Old Faithful

Southern

Well-Known Member
A lot of younger hunters here seem attracted to old Parker Hales, Husqvarnas, BSAs, and even pre-war classics like H&H, Churchill, Westley Richards, or Model 70s , Mausers and 700s with walnut and iron sights.

And in the midst of many threads, old timers post photos of their old rifles. Many will say, "You can't go wrong with 7x57, .270 Win, .30-06, or 7x64.

I agree with all that. This week, I am hunting with a custom .270 built in 1953 on an FN Supreme action with a Douglas air gauged barrel, Redfield aperture, and 2.5x Lyman Alaskan in a Paul Jaeger QD side mount.

The other rifle iis a 1903A3 .30-06, also drilled and tapped for a Lyman receiver sight, but wearing a Swift 6x40 scope. Someone did a great sporterizing job, but the stock was plain and scratched up, so I restocked it in this natural blonde French View attachment 50531fn270-right.jpgwalnut.

So you younger guys, don't hesitate when you see an Old Faithful in the back of a store. And leave it like it is, or put it back to where it should be for its vintage, ...enjoy.
 
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I'm 26 but, thanks to gentlemen like yourself Southern, I'm very much stuck in the past.
My next project is either a 10-bore for walked up rabbits :) or a military surplus bolt action for deer. Something different to the boring norm, like an arisaka or schmidt rubin. Gotta love iron sights :D
 
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Well, I think I've turned into my father at the ripe old age of 37. I've sold all my synthetic stock rifles and done the whole tactical thing and am now the proud owner of a sako l691 .270 with a beautiful walnut stock, a tikka lsa 65 in .220 swift with a beautiful walnut stock and a Brno .22 hornet with a beautiful walnut stock (spot the recurring theme). I've also developed an interest in facial hair and Port, are these all related, who knows but I'm enjoying the experience!
 
Well, I think I've turned into my father at the ripe old age of 37. I've sold all my synthetic stock rifles and done the whole tactical thing and am now the proud owner of a sako l691 .270 with a beautiful walnut stock, a tikka lsa 65 in .220 swift with a beautiful walnut stock and a Brno .22 hornet with a beautiful walnut stock (spot the recurring theme). I've also developed an interest in facial hair and Port, are these all related, who knows but I'm enjoying the experience!

Well, I have facial hair, I like port and I love a nice walnut stock !! I'm also 61, .................. you've aged before your time :D
 
Well, I have facial hair, I like port and I love a nice walnut stock !! I'm also 61, .................. you've aged before your time :D

I wouldn't worry too much rodp. I tick all 3 of those boxes and I'm 19. Maybe you're just young at heart? :cool:
 
Buliding myself a p14 based 308 from a mess with action. As with all my guns lovely walnut stock and blacked metal. Time to give it back its heart and sole not just a pile of parts.

But it will mean I now got to many rifles time for a few to go, they will all be missed.
 
I fear tiz not the faithful ones which come up for sale..
GH

There are plenty of well-cared-for rifles and shotguns, which some thoughtful person put together for a purpose and enjoyed using. Now he wants to see it passed on to someone who appreciates it, or an heir or estate lawyer who does not appreciate it just puts it up for sale. I bought that .270 Mauser and two more fully engraved Mausers from Austria from a 91-year-old millionaire who wanted someone to own them who would enjoy them for what they are. I paid him what he had paid in the 1950s.

P14 sporter, eh? That is a strong action. A lot of sporting rifles built in the US off the P17.
I have a P14, in original condition, .303, of course. I take all my military rifles out hunting.
If you don't have enough photos of P14/P17 sporters, I probably have a few for ideas.
 
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I've always liked the BSA sporters that were built on the P-14's and M-17's . Nothing flash , just a minimalist styled stock and nice clean lines . I would go with a slightly higher comb height though as the older rifles were stocked for iron sights . Are you keeping the original style belly floor plate or are you slimming it down ?

