Caliber Poll on what caliber to build using this donor.

[Bayou City Boy]

Originally Posted by foxhunter

sure reminds me if some of the rifle Heym of Germany made from #1 actions.

It's definitely a very well done blend/mixture of a bit of European design coupled with American Classic style in one rifle.

The butt stock and the for end both have American Classic features but from what little you can see of the cheek piece, it looks to have European structure and style to it. The scope rings look American Classic in style and the very nice engraving could be from either place.

Bottom line is that all in all it's a very well done rifle, both in terms of wood and metal work. Whoever the smith/s were, it obviously wasn't their first rodeo.

-BCB

[caithness77]

A few have asked about the lineage of this rifle, so here goes.
The gunsmith was the highly regarded Australian gunsmith Jack Millar. Jack seems to have been responsible for the smithing and stock work. Unfortunately Jack died about 6 years ago.
The engraver was the very talented Jeff R Brown, also Australian. He was a protégé to Phil Vinnicombe and attended the School of Engravers in Leige, Belgium. Jeff graduated with a Grand Distinction a year ahead of the rest of his class, however, sadly, Jeff took his life over thirty years ago.
The rifle was originally chambered for 224 Weatherby Magnum, barrel has some engraving. Sometime ago someone saw fit to re-line the barrel with a 'sleeve' and chambered to 220 Swift.
The serial # of the rifle is 130-07214, built in 1974. So given that Jeff has been gone for over thirty years, suggesting the rifle would have been engraved around the mid 1980s.
The stock is gorgeous, but I would not hunt with it, I do have a few replacement butt and fore ends in either a 'V' or 'B' configuration, also have a blank set that I could get made up if necessary. I'd just keep the original stock stored away.
So with this in mind, I could re-barrel into a standard sporter 'B' profile barrel into the caliber of choice. Still leaning towards a 218Bee, as the hunting small game like Red Fox is what I enjoy most. Got to love what you do I say.

Cheers,
Stu

[ramos]

Don't know much about such things but, it's a work of art as far as I am concerned.

Not saying you should or should not do anything to it. Your' rifle, your' call.

[caithness77]

Originally Posted by ramos

Don't know much about such things but, it's a work of art as far as I am concerned.

Not saying you should or should not do anything to it. Your' rifle, your' call.

Cheers ramos.

[Larry]

Forgive me if I missed this in this post and your other concerning this rifle.
Is the rifle inaccurate, or you just don't like the 220 Swift chambering? With all the modern powders suitable for safe, reduced loads, why not go that route. Leave the rifle(beautiful) with all it's history and load to whatever level you want.

Just my .02

It's a very nice piece
Larry

[caithness77]

Originally Posted by Larry

Forgive me if I missed this in this post and your other concerning this rifle.
Is the rifle inaccurate, or you just don't like the 220 Swift chambering? With all the modern powders suitable for safe, reduced loads, why not go that route. Leave the rifle(beautiful) with all it's history and load to whatever level you want.

Just my .02

It's a very nice piece
Larry

Hello Larry,
Thanks for your input. I have had several Swifts over the years, the cartridge is of no use to me with my interests. I would like a smaller caliber that I could use and make the experience even more special with a beautiful rifle. As it stands, I'm faced with being required by law to stamp the barrel as a 220 Swift, seems the person that relined the barrel saw fit not to stamp the modification. Currently the barrel shows the caliber engraved as 224 Weatherby Magnum. So to me the rifle has already been altered from the original work.

Cheers,
Stu

[foxhunter]

I agree, switch the barrel won't alter the value. rimmed cases seem to lend themselves to the # 1. I love my 218 bee but a 221 fb would work as well. very little difference in load velocity, accuracy or report.

[Bayou City Boy]

Re-barreling the rifle in the same configuration is a far cry from parting it out as a donor rifle with different stocks, etc. as was originally suggested.

-BCB

[Nor Cal Mikie]

What about building a .221 Fireball in a "rimmed" version?? More work to get the sights lined up than anything else?? And you won't have to deal with the extraction problems of a rimless case?
And no matter what you end up doing to it, it's still a LOOKER!!

[caithness77]

Well I have decided not to use this rifle as a base for another build. I concur that it would be a shame to change the rifle from it's current configuration. However, I've now decided to sell the rifle on usedguns.com with the proceeds to fund the next few builds.
Many thanks to all those that responded to my enquiry/poll. I really do appreciate this forum being so very proactive. A credit to all.

Cheers,
Stu in Australia