250 sav Rifle

jose hernandez · Feb 16, 2021

I got a 250 sav rifle from a old timer and don't know much of it. The rifle looks like a left handed shooter from the cheek rest but has the bolt on the right hand side. I'd like to know more about this rifle if anyone knows about it thank you it also has a horse on the barrel engraved and a scope that looks like a German reticle thank you.

solomtnhunter · Feb 16, 2021

My dad used to shoot his rifles like that. Grandpa tried teaching him to shoot "traditionally"... Meaning left eye dominate use left hand or right eye dominate use right hand. And even after the military my dad just never took to proper form. He has always shot left eye dominate but right hand dominate. Needless to say chambering a 2nd round for a followup was not his strong suit. On the 250sav though i do know it was popular in the early to mid 1900's. It was good for varmint & deer, but it started losing popularity when the 243win came out in the 50's. A bit of steel wool and oil would clean some of that rust up in the pics. Overall though it's a nice looking rifle.

CLT65 · Feb 16, 2021

Looks like an extensively sporterized Japanese Arisaka, or should I say the action started out as an Arisaka. From the photos, it looks nicely done.

Andy54Hawken · Feb 17, 2021

Another vote for a nicely done Arisaka conversion.
( I would guess it is a type 38 )
This was a very popular pastime in the 1950's and 1960's for both "basement" and professional gunsmiths.
Andy

Spitpatch · Feb 17, 2021

Yup!
Not an Arisaka student but can recognize one (almost) as fast as others here. Purported to be one of the strongest actions ever made, and since they were economical to buy "back in the day" they were a popular candidate for sporterizing. I agree this one was done well.

A large number of southpaws will not own a bolt gun mechanically arranged for a lefty. The major reason being they learned with guns set up for the majority, and reaching over the comb to operate the bolt has become second-nature. That explains the stock with the cheekpiece on the bolt side. (Leftys DO like the wood arranged as God intended for them.)

There are stocks designed for left eye-dominance. Primarily you see them on the trap/skeet theater, and the stock looks like a sway-back old horse, allowing the shooter to drape his face over the (sunken) comb to get the dominant eye in line with the barrel. I believe this gun is merely arranged for a left-handed person who learned with a right-handed gun.

If you are confident disassembling this gun (PROPER SCREWDRIVERS, PLEASE), you may be able to determine by markings who made the barrel, and maybe who put the gun together. This will allow you to clean the underside of the barrel and action and protect for corrosion before reassembly. I discovered an older custom gun that had come into my care as being nothing other than built by the Master himself: P.O. Ackley. It was the equivalent of finding buried treasure.

As to the cartridge: .250-3000 Savage: NONE BETTER ON THE PLANET. Entirely capable for Whistle Pigs to Wapitis. It holds an easily earned reputation for pinpoint accuracy and killing effectively. It is also very kind to the shooter and will teach anyone that they can shoot with the best. Those with experience with both cartridges have repeatedly said that the .250 Savage is the prototype for all that the 6.5 Creedmoor claims to be. The ONLY detriment to the Savage is that brass may be slightly more difficult to locate than grocery-store offerings. (With the current situation regarding components, .250 shooters are quietly snickering that others have been brought to their level of irritation.)

You have a Gem.

revjen45 · Feb 17, 2021

When I went to gunsmithing school ('79-'82) @ Lassen Community College one of the course offerings was "Converting Military Rifles." That was before modern high tech manufacturing gave us entry level rifles that shoot better than one you could build for any reasonable $. Maybe one of the gunsmithing schools will offer "Restoring military rifles."
Agree that the Arisaka is a superlative action.

chukar · Feb 17, 2021

After some sleuthing I believe the proof mark comes from Federal Firearms which started making barrels in 1958 in Pa.

They are still in business as a firearms retailer. Maybe give them a call and they might have some information.

Gun Shop Near Me | About Us | Federal Firearms, Co., Inc

When looking for a nearby gun shop, make sure you go to one that you can trust. At Federal Firearms, we have the experience to be the store you can trust!

www.federalfirearmsco.com