AB
 
I have some photos of nice P-17 sporters on my laptop, which I will fetch later. Here are some BSA sporters as they progressed, an early P-14 Model C, later Model E (1953), and a 1920s Sedley 1903 Sporter, which is really classic.
bsa-model-c-p14.jpgbsa-model-e-1953.jpg1903-sporter-sedgley.jpg

My 1903A3 in the OP is going to get a Lyman receiver sight, and the Leupold bases and rings are going to be replaced with Warne QD ( I know, not vintage), so I can swap out the scope for the aperture sights.
 
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Hi Southern

Pleased to see you name checked Huskys! As you know, i tried the Model 70 which I liked as a gun but just not enamoured by the calibre it was in.

So as you say, keep them how they were made, but I now have some land where I need a moderated rifle. I don't know what to do. Do I dephile my brand new but 30 years old new Husky 6.5 or do I dephile my first rifle my fairly used but not terribly heavily used 30 years old Husky 243? They match each other at the moment, and are just a delight of an aesthetically well designed rifle, but won't be either when the hateful mod goes on! And I'll lose the iron sites because of it.
 
You know my answer: Leave the Huskys alone. Buy a Howa or something for the moderator.

The old Huskys like the 47 are so vintage, like Mausers from the 1920s. The 640 and 641 are, too. And the nice Tradewinds of the 1960s are my favorites, with their slim stocks and great hunting sights.
 
Uh I KNEW you were going to say that. But they restrict us here, making it difficult to have a few, unlike over there.

These Huskys are the later action ones, the 1900 action. These may have been accountant designed as I understand but I have an affinity with them.

Still very allergic to chopping them though. I suppose I could get rid of one and buy a Howa - Hmm.

Hope all is well over there.

Will
 
I've always liked the BSA sporters that were built on the P-14's and M-17's . Nothing flash , just a minimalist styled stock and nice clean lines . I would go with a slightly higher comb height though as the older rifles were stocked for iron sights . Are you keeping the original style belly floor plate or are you slimming it down ?

AB


AB

after all your help I've now got a trigger guard I think I'll straighten it!!!!
 
Hi Southern

Pleased to see you name checked Huskys! As you know, i tried the Model 70 which I liked as a gun but just not enamoured by the calibre it was in.

So as you say, keep them how they were made, but I now have some land where I need a moderated rifle. I don't know what to do. Do I dephile my brand new but 30 years old new Husky 6.5 or do I dephile my first rifle my fairly used but not terribly heavily used 30 years old Husky 243? They match each other at the moment, and are just a delight of an aesthetically well designed rifle, but won't be either when the hateful mod goes on! And I'll lose the iron sites because of it.

There are pics on here where the off cut and sight is used as a thread protector, properly done its almost undetectable
 
I have some photos of nice P-17 sporters on my laptop, which I will fetch later. Here are some BSA sporters as they progressed, an early P-14 Model C, later Model E (1953), and a 1920s Sedley 1903 Sporter, which is really classic.
View attachment 50591View attachment 50592View attachment 50593

My 1903A3 in the OP is going to get a Lyman receiver sight, and the Leupold bases and rings are going to be replaced with Warne QD ( I know, not vintage), so I can swap out the scope for the aperture sights.

thats the style I'm going for looking for a nice old scope for set up
 
The BSA P14 Model E, the one on that chair with the scope, had a schnabel forend, in case you are inclined to duplicate that.
View attachment 50611
Here an later ( late 1950s?) sporter P-14 with a bit of a humpback stock with cheekpiece, for its scope.
View attachment 50612

Just to show that these were not all working-class conversions, here is a used rifle, for sale a few years ago at Westley Richards, with new bottom metal to permit a more graceful stock line. It is in .404 Jeffery, on a P-14 or P-17. I will try to find more of it. It is really shows what can be done.
View attachment 50613
 
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