Osa Johnson's 9.3x62

[Tucketed]

Wonderful, thanks for sharing. I knew nothing of the two Martins prior to a trip to Rochester George Eastman House. What a fascinating women. Welcome to AH

 

[BFaucett]

Wonderful, thanks for sharing. I knew nothing of the two Martins prior to a trip to Rochester George Eastman House. What a fascinating women. Welcome to AH

Thanks!

Yeah, George Eastman really liked Osa. They used to cook together in camp.

Osa Johnson and George Eastman

"George Eastman and his traveling companions. Eastman is at center. From left to right in front are Dr. Albert Kaiser, Osa Johnson, Martin Johnson (behind Osa), and, in the ten-gallon hat, the professional hunter, Phil Percival. Behind them are the unidentified gunbearers."
source: https://www.boone-crockett.org/bc-member-spotlight-george-eastman

"In this silent film footage, Eastman hunts in Africa with Osa and Martin Johnson and shoots a charging lion and a charging rhino that drops dead a few paces from camera."
source: https://www.boone-crockett.org/bc-member-spotlight-george-eastman


Cheers! Bob F.

 

[93marlin]

Absolutely fascinating!
And welcome to the forum!

 

[TXhunter65]

Welcome fellow Texan and thank you for sharing a piece of history from this one-of-a-kind lady. What an honor to own such a weapon.

 

[baxterb]

@BFaucett Wondering if you can answer a question I have long had with the Heyer rifles and as is shown in your pics. Is the "Specially made for..." on the barrel silver inlay? It looks like a few of the periods may have lost their inlay - so they would have engraved then hammered in the silver?

For whatever reason I really like that work.

 

[hoytcanon]

Interesting stuff...

How do you know that the rifle you own was the one carried by Osa?

 

[AZDAVE]

Nice rifle with an interesting history! It is a conversation piece for sure.

 

[flatwater bill]

@BFaucett That is awesome.............am a big fan of Martin and Osa. Have a pic of gramma holding a baby with their plane (one of them) in the back ground. Read their book (hers)....and have always been impressed by where they landed at their paradise near Mt. Nyiro. I believe she also used a MS 10.75X68. The rifle you have is a beautiful piece of history.....thanks for sharing that............FWB

 

[Ruraldoc]

I was inspired to get a 9.3 by reading your posts elsewhere.

I have a CZ 550 American like yours.

 

[BFaucett]

Interesting stuff...

How do you know that the rifle you own was the one carried by Osa?

I suppose there is no way to be 100% certain about such things.

Here's what I've got:

1. Other collectors on another forum told me that the seller was very reputable.
2. The letter from the auction house that sold Osa's rifle (from her estate) that came with the rifle. It describes the rifle and lists the serial number.
3. Terry Wieland saw and handled the rifle on two occasions when it was at my gunsmith's shop. He also photographed the rifle for Tom Turpin's articles. He didn't question it.
4. Gun Digest (2012) printed an article about the rifle. They didn't question it.
5. African Hunting Gazette (Winter 2013 issue) printed an article about the rifle. They didn't question it.
6. A few years after I purchased the rifle, a person on another forum told me that he had visited the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum. He inquired about Osa's rifles. The museum staff told him that they were aware that Osa's Mauser rifle had fairly recently been purchased by a collector in Texas.

The letter from the auction house (I have redacted some items to make it more difficult to forge or counterfeit):

The first page of the article by Tom Turpin that appeared in the Winter 2013 issue of African Hunting Gazette magazine:

Terry Wieland:

Terry Wieland Archives - Gray's Sporting Journal

www.grayssportingjournal.com

Terry Wieland

Author of Dangerous-Game Rifles, Great Hunting Rifles, and Gun Digest Shooter's Guide to Shotguns

www.goodreads.com

Bob F.

 

[BFaucett]

@BFaucett Wondering if you can answer a question I have long had with the Heyer rifles and as is shown in your pics. Is the "Specially made for..." on the barrel silver inlay? It looks like a few of the periods may have lost their inlay - so they would have engraved then hammered in the silver?

For whatever reason I really like that work.

The lettering on the rifle was just blued steel when I received it. There was no silver or gold left on the lettering if it originally had it. Years ago, my gunsmith touched up the lettering with gold (leaf?) when he was going over the rifle after it arrived. (The rifle needed some TLC when it was received. Cleaning, etc. Not surprising considering its age.) Just a month or two ago, I happened to notice that most of that gold has disappeared. How and why? I have no idea.

