l.O. bauska gunsmith barrel

[Nramemb]

I have a barrel marked
l.O. bauska gunsmith
250 MAG

any opinions?

 

[dellet]

Most Likely Les Bauska from Kalispell MT.
Could be a very good barrel. Is this in a finished rifle or blank?

Les died about 10 years ago, and probably closer to twelve or fifteen since he made a barrel, so It might have been on a shelf for that long if it's blank.

He did a lot for muzzle loaders, black powder and single shot. I am certain there is plenty of info available in a web search. If nothing else his Namesake Range is in Whitefish and plenty of people around with good memories.

 

[Nramemb]

it is not a blank but i dont know what gun or model it goes on.
im leaning toward a m77 Ruger but not sure yet.

curious about the 250 mag, is that a 250 savage?

 

[Herzo]

it is not a blank but i dont know what gun or model it goes on.
im leaning toward a m77 Ruger but not sure yet.

curious about the 250 mag, is that a 250 savage?

To be safe, you should ld use some Cerrosafe to make a chamber cast.

 

[Nramemb]

some pictures.

The bore looks real good

 

[dellet]

With a recess cut in the chamber, and no cut for an ejector, I would think it was chambered for a belted cartridge. Since Les also made his own actions and I think magnums were kind of a specialty for him taht would make sense.

I really don't know that much about about the man, more his reputation. I met him late in his life when he probably produced more stories than rifles or barrels.

One thing I know for certain, If I could not identify the chamber in one of his barrels, I would cast the chamber and slug the bore. As the stories go, he and his mentor had a habit of putting little bullets on large cases. That night be his version of a .257 Weatherby.

 

[clowdis]

Looks like maybe a magnum Mauser barrel. Scope mount screw hole went into the thread a bit

 

[Will Henry]

Threaded for a Mauser. Probably the 250 Ackley mag. Re-chamber to 257 Weatherby to be able to buy ammo. Les Bauska made pretty decent cut-rifled barrel. The material used was usually a carbon manganese. He did not lap the barrels and they typically showed considerable reamer marks on the lands. They were not stress relieved and had a tendency to walk a little when contoured. Nonetheless, they often made a very good shooting barrel. I installed a few of them, usually on larger bore rifles (416, 458) but recall one 6.5/06 I built which was an exceptional shooter. I also recall a couple of 416 barrels which I had to straighten halfway through every pass in the lathe. I finally threw them in the oven and ran it through the self cleaning cycle which did the trick. WH

 

[Nramemb]

Thanks for the advice guys, I have some Cerrosafe ordered,

I am also thinking it is for a mauser now that ive had more time to look at it.

thanks Again I will try to keep you posted.

 

[IdahoSharpshooter]

iirc, Bauska had those actions made in S Korea...?

 

[Will Henry]

I believe they were made in S. Korea. They were patterned on the BRNO ZZK602 but with a different trigger. Someone brought one into the shop (in the late 1980's, as I recall) and wanted to see if I wanted to buy a bunch and finish them. I did not. WH

 

[Ggmac]

Looks like Mauser , measure the od and tpi . The 25 was hot in the 60-70s
Definitely a wildcat on a mag case , but what mag ? Weatherby , Remington , Winchester , H&h .
With the age of that barrel the condition is unknown and probably not worth shooting .

 

[Ggmac]

Ackley had a 25 mag that was popular

 

[Nramemb]

Well here it is. its my my first chamber cast

 

[JSH]

The 6.5 Remington magnum necked down?
I have seen a couple in years past at gun shows. No dies with them was the only think that kept me from having one to play with being a 25 nut.

 

[Will Henry]

Is that not the 25 Ackley Short Mag? I know he made one which had about the same capacity as the 25/06 or a little better. WH