S G Elliott .323 Magnum info required please

Silvertip13

Silvertip13

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To the moderators, I put this in the gunsmith section as I know most of the older generation looks in here and that is the guys that probably will have some info I am looking for, thanks.
I have been asked to help with a project, this rifle was handed down to a friend of mine. It came from central Alberta but didn't come with anything but what you see and a period correct lined hard case. We would like to be able to use it for it's intended use. I can't find any info on the chambering, has any one got any info on the chambering? The quality of the rifle is second to none, every detail appears to have had hours put into it. Anyone hear tell of S G Elliott? Was he a gunsmith in Alberta? Anyone else have a rifle built by him? Any info on this would be great, a line on dies would be awesome. Thanks for your time.




 
I know that rifle. I had a chance to buy it back then but couldn't afford it. Sam sold it to Farren Steadman. He also sold Farren a beautiful Winchester 92 reworked to .357 and custom stocked and blued, a work of art. Farren passed a few years ago. I wish I had bought it when had the chance. I sold some of Farren's guns but this one and the 357 were not being sold at that time. I believe Farren's wife's brother got them. It had dies and ammo when I last saw it.

Sam built a few of this caliber using Brno 8mm barrels. It is an 8mm on a .308 Norma Mag case if I remember correctly.

I bought Sam's lathe and other tooling when he closed his shop. He was most highly skilled in what ever he wanted to do. He was accomplished in welding, machining, cabinet making, body work, painting... Gunsmithed out of his house in Calgary until roughly 1975.

Get some G96 on the metal work and wipe the finger prints away...
 
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There was a George Elliott that worked in Grey County of Ontario [near Holland Centre / Williamsford] for many years. He passed away a few years ago. He was well known for his ingenuity and superb workmanship. I have a 760 Rem pump that was rebarrelled by Geo. and the action is smooth like butter. I believe he also went to Arizona and worked there for a few years & was an avid astronomer. Apparently he would often stay up all night to work on guns and built many of them over the years.
 
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Willy Tincup said:
There was a George Elliott that worked in Grey County of Ontario [near Holland Centre / Williamsford] for many years. He passed away a few years ago. He was well known for his ingenuity and superb workmanship. I have a 760 Rem pump that was rebarrelled by Geo. and the action is smooth like butter. I believe he also went to Arizona and worked there for a few years & was an avid astronomer. Apparently he would often stay up all night to work on guns and built many of them over the years. I think this rifle is one of his and can double check the full name with some locals if anyone wants that done......wTc
Click to expand...

Willy Tincup you are out to lunch! Read post #3
 
Well, thats quite possible! Been worse places.
So who is S. G. Elliott? Are you saying he was the original owner of this .323 Magnum?...or is Sam G. Elliott the known maker of the rifle?
The OP asked a question about who S G Elliott was and if he was a gunsmith. The name, the quality of the rifle and the rather oddball calibre all pointed in the direction of Geo Elliott, a well known quality gunmaker from this area.
OK; I think I get it now. When I re-read your post the comment about Sam selling it to Farren indicates Sam was Sam Elliott; is that correct.
Looks like 2 very talented gunmakers by the name of Elliott. I hope we've cleared up the confusion. Sorry about that.
 
Sam is S.G. Elliott. Lived and worked out of his house on Center Street South, Calgary for many years. I first met him in 1968. I was working at a local sporting goods store after graduating from gunsmithing school in the US. We became friends and I found out a rifle of my fathers was one he had worked on many years previously.

Off my gun shop wall, here is a picture of Sam and Josie the year they got married I believe... 46/47?
samandjosie-0.jpg
 
Thanks Guntech! Appreciate the background info on Sam Elliott.......and love that picture. What a sweet looking couple and a fabulous looking classic bike. Cheers.
 
Thanks Guntech for the information on the Elliott name. I have heard of his name before in connection with custom gun work here in Alberta but have never got the whole story. Thanks again to both of you for the history lesson. Regards David Henry
 
ST13............thanks for the thread on a unique classic.

Put your name on his list.........hopefully you're at the number 1 spot.

A chunk of history like that would well be worth owning.
 
Thanks for the insight to the origin of this beautiful Classic. I knew one of you guys would remember such a fine piece of work. Not that it is for sale, but what would something like this go for?
 
josquin said:
That's a beautiful piece of work and the pic of Sam and his wife is wonderful. Now to find the dies... Someone must have them.

CH4D only show two dies in .323 cal., but they could probably make them up for you if you had a chamber cast.
Click to expand...

You don't need a chamber cast. The dies that were with that rifle were simply .308 Norma Mag dies. With the FL sizer die, Sam altered the neck to size the larger neck of the 308 with an 8mm bullet and replaced the 30 cal expander ball with an 8mm expander ball. With the seating die he opened the neck up and replaced the seating stem with an 8mm seating stem.

If it were me I would work back on the source of that rifle. The last time I saw it in Farren's house the dies and ammo were with it.
 
Not quite like the 8x68S but a close cousin!A buddy had one he couldn't find brass for ,so he had it set back using .338 Win Mag brass X 8mm.......... Harold
 
Also, I will note that I like the pictures you took, I can never seem to get them to come out that good.
Maybe the white background, Good show.
 
Sam Elliott was indeed a smith in Calgary. Sam did most of the gunsmith work for my dad when he worked at Simpson & Lee in Calgary He was a good friend of my dads and my dad still has the rifle built by Sam on a Mauser action... Gun has taken a lot of game and still shoots a loonie at 100 yds after a lot of shells through it. I remember Sam when I was a young lad and he had a unique sense of humor and I know of people who went to his shop and he hardly said a word to them.... maybe it was a bad day ! My dad says he was extra ordinary at all that he did. I think he rebuilt corvair cars as he figured out an inherent problem with either the rear ends or trannys.

Anyone who might have tutored under him...if any... would appreciate his high standards when it came to firearms.
 
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