doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Sukalle-Minar-O'Connor 1903

I am only wondering how the effusive compliments regarding Minar's work by the late Michael Petrov can likewise explain what "appears" to be rather sloppy inletting? Just musing!

H

American Rifleman April 1980 p.44

American Rifleman April 1980 p. 45

American Rifleman April 1980 p. 80

Compare photos 4 and 10: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=544242117

I have yet to see the rifle in question, but I think the photographs may be misleading (angles & shadows) on the inletting front.

Some further information. I spoke to the dealer today. The rifle did not come from the estate of an Alfred Ronstadt. It was consigned by the estate manager for the last of three brothers. They all collected guns for 70 years, and the last survivor inherited the lot. (Apparently something like 600 guns.)

Not long ago the estate manager held a garage sale and sold piles and piles of gun and gunsmithing tools and accessories for derisory prices. The gun shop managed to save the last 10%, and they are looking for that missing buttplate.

They told me that the elderly surviving brother said that this rifle was very special. They are going to put him in touch with me to talk about its provenance.

[quote=David Zincavage ....they are looking for that missing buttplate. [/quote]

I wish you luck on that. I recently bought a rifle from an estate which was fitted with the base for a Griffin & Howe side mount and the base for a Lyman 35 receiver sight.

Although I sent photos of both the top slide of the G&H mount and the slide for the Model 35, at first there was no positive reaction. Eventually the scope and top slide for the G&H turned up, but the heirs insisted that they were not part of the sale price and wanted to be paid, so I reluctantly agreed. However, the price they wanted was less than a new set of G&H rings would cost, so that sweetened the deal considerably. The slide for the Model 35 is still missing.

The grain flow of the stocks don't match. Compare picture #4 with the picture on the second page of the American Rifleman article. Completely different grain flow. Also the gun pictures in the Am Rifleman has a recoil bolt, don't see any evidence of a repair to hide the hole on the Gunbroker pictures.
My .02-
I'd guess the stock on Gunbroker is a Minar (just not O'Connors Minar)and maybe the sloppy inletting is from the original barreled action and floorplate being replaced sometime in it's past.

My intention was not to imply that the .30-06 illustrated in that American Rifleman article was the same gun as the 7x57mm sold recently on Gun Broker. I was just noting the similarity of the pistol grip and its checkering pattern and the similarity of the cheek pieces on both rifles.

Used guns are what they are. I think J.O'connor handled the rifle at some point in the past,knowing what it was, he penciled the note for us. Thanks Jack!
The signature is a close match to an autograph I have.

A pic of Alaska grizzzly bear guide and his SIGNED Minar rifle.
There are more pics on my web site at:
http://www.finegunmaking.com/page32/page46/page46.html

Steven, Very nice rifle your friend must be proud.