doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com A.O. Niedner?

So if the bore and chamber are okay, what is the price range and market for a gun like this? Just curious. I have no intentions to sell. I quite like it, especially the bolt mounted peep which I think gives it a nice slim look. The peep does seem a bit close to my eyeball....yikes! That peep surely guarantees I will never shoot hot loads. Thanks again.

I'll defer on the value to the other folks here who may have a better handle on that.

Got your note that it's 30 caliber, so most likely a 30-06, some of these have a very close chamber so watch for that when loading for it.

Niedner's never seem to make the same front sight twice, they were all one-off, a banded ramp unless it's cut for a 1903 spline.

Now if this were mine I would refinish all the metal without thinning out the Niedner markings and then rust blue all the metal. Next remove the white line grip cap and buttplate and if the wood is not still cut for a Niedner style metal buttplate I would go with a solid pad to get your correct LOP. If your lucky the white line in the grip can be removed and the cap replaced, if not let me know and I'll take a picture of a period Niedner cap. I would then remove the finish (I use a antique wood finish remover) then a lot of red-oil to try to match an original Shelhamer finish. No small job but well worth the effort.

Thanks Michael. I think my first step is to order some go no-go gages. If the chamber checks out I will work on getting a front sight so I can see how it shoots.

I asked about value partly to decide how to approach a potential restoration. If it would ever be valuable I would have a pro do the metal work. My rust bluing seems to be hit or miss.

The grip cap appears to be horn. The barrel is not cut for a spline. I will look under the recoil pad tonight.

Very nice find you have there. For sure get those white line spacers out of there. After that, it is up to you how far you want to go. I'd say the gun is worth spending the time or money to have it done as best you can if you do decide to restore it. One of the things Niedner's was known for was there rust blue. Whoever does the blueing should get a chance to look at a few original Niedner blue jobs before starting. Every Shelhamer stock I have seen has had a Horn grip cap so I'd say that is likely original. I think Shelhamers inletting on his early stocks was much better than on his later stocks. Yours seems to support this as the inletting on your stock looks to be very well done.

Very nice find, congratulation.

John

Nice rifle! If you ever get a chance to bring it up to Boulder I would love to see it. Especially because I'm gathering the parts for an '03 and plan on building in this style. Did you pick it up at the Colorado Collectors show? I found a good find there in a Fraser falling block project gun. Pictures to follow.
Steve

SKB: I will definately bring it to your shop in the near future. I found it at a store that caters mostly to the black gun and personal defense crowd. As of late, I find the purveyors of AK's and AR's often have the best deals on antique sporting guns. Someone trades in Grandpa's old gun for a fancy new Glock. Somewhat sad in my view, but to each their own.

Last night I tried to take the white line pad off to look for markings and found the pad to be glued on. No screws at all.

As John said a horn grip cap is correct. I've never had to deal with a glued on buttpad so I'm not sure what to do. Hopefully others here have had to work with this.

Here is my recently acquired [A.O.] Niedner Rifle Corporation [single line rollmark] rifle with Shelhamer stock. It started life with a pre-war OBERNDORF commercial 98 Mauser barrelled action in 7x57. The receiver ring was decoratively stippled and the bolt release swiss file checkered. The rifle was originally built to be used with the folding leaf iron sights, eventually the owner had a Noske No.4 4x Fieldscope mounted in a Redfield JR. one piece mount, but later drilled an additional hole and went to early Weaver 2 piece bases and 7/8 in. Weaver rings. The floorplate is hinged with a swiss file checkered push button release similar to a Model 70 WINCHESTER. The triggerguard is shaped and contoured beautifully. The trigger breaks like a glass rod at 2.75 lbs. The bolt is jewelled as are the raceways. The stock has the Shelhamer "signature chinstrap" [sic] detail just aft of the foward swivels under the forearm. The checkering is simple but expertly executed. The swivels studs and sling are both German imports through Townsend Whelen's National Target and Supply Co. The gripcap and buttplate are both horn with engraved screws. The wood is hardshell walnut and I believe it to be French, it took checkering well and the diamonds are still remarkably sharp for their age. The bluing is in excellent condition save for two areas near the muzzle that must have gotten some light freckling rust and some wunderkind took steel wool and thinned it. Otherwise the rifle would rate in the mid 90%'s with a perfect bore. PHOTOS TO FOLLOW. Warmest to all. Jerry

Jerry's Rifle,

Couple weekends ago at the Allentown show Pete Harvey had a Westley Richards double rifle. Stock certainly looked like a Shelhamer, had the chinstrap and high monte carlo cheekpiece characteristic of his later work. Pete said he did not know whether or not rifle had been restocked. I can remember one or two other British rifles with similar stockwork, one of them a small action Farquharson R2 Lovell that I believe was also a Westley Richeards. I can scarcely believe that Shelhamer did work for WR and both rifles must have been restocked. On a similar note, I clearly recall, since I almost bought it at a Baltimore show (Emil McConnell ended up with it), a .30-40 Griffin & Howe Farquharson with such a stock. Michael, did Shelhamer do any work for G&H? Would not surprise me. This very gorgeous fully engraved rifle showed up a few years lager, criminally altered with a slotted recoil pad.