Bought this online for a good price, as this is the only pictures they supplied.

Descriptions included that it had an LR Wallack barrel. I didn't do much more than Google the name. As it turns out, I do have one of his books.

I bought it for the action, as a .243 on a VZ-33 action doesn't seem "proper". Maybe a .244Rem....

Now that it is here, it really doesn't make much sense. Who needs a .243Win on a lightweight action that weighs........9 pounds?

Now I am not sure what to do with it.

Loose the monster scope, put on a turned down 6.5 x 55 surplus Swede barrel (or 7 x 57, or 270), and trim down & reshape the odd looking stock. The wood layout looks OK, and there is plenty of it. There should be a nice stock in there somewhere, if the comb nose isn't cut too far back already.

Sent you a PM.

I never asked. Any information about Wallack would be appreciated.

Mike,
I don't think it would hurt anything if you checked how much was ground out of the feed rails, before you decide on a caliber to convert it to. BTW, I also think the 244/6mmRem is a good choice.
Mike

Mike,

The rails look to be in good shape. The builder of this rifle had an interesting solution (post to follow with pics) to guide the shoulder of the shorter round.

I am by NO means an expert yet, having build less than a dozen Mauser rifles. I am coming to the opinion that grinding the rails for the .308Win family of cartridges is overstated and not needed.

I have built two, .243's and three .308's. With zero modification to the action or bottom metal and MINIMAL tweaking of the extractor all have fed perfectly.

EDIT TO ADD: Any conversion I would do, would include rebarreling. A 9lb VZ33 defeats the purpose of using this action. A sub 7lb 7mmMauser or 9.3x62 would be the idea.

I am familiar with the mechanical nature, rarity and value of this action.

What I am trying to determine is if there is any good reason to leave it alone, and sell it to someone who might value the name of the barrelmaker and/or builder.

FWIW - It weighs 9 lbs as pictured!






















What I am inclined to do, is fit a 7mmMauser barrel to a small ring action I have, fit it to this stock, reshape the exterior and fix that cheekpiece.

Then fit the barrel (if it shoots well) to a 1909 Argentine to build another rifle.

I think I have a Wallack catalog or two around here.

Daryl,

Did Wallack sell barrels? Could the barrel have been a catalog item?

The number "0410561031" on the bottom of the barrel seems to refer to something. A date? Catalog number?

Mike,
You may be interested to know that Bob Wallack did the original write-up of the .243 in the Sept. '55 Rifleman. His ad in the same issue included the line "Rifle Rebarreling Specialist", from his shop in Northville , NY.
I'd shoot it before tearing it apart. It doesn't look like it was initially built as a mountain rifle anyway-the scope is a giveaway.
If you don't like the cartridge, the .240 PSP will clean up the chamber.
Good shooting.

Wapiti,

I'll have to look that up. I have complete collection of Rifleman from '29 thru '55-'56 that I haven't unpacked since we moved.......six years ago.

Clearly NOT a mountain rifle.

I finished a large ring FN Mauser last night, .270Win. It weighs 7 pounds!

Eight power scope on a nine pound .243? It's a sixties groundhog rifle. Why mess with it? I believe Wallack wrote for the gun press as well as building rifles. It isn't an Owen rifle, but it is a piece of sixties rifle history and not too ugly. If it shoots into a ragged hole at 100 yards, just enjoy it. Of course, if you insist on the "trapshooter mentality", go ahead and take it apart and build seven other rifles with the parts.

I didn't buy it to shoot. I bought it for the action.

Only interested in keeping it together if there is a "good" reason do do so.

A #1 or #2 contour barrel in 7mmMauser stocked in some wood that isn't too dense would be a beautiful thing.

I AM going to shoot it, to see if the barrel has some life in it. If it does, I'll put it on a large ring and build another rifle.

I am doing this for a living now. Visiting the BBS's I know well for information is second nature.

Utah shotgunner,
As the photos show the answer to make a mauser feed 243-308 without grinding the rails is to block the cartridges to the rear of the mag.
Mike

Agreed, though a block doesn't generally seem needed in the recoil range of the .308 family.

The way this one is done, the rounds are pushed to the middle. I don't have any dummy rounds and didn't have the need to pull the firing pin. I will see how it feeds when I get it to the range.

Utah, on the Wallack catalog, I typed a long response, but there was some internet problem. The catalog is 1950, has guns like yours, testimonials and articles by Whelen, Barr, Clark, Donaldson and others. Wallack offers actions, barreled actions, alterations, complete guns, and guarantees. Lots of information . Sights, stocks, etc. It would be a shame to part your gun out. It is part of history . 64 pages of rifles of the time.

Daryl,

That is what I was kind of getting around to. I'll admit, it is tough. If I parted out the rifle, I would have "pennies" in the action.

These actions, already sporterized so no worries about ruining a collectible milsurp, are few and far between. A few days ago, I saw a G33/40 milsurp stock sell for more than I have in this rifle.

I'll keep and eye out for a Wallack catalog. As it turns out, my Rifleman collection ended at '54, so I went to Ebay and bought '55.

This scope is likely a later addition, as the barrel is drilled and tapped for a Unertl style base.

I understand that .243 Win is common as dirt and somewhat unfashionable, perhaps because of that--sort of like the .30-30 used to be. BUT (the BIG butt), dirt and .243s do work very well for their several purposes....

I'd shoot if first and see if it "works." If so, either mount that sling and use it for a combination deer/varmint rifle for situations where you don't have to hump a long ways, or sell it to somebody who wants a classy, custom rifle for those uses, maybe with a slightly more modern and lighter scope and mounts.

But then, I LIKE .30-30s and .243s! This gun is from back when the .243 was "glamorous, new, exciting, high-tech cutting-edge!" IMO it deserves to be preserved to preserve that period. If it shoots.

+1 for what Mike A. said.

In addition I'll add these comments.

LR Wallack was a reasonably well known gunsmith & did some writing also. If I remember correctly he has a chapter in the NRA Gunsmithing Guide on how to fit & chamber a bbl.

The .243 Winchester makes an excellent varmint rifle & with some of the newer bullets now available like the 55 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip you can load it to >3900 fps & it is better than it ever was.

Some people like it for a low recoil deer rifle loaded with appropriate bullets as well. I've never tried it for deer but enough people use it that it must work OK.

That looks to be a very nice rifle with good workmanship. If the bbl is shot out then rebarrel it to whatever you like, otherwise I would preserve it as is with the possible exception of a modern scope.

Reminded on another forum that this action has small ring thread, so the barrel won't be going on a 1909. I might need to find a Turk 98 with small ring thread to use it.

Winchester Super X 80gr Pointed Soft Point.
The only .243 I had on hand.





I was losing the light. With the elevation being so close, I don't doubt the windage was mostly the shooter.

Fourth hole is from the other rifle.