Woo-Hoo! Custom .35 Whelen FINISHED! :)

Claven2

Claven2

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Ok, well after over a year (almost two) of collecting bits and working with my favorite 'smith, project Whelen is finished!!! :)

Built on a matching 1909 Argentime DWM M98 action, here are the specs:

-26" No.3 profile Montana Rifleman Co. 1:10" barrel (thanks Bits of Pieces!)
-1970's Era Reminton milled rear sight.
-modified Ruger RSI front sight, mandrel hammered with the band thinned to 0.5mm thickness.
-Talley bolt handle
-Fisher grip cap hand engraved by Larry O'Malley (he also did the lettering)
-3 position Win-70 style safety from David Gentry Custom
-1909 bottom metal, recontoured in the Oberndorf sporting style.
-black walnut stock done in the German classic style, hand checkered 22 lpi borderless.
-Bold Inc. adjustable trigger at 2.5#
-EAW turret mounts and rings
-Leupold VXII 2-7x33
-Buttler Creek flip-ups
-Ruger No.1S barrel band/swivel.
-bolt release face checkered 35 lpi.
-glass bedded

Gun was built by Jason Spencer at Gunco in Ottawa. Barrel is signed "J. Spencer, Gunsmith"

This was my father's retirement present. Gave it to him tonight - I think he likes it. :)

Here are some preliminary pics:

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For those keeping score, total cost somewhere between $3500-4000. I lost track of the exact amount...:eek:
 
Lots to like about this rifle. I particularily like the long barrel/short forearm, the straight bolt handle. Great look.

Great caliber. With that tight pitch, your Dad won't have any problem stabilizing the heavier bullets if he chooses to use them.
 
Nice rifle, classic. You have great taste, Claven2, and that Jason Spencer looks to be a real artist.

Gotta go with Bartell on the optics/ mounts thing though.
 
Nice looking rifle, but the mounts/scope do nothing for it! :( Lose the optics or switch to single pc Leupold mount with low rings.
 
X-man said:
Nice looking rifle, but the mounts/scope do nothing for it! :( Lose the optics or switch to single pc Leupold mount with low rings.
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???

Single piece (POS) Leopold mounts?

You guys are messed up. :eek: This is a 1909 Mauser action! Not a Remington 700!!! Those mounts are $550 EAW German sporting mounts made specifically for a Mauser action. When you shoulder the gun, the scope comes right to the eye with a perfect cheek weld.

EAW has been making these since the 1950's, still available today special order from Germany...

http://www.eaw.de/eaw/index_uk.php/item/296

And as for the scope being removed, it's a turret mount. The scope comes off in about 2 seconds so you can use the irons - an all in one package.
 
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1899 said:
Very, very nice! One question: why a .35 Whelen in stead of a 9.3x62?
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I've done the 9.3x62 thing before, wanted to try something else in that class. Also, it's not for me - it's Dad's gun and he doesn't reload (yet), so I went with a round he can buy at Lebarons.
 
AWESOME - very nice work and a great calibre too. I can seen alot of devotion (and $$$) went into getting that one just right for the intended recipient.

I'm sure that shooter will be treasured by your dad - not just for its inherent quality, but as a present reminder of his thoughtful son.

Another advantage of your mounting system is that it would appear you can easily fully grip the gun using your thumb at the balance point (usually near the mag). I find that good on my rambling rifles.
 
Well, as I said, it was not built for me - but for my dad. I'm left handed, and I like pancake cheek pieces. If it had been built for me, I'd have used lighter English walnut, not American black. I'd have had a pancake lefty cheekpiece. I'd have used a 1.5-5VXIII. I'd have used a Dayton Traister trigger with a lefty Gentry safety, not a Bold. And I'd have used an NECG whitworth express sight, not an adjustable sight.

But this gun was built with the features my father loves and in that, it worked VERY well :)

And it IS a nice firearm. The pics don't do it justice, though I'll try to post some more pics tonight showing some of the workmanship. The camera flash also has the stock coloring all wrong, it loosk much better in person with some nice burl in the buttstock.

Peter (of Marstar fame) was playing with this gun at Gunco on the weekend - maybe he'll chime in and let me know if I'm over-rating this rifle or not...?
 
Clavin ....... VERY NICE!! And I think the mounts are perfect for a custom Mauser.

BTW, Jason is working on my Browning Safari 300H&H right now. Total refinish including the checkering and inletting of the new bbl. I told him not to rush it in time for this years hunting season. Better to be patient. :)




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I had the opportunity to inspect this rifle when it was under construction. Sometimes you can see more then, rather than when everything is polished and finished. The workmanship and components are first class.
 
prosper said:
Curious why you settled on a 26" bbl? Not really the most traditional length for the Whelen
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You can buy a 24" barrel on a Remington CDL in .35 whelen. You can't get a factory 26". Why build what you can cheaply buy? Also, a barrel can later be shortened - it can't be made longer.

Dad is going to use it in open clear cuts where the extra length and resultant velocity gains will be useful.
 
SuperCub said:
Clavin ....... VERY NICE!! And I think the mounts are perfect for a custom Mauser.

BTW, Jason is working on my Browning Safari 300H&H right now. Total refinish including the checkering and inletting of the new bbl. I told him not to rush it in time for this years hunting season. Better to be patient. :)
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I have seen it and it will be a pretty Mauser when it's done. The stock has some nice figure now that it's oiled and the varnish is gone - yuck.

I still think you're a brave man by thinning the lower bolt lug recess that much, and I think the gunsmith who did the work and recontoured the feed ramp could have done a better job of polishing it. I've only ever seen one Mauser grenaded and it was a browning safari lengthened to .300 H&H. It likely will never fail, but I'm a big scardy cat!!! lol... You might ask Jason to repolish the ramp, it's rougher than I would accept personally, but fixable for sure. Jason's metal work is without peer.

I trust you will post pics here for everyone who HASN'T seen it?
 
tiriaq said:
I had the opportunity to inspect this rifle when it was under construction. Sometimes you can see more then, rather than when everything is polished and finished. The workmanship and components are first class.
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thanks tiriaq :) Building these things can be addictive, can't it?

I still have to decide. My next project will either be a mannlicher-like Mauser 98 in 7x57 (aka .275 Rigby) with a short 18" barrel, full stocked, build on a minty 1939 Erma receiver, or a .375 H&H (or maybe .404 Jeffries?) build on a highly modified P14 receiver with straightened M1917 bottom metal converted to hinged floorplate. I have some of the parts already for both - maybe a bit further ahead on the Mauser 98 action. I'm leaning toward it... but we shall see. Might be another year or so before I really get started.
 
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