.458 WM Identity?

[Ontario Hunter]

I got back to the house and pulled up this thread on my computer so I could do more than a mobile app "drive by" inspection.

The rifle's custom work was done in West Germany. The stylized eagle over "N" in that shape was first used in June of 1971 through 1992 reunification.

The quilted shield proof mark indicates it was proofed/made in Munich. (First used in 1968)

I strongly believe based upon the orientation of the 372 in the same row of proof marks with the former, that the gun was proofed in West Germany, Munich, in March of 1972.

As to the 207 224 marking, if West Germans act anything like Austrians, East Germans, Nazis, or any other Germanic people and slice-in-time, I'd imagine it means it was the 207th gun at the Munich proof house in the month of March, 1972, and the 224 gun by this particular maker. Alternative interpretation would be the 207th gun at the proof house that month, assigned to maker #224. (e.g. in Austria each maker is assigned a two digit ID that is on all their guns)

The unique mark on the barrel is likely the maker's mark which does look like an amalgamation of F, W, and W in undetermined order. I'd poke around the German Gun Collector's Guild and ask if they know the name of this FWW, WFW, WWF, FWW, maker working in West Germany in the 1970s. I'm sure one of them has the maker's marks and would recognize it.

Great info. Any guesses what action would have been used? Interesting that all the maker ID marks were stamped on the barrel, something that could have been replaced at some point. I would have thought the action. When was 458 WM developed? Late sixties I thought.

 

[rookhawk]

Great info. Any guesses what action would have been used? Interesting that all the maker ID marks were stamped on the barrel, something that could have been replaced at some point. I would have thought the action. When was 458 WM developed? Late sixties I thought.

The 458 came about in 1956, its inaugural rifle was the pre-64 model 70 in which it was offered solely in the super-grade configuration. Expensive then. Expensive collector gun now if unmolested.

As to Frankonia, they made affordable, good quality sporting rifles, most often on reworked military actions. They are still in business today for the German domestic market: www.frankonia.de

 

[Papa72]

WOW! Thank you rookhawk! I very much appreciate your effort identifying this rifle.