Hello, I’m going to need some instruction on how to post pics, but in the mean time let me tell you about this rifle. I live up near Bigfork Montana and in 1992 I found this rifle in a local sporting goods store. My eye was immediately drawn to the beautiful wood and classic lines. It was chambered in 7 mm Rem Mag and the price was within my reach so I asked if I could take it to a stock maker friend, Mel Smart to check out. I’m embarrassed to admit that I’d never heard of Tom Burgess, but Mel very quickly straightened me out on that. He advised me to immediately buy it which I did.
The rifle came with a really cool B&L 2.5-8 Balvar scope mounted. The next weekend I went to sight it in. I loaded one cartridge and closed the bolt with the rifle pointing down range. The gun went off when I flicked the model 70 style safety off, yikes! At that point I took the rifle home and looked up Tom Burgess’s phone number, he lived a little west of town. He was a cool guy and told me to bring the gun over which I did. By this time I understood I was meeting a classic gun maker.
Anyway, he quickly took the gun apart and examined it. He said he built that gun in April 1964, he told me the barrel was an Apex which he used a lot at that time. He didn’t recognize the stock maker but said it was a very nice stock with well fitted Neidner checkered steel butt plate and grip cap and a pretty piece of English walnut. He didn’t think he had made that safety but said he’d make me another right away. A week later the new safety was back from bluing and Insteon the rifle, he charged me $75.00!
Now it’s almost thirty years later and I can’t tell you how many deer, antelope and elk I’ve dropped with that rifle. It’s just a really nice rifle. I’m hoping that if I post some pics someone will recognize the stock maker. Thanks for letting me ramble.
Congratulations on a very nice and well used rifle. Tom Burgess is, indeed, a rather famous gun-guy. You were pretty fortunate to get to meet him.
Isn't it unusual that Burgess would have made the gun but not know who stocked it?
I really don’t know. He thought it looked like a Monte Kennedy, but there was no signature in the barrel channel, so it wasn’t a Kennedy. This gun was thirty years old at that point, Tom reminisced about that time period, telling me about he Apex barrel guy who made wonderful barrels but was an alcoholic and unreliable. He told me he worked with lots of different stock makers at the time, he mentioned Al Beisen, Kennedy, Jerry Fisher even Dennis Olson.
How do I post pics from my phone here? I could show pics and maybe somebody would recognize the work.
You can't, you need a hosting service. Go to the FAQ section and see how to post images.
Don't be like some of the whingers around here that can take apart, clean and reassemble a LC Smith with one hand and claim to be too technically improficient to post pics and ask some one else to do it for them.....
I have a bunch on photobucket, but they started charging years ago, so those are in limbo.
Tom Burgess was primarily a metal smith, and I would say probably the best in the country at the time. He did work for stock makers all over , and so it's understandable he might not know who stocked one of his barreled actions. Any time his work comes up for sale, you can't hope to find something better done.
Tom built 3 rifles for me in the early 90's. To be more specific, he built 3 barreled actions. I sent his work-in the white- to different stockmakers who also rust blued them.
I just sold the last one-a .270 built on a G33-40 action. I furnished the triggers (Canjar steel) and the 3-position safety. Jim Baier made the barrels.
Tom was a great guy and I enjoyed our conversations.
There are a few examples of his work here.
https://stevebarnettfineguns.com/custom-rifles-for-sale
Wow, I just got off the phone with Jerry Fisher, who’s 91 and sharp as a tack. Anyway he told me to bring the rifle over, he’d take a look at it and hopefully recognize the stock as one of his or might recognize the builder. So cool to have this history just a few miles from my house.
Man, you are rubbing elbows with the heavy hitters there.
Best of luck. A Fisher stock on Burgess metal doesn't get a whole bunch better. Someday, you will have to shoot it.
Man, you are rubbing elbows with the heavy hitters there.
Best of luck. A Fisher stock on Burgess metal doesn't get a whole bunch better. Someday, you will have to shoot it.
Someday? I’ve had it thirty years and killed tons of game with it 😀. Elk, moose, mule deer, whitetail, antelope and coyotes. It’s on the heavy side, not the tightest groups, like 1.25”-1.5”, but it comes up like a fine English side by side and game just seems to drop when I shoot it.
I’ve just kind of taken it for granted all these years and as I get older I wanted to research it as best I could.
Indeed you did say that. My error.
Two legendary men. Burgess level metalwork is hard to find, but Steve Heilmann of Grass Valley, CA has reached that level.
About a month ago I posted about a Tom Burgess Mauser I’ve owned for the past thirty years. It’s a beautiful gun with a beautiful stock of some unknown stock maker. Tom recognized his work in 1992 when I brought it into him to fix a faulty Model 70 style safety, but he couldn’t place the stock maker for certain.
Anyway in talking to a friend I was delighted to hear that Jerry Fisher is still alive and well and he lives only ten miles from me. I had the great pleasure of visiting with him in his shop near Bigfork last Saturday. OMG what a great guy! His shop is in tip top form, and at 91, he is still building world class rifles. I got a full tour of his shop, it’s like going back in time and visiting with Thomas Jefferson in his office in Montecello. I got to hold some unbelievable pieces out of his safe and his trusty old, really really beat up Model 70.
Oh btw, he recognized the stock maker of my gun as being Russ Leonard of Spokane, Bastogne walnut, Biesen checkered grip cap and Neidner checkered butt plate. I’m currently refreshing the Checkering on a couple shotguns and he gave me some tips and encouragement.
What an enriching afternoon, I’ll go back for sure.
Wow! Thank you for that wonderful article. Jack O’Connor was my favorite gun writer growing up, and greatly influenced me, I’d forgotten just how good he was. On top of that I now have even greater admiration for my Burgess-Leonard Mauser.
One more follow up on Jerry Fisher. Sadly, he passed away just months after my memorable visit with him. I’m so glad I was able to spend that time with him.