Sorry that I couldn't be of more assistance.

Cheers! Bob F.

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

I like the simplicity of that rifle, how does it fit you as she wasn’t a very big lady
Gumpy

 

[baxterb]

The lettering on the rifle was just blued steel when I received it. There was no silver or gold left on the lettering if it originally had it. Years ago, my gunsmith touched up the lettering with gold (leaf?) when he was going over the rifle after it arrived. (The rifle needed some TLC when it was received. Cleaning, etc. Not surprising considering its age.) Just a month or two ago, I happened to notice that most of that gold has disappeared. How and why? I have no idea.

Sorry that I couldn't be of more assistance.

Cheers! Bob F.

Thank you - that is good info to know.

 

[BFaucett]

I like the simplicity of that rifle, how does it fit you as she wasn’t a very big lady
Gumpy

I'm certainly not an expert when it comes to such things but the best I can tell / measure is that the length of pull is right at 13 1/8 inches. Osa was only 5' 2" in height. I'm only 5' 7" in height so it feels fairly good to me when I shoulder the rifle. It feels a little short to me but not bad. BTW, I have never fired it.

Cheers! Bob F.

 

[Ruraldoc]

Dude,

You so have to shoot that rifle.

Brian Pierce shoots Elmer Keith’s guns.

Bradford O’Connor shoots Jacks’s rifle.

I shot the ones I got from the late Grits Gresham.

Ya gotta do it.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Welcome and cool piece of African History

 

[PerH]

@Hunter-Habib
@Pondoro

Some good post for you to read here about the great rifle and the lady that toget it around so many places .

 

[Passagyrs]

Even though my first African hunt isn’t until August, I loved reading this post which reminded me of my Dad. He never hunted in Africa but made 18 trips in the 80’s and 90’s on purely photographic trips mostly to Kenya and Tanzania. He also has an amazing collection of African hunting books with several from the Johnsons. He also loved model aircraft and built a model of the Johnsons airplane from scratch….

 

[Wheels]

Fantastic piece of history you own. Congratulations. Welcome to AH. Here is another AH article on the Museum in Chanute, KS.

Thread 'Martin & Osa Johnson Safari Museum'

Nov 7, 2015

Chanute Kansas is not a town that screams "come hither". There is also no great way of getting there. It has however been on my radar for a few years due to the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum. Recently we happened to be in the general neighborhood and stopped in.

http://www.safarimuseum.com/

@monish did a nice article on the Johnson's that is here on AH.

http://www.africahunting.com/index....ohnson-1894-1953-adventurers.3446/#post-14982


The Johnson's names may not ring familiar with everyone, but our grandparents...

• Wheels
• Replies: 13
• Forum: Articles

• 
• 

 

[BFaucett]

View attachment 679586View attachment 679587Even though my first African hunt isn’t until August, I loved reading this post which reminded me of my Dad. He never hunted in Africa but made 18 trips in the 80’s and 90’s on purely photographic trips mostly to Kenya and Tanzania. He also has an amazing collection of African hunting books with several from the Johnsons. He also loved model aircraft and built a model of the Johnsons airplane from scratch….

This isn't the Johnsons' S-38 but it is an actual S-38 painted to look like the original Osa's Ark:

1929 Sikorsky S-38 Osa's Ark (Jimmy Buffett flies her.)
RIP, Jimmy.

Sikorsky S-38 "Osa's Ark"

Sikorsky S-39 "Spirit of Africa"

I believe both replicas* of the Johnsons' S-38 and S-39 are currently owned by Kermit Weeks:

Fantasy of Flight Museum
https://www.fantasyofflight.com/collection/aircraft/
(The S-38 isn't currently listed on the website for some reason.)
(* replica in this case = Authentic Sikorsky airplanes but painted to look like the Johnsons' airplanes.)

SIKORSKY S-38 - “The Aviator” Plane - Project Visit - July 2023
YouTube channel: Kermit Weeks Channel

Sikorsky S-39 - Flight to South Florida
video posted to YouTube on May 20, 2020
YouTube channel: Kermit Weeks Channel


Cheers! Bob F.