowline cheekpiece, ebony forend cap, engraved and inlaid floorplate, triggerguard and pistol-grip cap, with work signed by Engraver artist and ACGG Member Tommy Kaye of Yoakum Texas. Animals consist of gold elk, bear and ram, with fine scrollwork and inlaid gold borders. Finely checkered European style steel buttplate with provision for extra cartridges. Topped with Zeiss Diatal-C 4x32 scope. Condition is excellent as modified, showing extremely high quality workmanship and exhibiting only light marks from handling to stock, and small areas of micro-scratching to barrel. Action and trigger are crisp and light to the touch; bore is excellent, German scope optics are crystal clear. Arguably the perfect gun for all North American game




I believe I lucked up and got this on an auction at an unbelievably good price, and had no idea it was there until 10 minutes before I bid!

Al Biesen

CORRECT THE FLOOR IS NOW OPEN TO COMMENTS
Bill: I told my wife last night, I bet Bill [she remembers your kind scope offers] will know who it is!
Did you see it, while on auction? What do you think... care to guess approx. years of mfg. 1970's-1980's? I think the scope, if original is a giveaway. I figured the going prices of the checkered trapdoor buttplate, the Zeiss scope, and the engraving [floorplate, triggerguard, grip cap] alone, on the open market lately, damn near was worth 2/3 or more of what I paid, and I am being conservative.
A friend of mine, who collects nothing but Biesens said; since Al quit making rifles and his health is not the best, he rarely sees a rifle, even in well used condition for under $6000-$7000, and more and more are at $9000. The scary part is, this is without engraving and he said .270's [the Jack O'Connor mystique/connection are bringing a premium...go figure!] The reason I bought it was, I had been lusting for a good one for my collection and while I concentrate on pre-war rifles the immediate post war guys Len Brownell and Biesen have both appealed to me more than others. A guy from Billings, who hunted with me at my place in Shawmut MT., had a nice but rather pedestrian rifle, AL built for someone on an austere budget, and we tried to work a deal out but could not, he wanted more for his, than I paid for this one! Bill I value your opinion, tell me the good and the bad, but my years of experience tell me that at a tad over $3000 I got a good deal...what say you? TIA Jerry

Jerry, a good deal is an impossible to define term...are you happy? what else matters?

Concerning your rifle..very nice what ever the cost. I think that is one of Al's better guns and most of his were nice. Some were clunky by today's standards...yours is not.

I have always thought highly of Al and were good friends (he lent me his Gravermeister way back when I was learning engraving). Lots of history and the old guys (like many) are disappearing.

Enjoy your gun and hopefully you can post more pics of its details when you can.

LRF: What I guess I should have said is; "Did I spend my money well for this example" I may be wrong but if I recall correctly, Bill has or has had several Biesens, and knows them better than I do. I personally, did not hesitate to bid that amount and frankly was amazed it went for this amount. Especially when a mundane STANDARD Sedgley, went for $2300 and a well worn G&H, MAYBE an 80% rifle with a 330 Weaver scope, brought just under $5000. I have been looking for one, quite a while and wanted one; that had not been refinished and was in .270, 280, or 7x57. I plan on hunting this rifle and will probably change the Zeiss out, for a Leupold Vari X-III [FOR MORE OOOOOMMPH WITH THESE OLD EYES] and I find the Zeiss a little too clunky for my taste, on this rifle. Per you suggestion, I plan on enjoying it this year deer hunting and will keep you posted. Jerry

IMHO you spent well!
IMHO you will be swapping out a second best scope for the best of the "also ran" scopes. (Wow that will get some peoples juices flowing LOL) But you do get to choose.

By all means hunt it. Why won't you? I have always liked to hunt with fancy guns because most of hunting is waiting and at least if you have a pretty gun you can admire it as you wait. Wish I had had an engraved M16 in Nam, as it would have made the weeks of boredom between moments of terror more tolerable.

Long time ago I think you bought an old Mark X stock from me for I think a gun for your grand daughter or someone, did that ever work out for ya?

Great Biesen, but I'm holding out for the .416 Rigby Enfield he built for O'Connor. Who owns that one now?

I have had a Biesen pre-64 Model 70 in 7X57 for several years now. Everything about your rifle just cried out "Biesen" to me, without being able to enumerate exactly why.

lRF: You're right about the stock, it was for my daughter. She still shooting that rifle, a 7X57 and if you remember, it came with the Hinged floorplate as well! Thanks again! Jerry