A Friedrich Jacob Bartels stalking rifle

[sharps4590]

For those who share an interest in German single shot rifles here's one some might find interesting. Built on an Ideal action presumably by Bartels and chambered for the excellent and accurate 8.15 X 46R. Except for a couple pits just in front of the chamber...... the bore is pristine. 12 grs. of SR-4759 under a 170 gr. bullet from an ancient Ideal mold put the middle sight "on the money" at 50 yards. Proofed prior to 1913. Wonderfully light rifle to carry and one of my two favorite "woods walkin' and rock killin'" rifles.





Brass made from re-formed 30 WCF cases. Very easily done with this one. Size in 8.15 die, trim to length and fire form. The rims needed neither thinning nor reduced in diameter.

[The Goose]

Great rifle and write up. Thank you.

[marlinman93]

Gorgeous rifle! I love it!
I've used both .30-30 and .32 Win Spl. cases to form for mine. The .32 Win. Spl. works best for me, and since I don't own the .32WS caliber I don't share the brass with other guns.

[gewehrfreund]

Very nice! Thanks for sharing.

[nagantguy]

Lovely; very fine rifle, I passed on a deal for one very very similar years back and often regret it .

[GOPHER SLAYER]

I also have one but sadly it is no longer in 8.15 x 46. The man I bought it from rebarreled it to 225Winchester. I wish I had the barrel he removed. I hate the 225.

[GARD72977]

Very nice gun. Thanks for taking the time to post pic and the write up. I know very little about German rifles. Im getting more intrested

[sharps4590]

Thanks gentlemen! The little rifle is a joy. GOPHER, I don't know why folks do that. 'Course it's their rifle and they can do what they want but a gorgeous rifle such as yours deserves to be kept original. They're only original once and they "don't make 'em like that anymore". I don't believe I've ever seen an Ideal action with the bosses on the side of the receiver such as yours. Interesting. I don't believe I'd like the 225 Win. in that rifle either. 'Course if it's post WWII it doesn't hold any interest for me and I usually prefer them earlier than WWI.

Gard, I would urge caution. As with all things related to rifles, casting and handloading the German firearms can be a slippery slope....and you may ask how I know that.....

[nekshot]

Very nice classy gun! If I had one of these guns in 225 I would get used to it real fast!!

[deepwater]

I really enjoyed your write-up. The rifle looks like it would be a joy to own and shoot.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

It isn't that I don't just dislike the 225 Winchester, I dislike any center fire 22 bigger than the Rem 222. I think the 222 is perfectly capable of killing any varmint on the planet, in fact a friend of mine thought it made a great deer cartridge. He said he never lost a deer he shot with it. I had another rifle like this one but chambered in 219 Donaldson Improved. I hated it too. When you pulled the trigger the noise was earth shacking. I believe it even raised the roof over the firing line. Both rifles were marked as proofed for nitro. If my friend who had this rifle made up was still alive I could find out were the original barrel is but sadly he passed and I bought all his guns from his daughter and she knows nothing about nothing and if I try to explain anything, her eyes glaze over and she says, "I have no idea what you are talking about". I would ask some of his other friends about the rifle but they have also died. I don't know who did the work on this single shot but he did a great job.

[pietro]

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Beautiful rifle - Congrats !


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[sharps4590]

Thanks again gentlemen. My other "favorite" woods walkin' and rock killin' rifle is a Jeffery Rook rifle. If anyone is interested I'll do another thread on it.

GOPHER, I'm much the same as you regarding CF, 22's. My first was a 222 Rem. and for me and my purposes I would need nothing else. I've had hotter CF 22's but they never captured my interest and quickly went down the road. Don't have a 222 Rem. at the moment nor am I looking for one. A 222R would be interesting in a svelte stalking rifle as would a 5.6 vom Hoffe.

[marlinman93]

I also have one but sadly it is no longer in 8.15 x 46. The man I bought it from rebarreled it to 225Winchester. I wish I had the barrel he removed. I hate the 225.

That's a beauty too! And I agree with your thinking on the rebarrel. I'd prefer a number of older cartridges to the .225 Win. choice. But it was a common choice for guys who wanted a single shot varmint rifle decades ago, so not unusual to find in that caliber.
I'd probably keep my eyes open for a barrel in some caliber between .30 and .38, and have it fitted to your neat gun!

[flint45]

Nice rifles for sure! I would like one in .32-40 or the German round would be nice good luck with them.