My Swedish sporter

[mazo kid]

I didn't want to hijack the previous thread so will post my own. My RB was sporterized by GECO, Berlin, probably in the '30s? It has been rebarreled and chambered in 38-55 (I believe, could be some European metric caliber?).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/mazokid/SwedishRB1_zps733b04a3.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/mazokid/media/SwedishRB1_zps733b04a3.jpg.html)

[mazo kid]

Here is the stamp on the receiver:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/mazokid/SwedishRB2_zpse3860b35.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/mazokid/media/SwedishRB2_zpse3860b35.jpg.html)

[mazo kid]

Barrel stamp:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/mazokid/SwedishRB3_zpsf34fbdc3.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/mazokid/media/SwedishRB3_zpsf34fbdc3.jpg.html)

[mazo kid]

And the conversion company stamp on the receiver:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/mazokid/SwedishRB4_zpsb36bb612.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/mazokid/media/SwedishRB4_zpsb36bb612.jpg.html)

[mazo kid]

And the buttstock:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/mazokid/SWedishRB5_zps4891cd8a.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/mazokid/media/SWedishRB5_zps4891cd8a.jpg.html)

[jumbeaux]

Nice rifle sir...

[skeet1]

mazo kid (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?802-mazo-kid),
How does it shoot? For a sporterized version it looks like they did a good job. very attractive.

Ken

[Dan Cash]

Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

[Wdog01]

mazo kid: Old European caliber similar to 38-55 could be 9.3x72R. It was favourite cartridge in German countries in the first half of 20.century. Its case is longer. The cast (SP, FMJ too) bullet about 200 grs and speed about 1500fps with black-powder and 2000 fps with smokeless. And there were several similar cartridges with shorter cases in that times there.

[falmike]

If you take off the forward stocks, you should see caliber stamp and proofs for type of powder it was tested with underneath

[John Allen]

That sucker is nice looking. I have an old one I am thinking of doing the same thing too. I just have to get a breechblock for it.

[gnoahhh]

Neat roller!

[mazo kid]

I did load a few cartridges but haven't shot any yet. I did get some 9.3 X72 brass but that is also too long. Thanks for the tip on where to look for a caliber stamp!

[Wdog01]

Similar old calibers, but shorter, were 9.3x48R (case 1.890 long) and 9.3x57R (case 2.244). If you have 9.3x72R brass, you can easily cut it.

[marvelshooter]

Nice rifle. I like the look of the full length stock. How is the trigger pull? Mine was in the vicinity of 15 pounds before I replaced the piece of truck leaf spring that was the trigger return. A 50 cent spring from the assortment at the hardware store has it closer to 3 pounds without touching anything else. Very easy to do if you are handy.

[Frank46]

Something about full length stocks with the barrel just sticking out like yours for some reason just look neat. Course the rifle itself is neat as well. Thanks for sharing. Frank

[MRGoodwin]

164788
My 1871 Swede roller rechambered to 50-70. I wish I had full wood!

[marlinman93]

Really nice looking gun! Be sure what you have before dropping anything into it! The 9.3 is a smaller bore, and shooting a larger bullet will create very high pressures! My Swedish sporting Husqvarna Rolling Block is 9.3x57R. I use .38-55 brass with a smaller bullet to load in it. A little short, so I seat the bullets out farther.

[Dutchman]

My RB was sporterized by GECO, Berlin, probably in the '30s?

Your rifle is not a sporterized Swedish gun.

The receiver, buttstock and buttplate look original. But that's it.

The m/1867 and m/1867-89 Swedish rifles did not utilize a handguard. That forearm stock also is not Swedish military issue.

The wood used for the handguard and forestock do not look to be the same wood as the buttstock. Swedish rifles used arctic birch. While the buttstock appears to be arctic birch the forearm and handguard do not. They used a stain to match colors, it appears.

I would agree to remove the forearm and see what markings are on the barrel. Guns made in or those that passed through Germany were required to be proof tested so there should be markings indicating some valuable information. Be aware that your Husqvarna m/1867 is a black powder rifle. While many of them have been abused with smokeless powder you're dealing with a very old piece of steel. Also the very early Husqvarna m/1867 military rifles used Vee thread instead of square thread for the barrel attachment. Your rifle is showing some kind of handguard retaining clip which is non-Swedish.

The upper sling swivel band: what is stamped on the left side?

Dutch
http://dutchman.rebooty.com/rb.html

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Very nice looking rifle, Mazo.

[marlinman93]

The Swedes made a number of converted military Rolling Blocks into "semi sporters". These often used new short forearms, and checkered military buttstocks. Occasionally the buttstocks were new if the original buttstock wasn't serviceable.
These converted military sporters were issued to "Forresters", which was the equivalent of a game warden. They used them to put down animals, or carry for self defense out in the woods.
Husqvarna also made new sporting rifles based on the Rolling Block action. These sporting rifles were built in the 1880's and early 1890's, and were Type 33 straight grip, or Type 33A pistol gripped stocks. They cam as both full length forearms, and half stock forearms. The receivers are scaled down from the large #1, and gracefully rounded. They are gorgeous rifles if you enjoy Rolling Blocks!
This is my Type 33A full stock:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v691/marlinguy/husky2.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/marlinguy/media/husky2.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v691/marlinguy/husky1.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/marlinguy/media/husky1.jpg.html)

[Frank46]

Marlinman, you make me jealous. By the time I had knowledge about the RB's like yours they were all gone. Down here is kinda shy on mil surp rifles and especially rolling blocks. When the swedish mausers from husky were being sold I saw exactly one on a 96 action in 9.3x57. Took me awhile to find a nice 98 actioned one in the same caliber.Frank

[marlinman93]

