MACGREGOR ARMS?

[Kalahari]

I was looking at the Holts catalogue and came across this:- HOLTS Auctioneers a bolt action 404 Jeff. I am not in the market for one but the maker is a new one to me. Anybody who can help fix my curiosity/knowledge gap?

Many thanks,

David.

 

[VSS]

Lovely looking rifle!

 

[Kalahari]

@Muir @MarinePMI @Laurie surely one of you can put me out of my misery on this.

Many thanks,

David.

 

[MarinePMI]

Looks like a custom rifle builder, using a modern Mauser action...just a guess though.

ETA: Actually after looking more closely, that looks like a reworked military Mauser (notice the cutaway side wall for clip charging). Nice work though. The color case hardened extractor gives it some nice bling.

 

[Laurie]

I've never heard of this make. Built on a military Mauser 98 action (clip loading thumb recess in the left receiver wall) as many were 40 odd years ago. Macgregor Arms may not have been the builder of course - might have been commissioned by them and made by a better known riflesmith. (For instance, 20 plus years ago Norman Clark in Rugby built many safari rifles as special commissions with the customer/retailer's name on them, not his.)

 

[Dalua]

...and why 'The Postman'?

 

[enfieldspares]

When postman knocks he always delivers!

 

[HonestJohn]

When postman knocks he always delivers!

He brings the message home

 

[Mt Al]

Really nice looking rifle! Are mauser floor plates normally fixed?

 

[MarinePMI]

Really nice looking rifle! Are mauser floor plates normally fixed?

Traditionally, yes.

 

[Heym SR20]

Really nice looking rifle! Are mauser floor plates normally fixed?

In many big game rifles the floor plates are fixed for reliability. Recoil has a habit of dislodging things and a spring loaded catch has let go on more than one occasion, and the last thing you want is your rounds dumping on the floor after you have opened the batting on a large buffalo.

Looks to be a really nice rifle for a good price.

 

[alberta boy]

A new name for me , but a very nice rifle .

AB

 

[MarinePMI]

In many big game rifles the floor plates are fixed for reliability. Recoil has a habit of dislodging things and a spring loaded catch has let go on more than one occasion, and the last thing you want is your rounds dumping on the floor after you have opened the batting on a large buffalo.

Looks to be a really nice rifle for a good price.

Yep. Like your middle finger banging into the floor plate release under recoil (was one of the problems with the Rem 700, and why Marine M-40 sniper rifles originally used modified Winchester floor plates). Gun goes bang, floor plate opens up after getting hit by your middle finger, and suddenly there's no ammo to chamber a second round.

 

[Mt Al]

Heym SR20 and MarinePMI: thanks for your replies, makes sense.

 

[finnbear270]

Looks like a nice job that easily could have come from TT Procter's bench.

 

[Heym SR20]

Thinking about this further, there were and still are a good number of rifle smiths around the country who worked for all sorts of clients. For example the late John Low had a couple of rifles built under the Fife Field Sports brand with various smiths (sadly also now long gone) doing the work. One in particular I recall is a lovely little 22-250 built on a Mannlicher Schoeneur action with shotgun style thumb safety and a beautiful stock.

Its not just in the UK, the US and Europe are full of gunsmiths, the majority of whose work is repairs, but they will put together guns, either on spec or for a particular customer. Indeed many British made shotguns will be the product of multiple out workers.

Many will be signed or stamped internally on lock plates, on the stock etc.

In my cabinet I have a combination gun signed Heinrich Munch: Aarchen. He was a retailer of fine guns. But thanks its proof marks it was Austrian made and the Austrian proof house puts on the serial number which is a combination of the date, the makers own reference number and the number of guns that that maker had through the proof house. By this means I identified the maker as Hambrusch.

Unfortunately in the UK the proof house just proofs and doesn’t add any date or makers stamp.

 

[Francois]

I actually bought the .404 Jeff you guys are talking about. It's built on a Mauser 98 action, manufactured circa 1903. I collect pre 1935 Mauser Oberndorf Mausers and have some of the rarest in my collection, from .22 - 9.3cal...even from the first year of production... I'm originally form Africa and return on occasion (as some of my collection is in South Africa) however I only collect German calibers.. the .404 being the only brit caliber, ... he'll stand in the naughty corner ... but if you ask those who come from Boer (Dutch French) herritage then they'll tell you theres only one calibre that truly represent Africa ...the 9.3x62 and of cause it has to be an Oberndorf type A... nothing says Africa like a Mauser apart from the fact that I've never experienced or heard of one failing... And by the way the reason why fixed plates are used in the larger calibres is not because the floor plate will accidently open (as many of them have a hidden release button in the floor plate) but because you can only fit so few cartridges (3 in the case of a .404) in the mag ... so its easy enough to cycle them out if not used ... as for the 'POSTMAN' its because you probably wont forget it if this 'postman' makes a delivery...

 

[Nkawu]

I actually bought the .404 Jeff you guys are talking about. It's built on a Mauser 98 action, manufactured circa 1903. I collect pre 1935 Mauser Oberndorf Mausers and have some of the rarest in my collection, from .22 - 9.3cal...even from the first year of production... I'm originally form Africa and return on occasion (as some of my collection is in South Africa) however I only collect German calibers.. the .404 being the only brit caliber, ... he'll stand in the naughty corner ... but if you ask those who come from Boer (Dutch French) herritage then they'll tell you theres only one calibre that truly represent Africa ...the 9.3x62 and of cause it has to be an Oberndorf type A... nothing says Africa like a Mauser apart from the fact that I've never experienced or heard of one failing... And by the way the reason why fixed plates are used in the larger calibres is not because the floor plate will accidently open (as many of them have a hidden release button in the floor plate) but because you can only fit so few cartridges (3 in the case of a .404) in the mag ... so its easy enough to cycle them out if not used ... as for the 'POSTMAN' its because you probably wont forget it if this 'postman' makes a delivery...

How about some photos for us to drool over?