saved from the scrapyard a while back for fifty bucks...

https://youtu.be/ddXPYYh1yuw

This old Anschutz target rifle was languishing in a corner safe in our old premises in Oundle town for many years until I discovered it a few years back. I'd never seen it before, and the log showed that it had last been out and used back in 1982. It was covered with a very fine layer of 'dusty' rust, and much of the varnish had peeled off the stock. It was going to be scrapped and the money, if any, going towards a couple of CZ for the clubs noobies to practice on.

It was not far off the saddest thing I'd ever seen, gun-wise, in my life.

Just for a laff, I pushed a rod up the barrel, only to find it as bright as a new pin from one end to the other. I put my spare set of Anschutz sights on it and fired five shots into the same hole at 25m. with that in mind, I made an offer to the club treasurer and having a spare 'slot' on my FAC, I paid up and took it home to work on.

The exposed metal was, as noted, covered with what looked like paprika powder, and using a Birchwood-Casey lead removal cloth [identical in every way to the far cheaper Kleeneeze wonder cloth] I carefully worked over a small part of the rusty metal. SUCCESS!! It took me three weeks and another two cloths to clean it up. The stock required a total strip-down to the bare wood, taking care to retain the complex carved shapes around the thumbhole - every sharp corner is still a sharp corner. The deep cuts on the cheek-piece were too deep to be redeemed, so I had to leave them. They were signs that the rifle had been caught on the edge of the heavy safe door either getting it out or putting it away - shame, eh? The refinishing is fifteen coats of satin-finish Min-Wax.

The spiffy-looking butt-piece was made to look almost new by the liberal application of 'Mother's metal polish'. That sucker took a LOT of hard work, but I think it was worth it.

The scope is one of two I bought from a guy on GB who lived in Montana, now gone, and the doodad on the muzzle is a barrel harmoniser - I'm at the stage where anything I can try to improve my shooting is going to get tried. The other one is on a custom laminated stocked BSA Martini International Mk11, also on my Youtube channel.

Enjoy!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: tacfoley, January 22, 2020 03:41 PM

Link says the video is private. I believe your 1407 has the 54 Match action. I dream of owning a 54 Match rifle. I've had a perfect 64 but was resold. I cannot recall my earlier Anschutz as it was short lived due to needing a 1911. You got a awsome deal Tac. Would sure like to see pics. BTW, their BR50 is said to be the most accurate .22 in the world.

quote:

Originally posted by David Lee:
Link says the video is private.

Yes. I would be very interested in seeing at least a still photo of the rifle.

I've just had a notification that it will go public at 00:00 Eastern Time.

I apologise for that.

Sir - I have sent you an email with some images - perhaps you can share them here.

TIA

I have forwarded the photos sigfreund plus downloaded and emailed direct. Thank you.

Holy hell Tac, you've got the first nicest BSA Martini I've ever seen. Who the heck builds it like that ?

That is an amazing gun and even better story.

(And thanks, David Lee, for the relay.)

quote:

Originally posted by David Lee:
Holy hell Tac, you've got the first nicest BSA Martini I've ever seen. Who the heck builds it like that ?

David, which one did you see? Is it the laminated stock model?

Many thanks to you both!!! Sigfreund, is it a trouble to send you stuff?? I have around 18,000 pics of my guns...

BTW, the top target is five shots at 25m, and the bottom target is a box of 50 at 100m.

quote:

Originally posted by tacfoley:
Many thanks to you both!!! Sigfreund, is it a trouble to send you stuff?? I have around 18,000 pics of my guns...

No trouble at all. I might have to limit the time I post them, but it's easy enough for me to do.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:No trouble at all. I might have to limit the time I post them, but it's easy enough for me to do.

Sir, you are very kind. Needless to say, I will NOT be sending you all the images, just those that Mr Lee would like to see, and which he thinks might be of some interest here. I have no real handguns, though, except a Ruger Old Army and a UK-spec Ruger Super Redhawk that is really too shaming to show on an American site.

Yes sir, the laminated stock rifle which appears to wear the same scope as your Anschutz. BTW Tac, who makes your target scope ? Its a fine looking piece. You really got that for 50 bucks ? You devil you..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv5ZVEmrFOY

This one was REALLY expensive, all of $85, but it did include the sights, well, not quite as good as the VERY best deal ever on the left-hander MkII with a full set of Al Freeland diopter tube sights in Unertl POSA mounts for around $90 or so.

The story with this one is that the original owner, who was a county champion, was not very taken with the idea of the MkII forend bolting directly into the 1" diameter barrel. He thought that the downward pressure from the sling would unduly affect the harmonics of the barrel, leading to less than perfect results.

So he went to night school for a year or so, and learnt all about ergonomics, then came home and made this stock. The butt was home-made, but the Anschutz rail under the forend was bought. Undoing the hex bolt in the right-hand side releases the action, just like with any BSA Martini, and the scope is a x18 from Tasco. It's a T707 from the late 60's early 70's - no way of telling, and was made to compete with the likes of Unertl, Fecker, Bausch & Lomb and others in the same game - competing in the 100 yard English Match.

lovely rifle, and scope!

I have a 61 vintage Anschutz, not a thumbhole, but it has 2 scallops for you to choose where you want to put your thumb on stock near the action,


54 actions are very very accurate, lovely rifles

I read some of your models posted here lyman. To date I've had 2 Anschutz targets, 2nd was a 64 Match, a 40X which I shot only prone due to its barrel weight, a US Remington 541X from CMP, 2 Harrington & Richardson M12s both CMP rifles, a Remington 540 XR for mostly 50 foot indoor, a 1922 M2 Springfield and 2 Remington 510s. While I hope to have a 54 Match someday, I've seen the heavy barrel models get up over 15 pounds which is more weight than I can control. This was also what I discovered of my 40X from a standing position. I rest the rifle atop my finger tips as I never had a palm rest. I even shoot a Garand as such. And I still adore the Winchester 52s..

And a Walther..and a Feinwerkbau..get the idea I love shooting target rifles ?

Wow, excellent work sir. Just excellent.

Beautiful Tac!

quote:

Originally posted by David Lee:
And a Walther..and a Feinwerkbau..get the idea I love shooting target rifles ?

you say that like it is a bad thing


I love them,