My mini Mauser in .222 Rem Mag

[herb]

Sharing some pics of my mini Mauser in .222 Rem Mag made in the 1960's not bad for a 50 year old rifle.

20" inch barrel, tang safety, custom made in Ferlach using a commercial mini Mauser action.






























During all my years in India I have not come across guns from Ferlach. Most of the guns I saw were British, German and Spanish/Belgium. There may be a few Stey'rs / Mannlichers from Austria floating around. Looks like Ferlach guns were not very popular although they are well made guns.

[timmy]

Oh my goodness, Herb, what a beauty! When was this gun made? It is too nice to carry afield, I think, but I suppose the original Fanzoj clientele did not find carrying such a fine arm. I expect that it was more of a proper tool for the job.

How does it handle with the short barrel?

I suppose that it is an Austrian thing, where the stock looks more traaditionally German in the back, but has more of a full fore end as opposed to the "toothpick" we are more used to.

I'm just taking an uneducated guess, but I'd think guns from the nations you mention are Western European and fall into the circle of British trade and familiarity, whereas Austria is more Central European, and less associated with the British trade orbit, thus perhaps few guns from Ferlach, including Fanzoj, were not exposed to the Maharaja level of wealth as often. What do you think of this? Now, with everything being global, these sorts of guns are more exposed to those who look for rare, nicely made custom (and here I do mean custom!) guns.

Thanks for sharing this lovely rifle!

[herb]

Glad you liked the rifle. It handles very well as it is a smaller action and very well balanced. Also the shotgun style tang safety is really nice. I think it was made in the early 1960's as it is chambered for the short lived .222 Rem Mag (1959 to mid sixties). Nosler and Hedershots still make them but otherwise it is for hand loaders.

As you mentioned stock, I will try and post a picture of the other side of the stock which has a very interesting cheek rest.

Agree with you assessment about guns from the British trade orbit finding its way into India due to its British colonial influence. That was my thinking too.

Post 2000 Ferlach guns have become more like an art than a tool and focus on small niche customers. They are still custom gun makers and make what ever the client wants.

[eljefe]

Ooh. What a beut.
Lives up to its ferlach heritage with the hogsback stock and fishscale chequering. Very classy ensemble -from the scope mounts to the finish.
You can spend many an evening admiring it

[Vikram]

Herb,

That is a gorgeous, classy rifle. Must be a sweet shooter.

[herb]

Thanks eljefe and Vikram, handling is similar to my Brno and for me Brno model 2 will always be the best rifle in the world (that was the rifle I I learned to shoot with in my early teens). If I could have only one rifle it would be an early model 2.

Timmy - the other side of the stock, shape and lines are very Austrian.

[Able]

What a beauty, pleasure to look at.

[timmy]

Thanks for these additional photos, Herb. You are right, they really do illustrate those fine Austrian lines, not to mention the wood itself. It's gorgeous.

Sometimes I look at things like this rifle and think about how Western European, especially British tastes affect our judgments of beauty. This rifle shows that there are other tastes and styles that are also very beautiful and appealing. I don't say this to denigrate -- many of the British guns are quite attractive, too. However, looking at something like this warns me not to be too narrow when looking at something. (I really don't need to be reminded of this so much, as I very much realize that Central Europe is not Western Europe in many ways.)

I love that cheek piece treatment! It would be easy to visualize Franz Ferdinand, with all those trophies on his wall, shooting a gun like this.

[herb]

It would be easy to visualize Franz Ferdinand, with all those trophies on his wall, shooting a gun like this.

I too often visualize Franz Ferdinand with an ornately engraved black power double rifle with Austrian lines. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was one of the most prolific hunters the world has ever known. He had the means (as the heir to the Austro Hungarian empire) and lived at a time when it was possible to hunt at a scale that is unimaginable (some would even consider in bad taste) today.

Visiting Konipiste castle and Mayerling is on my bucket list. I remember crown prince Rudolf mentioning his rifle in one of his books about travel and sports. Unfortunate ending to the Hapsburg empire, same as the other European monarchies

He visited India, Nepal and Ceylon in 1893-94 on one of his hunting trips and shot an incredible amount of game. He had a battle ship SMS Kaiserin Elisabeth at his disposal for this trip around the world.

This news appeared in a newspaper in 1892 and I found it interesting that the cost was defrayed by both Austria and Hungary

[HasnainQureshi21]

that's the most beautiful rifle I ever seen, everything about it shows it's elegance.

[Vikram]

I was not aware that Franz Ferdinand visited India. One lives and learns.

[shooter50]

Beautiful rifle. I am intrigued by the Tang Safety and the different rifle cases.

[herb]

I am intrigued by the Tang Safety and the different rifle cases.

The tang safety puzzled me too as it must have taken a lot of work/hours to extend the tang and incorporate a shotgun style safety into the mini Mauser action.
Regarding the cases both belong to different guns, All my guns are stored in gun safes and the cases stored separately. I just grab whichever case is handy to use as a prop for the photograph. The last 2 photographs was taken on the next day. The first case belongs to my Lancaster double rifle and the second one to my Victor Sarasqueta SLE,

[timmy]

Herb, those pictures and articles cover a lot of space and history!

I didn't know about Franz Ferdinand coming to India and Sri Lanka (Ceylon), nor did I know about him coming to the USA. A lot of European royalty and nobility came to the USA West, some guided by famous names. This can be found in books and in little museums scattered across the West. I will need to keep my eyes peeled for these things more closely!

His visit to Chicago: in the "colonies" over here, we call that the Columbian Exposition, because it took place on the 400th anniversary of Columbus's discovery. It went a year from 1892 to 1893. Left from that are the Museum of Science and Industry, with the simulated coal mine and the real German U505, and Soldier Field, where the Bears play (though much remodeled). There is a mansion of one of the "Copper Kings" of Montana that had its oak panels carved by German artists displayed at that exhibition, but which are now in the mansion. All sorts of things were displayed there and it was one of the very noteworthy world's fairs.

Those pictures show Franz Ferdinand a bit more trim than I'm used to seeing in pictures!

When it comes to guns like yours, the Austrian makers and others seem to be left out a bit in many conversations, though I see Ferlach guns are mentioned some in the very upscale "Safari Club" types of publications.

I am glad to see that you, Herb, one of our own, are enjoying handling this fine firearm!

(I am supposing that I don't come across Indian princes visiting the 19th Century USA West because they had plenty of their own big game to hunt!)

(PS: It's rather ironic to think that, in spite of all of the fine firearms Franz Joseph must have owned and handled, he was felled by a lowly FB Browning in 7.65 (32 Auto) from the Serbian national armory.)

[shooter50]

I am intrigued by the Tang Safety and the different rifle cases.

The tang safety puzzled me too as it must have taken a lot of work/hours to extend the tang and incorporate a shotgun style safety into the mini Mauser action.
Regarding the cases both belong to different guns, All my guns are stored in gun safes and the cases stored separately. I just grab whichever case is handy to use as a prop for the photograph. The last 2 photographs was taken on the next day. The first case belongs to my Lancaster double rifle and the second one to my Victor Sarasqueta SLE