Marlinman, you make me jealous. By the time I had knowledge about the RB's like yours they were all gone. Down here is kinda shy on mil surp rifles and especially rolling blocks. When the swedish mausers from husky were being sold I saw exactly one on a 96 action in 9.3x57. Took me awhile to find a nice 98 actioned one in the same caliber.Frank

Thanks Frank. I have to admit, I was forced to take this Swede Husqvarna Rolling Block when I got it. A good friend owned it, and knew my fondness for Rolling Blocks. He needed money for another gun, and asked if I'd loan him money based on holding this Rolling Block for collateral. I didn't want to, as I knew his history, and thought I'd end up stuck with it. Not knowing it's value, I just worried his "loan" would end up permanent at my house. He came back several times asking for less and less, until I finally decided it was worth a risk. After a couple years of asking when he might want his Roller back, he finally asked if I minded keeping it? I'd grown fond of it, and said I would, and the deal was done. I later had another friend offer me a Ballard Pacific in a straight across trade, and realized I might be sitting on something special after all. Turned out to be worth much more than I thought, and I wont be parting with it anytime soon!

[mazo kid]

Your rifle is not a sporterized Swedish gun.
The receiver, buttstock and buttplate look original. But that's it.
The m/1867 and m/1867-89 Swedish rifles did not utilize a handguard. That forearm stock also is not Swedish military issue.
The wood used for the handguard and forestock do not look to be the same wood as the buttstock. Swedish rifles used arctic birch. While the buttstock appears to be arctic birch the forearm and handguard do not. They used a stain to match colors, it appears.
The upper sling swivel band: what is stamped on the left side?
Dutch
http://dutchman.rebooty.com/rb.html
Obviously not military, but the rest....isn't that what a Sporter is? I had noted the markings earlier but mis-laid the notes. Found them today. All the numbered parts match; receiver, barrel, barrel band with sling swivel, lower tang, and butt plate. The stamps on the barrel: Crown B, Crown U, Star G, 8.8mm, 6.30, and 131. The Crown stamps are German proofs, I believe. The 8.8mm is probably bore size(?), I don't know what the other marks are. Any help here is most appreciated. Thanks. Oh, and the wood looks to be about the same on the forearm as the butt stock, but not certain.

[marlinman93]

Obviously not military, but the rest....isn't that what a Sporter is? I had noted the markings earlier but mis-laid the notes. Found them today. All the numbered parts match; receiver, barrel, barrel band with sling swivel, lower tang, and butt plate. The stamps on the barrel: Crown B, Crown U, Star G, 8.8mm, 6.30, and 131. The Crown stamps are German proofs, I believe. The 8.8mm is probably bore size(?), I don't know what the other marks are. Any help here is most appreciated. Thanks. Oh, and the wood looks to be about the same on the forearm as the butt stock, but not certain.

Not what I'd define as a "sporter". It may or may not be original, but it's certainly not a sporterized Rolling Block. What I would define as a "sporter" would be a gun that has been reworked with sporter style stocks, and barrel. I don't really see anything on your good looking Rolling Block that is sporterized.
I've owned and built a number of military Rolling Blocks into sporting rifles, and always put sporting style stocks, and a heavier octagon, half octagon, or full round barrel on them. They make great sporting rifles, with the only difference from a real Rolling Block Sporting rifle being the shorter lower tangs.

[mazo kid]

Thanks MM93, I guess that I just assumed it to be sporterized because it had passed through GECO's shop. I had read somewhere that they took military rifles and did the sporting work on them. Do you have any idea as to the other barrel markings? Did they ever make a Mannlicher stock version? I haven't been able to find one by Googling.

[marlinman93]

From what little I know about GECO, Gustav Genshow Co. was simply a distributor, and import/export company in Berlin. He stamped his name on everything he sold, and mostly with no work done at all by his company. There were thousands of Swede Rolling Blocks built, and a huge number were sold off when they were replaced by other later designs. They went to numerous countries, and often were sold again as milsurp to countries looking for additional arms for volunteers, or even as primary arms in small countries. Some of these guns got restocked, or upgraded to new status by rebluing them, and adding new wood. My guess is your gun is such a gun. Whether it saw subsequent service in another country, or simply made it into an arsenal for reserve use; I don't know. Eventually most of the old Swede Rollers ended up being sold to private individuals.
Since GECO started to really grow from 1930 on, it could be then or later.

[sharps4590]

A nice looking pair of rollers! marlinman, I especially like yours and I'm not particularly a roller fan.

Reference the 9.3 cartridges based off the 9.3 X 72R case I have a Johann Outschar stalking rifle that was advertised as a 9.3 X 72R....it wasn't. Good thing I ALWAYS make a chamber cast of any old firearm I purchase. Turns out it was based on the 9.3 X 72R but only 62mm long. Still superbly accurate with I believe 58 grs. of Fffg Schuetzen and a 200 gr. bullet cast of 25-1 alloy. Definitely check your chamber.

[marlinman93]

A nice looking pair of rollers! marlinman, I especially like yours and I'm not particularly a roller fan.

Reference the 9.3 cartridges based off the 9.3 X 72R case I have a Johann Outschar stalking rifle that was advertised as a 9.3 X 72R....it wasn't. Good thing I ALWAYS make a chamber cast of any old firearm I purchase. Turns out it was based on the 9.3 X 72R but only 62mm long. Still superbly accurate with I believe 58 grs. of Fffg Schuetzen and a 200 gr. bullet cast of 25-1 alloy. Definitely check your chamber.

Thanks! I was told my Type 33A had been rechambered to .38-55 by the previous owner. I never checked it until I ended up owning it. I wasn't happy about the rechamber, as the bore is a lot smaller than .38-55, and pressures could be pretty high if factory ammo was fired in it. Fortunately a chamber cast showed it was not rechambered, and still had the original dimensions.