Mystery Magnum Mauser ID'd - belonged to Hoffman Arms Founder, Harry Snyder.

This one was a real puzzle? I thank all that helped.

I will answer any additional questions you might have.

This has a real strange feature. The action is an unmodified standard length Mauser action with 7-7/8" spacing between the trigger guard screws and it has a 1.410" diameter front receiver ring. However, the bolt is a "magnum length" bolt that is 3/8" longer than standard. So is this a standard, or a Magnum action?


overall rifle specifications are as follows:

double-set triggers - greener safety - standard flag safety - weight is 9 pounds 4 ounces ... 14-5/8" LOP ...
26-3/4" octagon-to-round barrel ... barrel mounted sling swivel ... interchangeable front site blade ... pop-up cheek-piece
red silvers recoil pad - buffalo horn forend tip - 32 lines / inch checkering ... 2-panel grip checkering ...... single panel "wrap-under" forearm checkering.
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Here are some pictures. .. they are in order of the descriptions that I've written below.

..... overall pictures ... right and left ...

..... some details showing the trap grip cap ... engraving

..... the "Harry Snider" Gold signature on the floor-plate.

other pictures ....

left barrel flat is stamped "POLDI-ANTICORRO" .... and .... BEMESU (Bernard Merkel trademark) .... and .... "7 x 64" .... and "GERMANY"

left top angle flat is stamped ".30 H" ... (chamber cast shows 300 H&H caliber) and ... BBUNDEE ... and ... various Belgium Proofs.

left side of action forward ring has Belgium Proofs.

raised 1/4 rib has a large "2" engraved just forward of the receiver ... 1/4 raised rib has no rear sight. ...

there is a low full rib along the complete length of barrel transitioning into a front ramp. rib is matted full length.

rifle action has only the bases for a claw mount. there is one tapped hole added to the center of each claw base.

bolt handle is round bottom, oval shape with flat top that is engraved with a cross-hatched teardrop - bolt handle has Belgium Proofs.

barrel has serial number "17602" ... bottom of barrel has 2 letter stamps .... a "Z" and a "K" and a "1" - ahead of the action.

solid left wall action with no markings on the action except for a "tiny" inspection stamp on the bottom which I can't make out. (maybe "W" ?)

there are some small holes drilled into both sides of the front sight ramp.

continued from above ..............

Interesting that it wears the Kelber >>pound<< sign and another >>JJ<< mark that hasn't been fully defined but may be that of the Jaeger klan.


Cheers,

Raimey
rse

Are you saying "The action is an unmodified standard length Mauser action with 7-7/8" spacing between the trigger guard screws"? The magnum action also has the same spacing, but an OAL action length of 9.15", I believe. Also, it has a bolt of the same length as yours.

Yes, from another forum I found out the action IS a true Oberndorf Mauser Magnum Action. I learned something today. I have several Brevex Magnum Mauser rifles, and those actions have a longer hole spacing.

Is this the Harry Snyder that founded In-N-Out-Burger?

( Ball ) Blindee = French for jacketed bullet.
I have seen 2 .280 Halger rifles . They had the identical pistolgrip cap and magnum actions , Greener safety. One the same springtype cheekpiece.
The .280 Halger in Germany also designated 7x66.
The barell marking here shows different typos the 7x and the 64 make no real sense.
May have been 7x66 before rebored /rechamberd to .300 H&H in Belgium.
The .280 Halger case is nearly identical to the .280 Ross/Eley.
It deserved a magazinebox length of 96mm.
Halger rifles were made- among others -from Otto Geiger.

Hello Carpetsahib
Thanks for the reply.

I'm not sure if its the same guy. This Harry Snyder was one of the founders of Hoffman Arms.


Hello halger,
Thanks for the reply.

I'd like to see some pictures of a Halger rifle.

The 7x64 is not a typo ... that was the original caliber that this gun was intended to be, a 7x64 Breneke.

According to another source in Germany;

".... As the Belgian proofmarks show, the conversion to .300 H&H was done by or for Mahillon. The .30H caliber designation is part of the Belgian, Liege, proofmarks: B(alle) BLINDEE = jacketed bullet, PV = smokeless powder, crown/R = rifled barrel, star or crown/E(?) = inspector's mark, ELG = Liege proofhouse acceptance. I think the stock was made by Hoffmann Arms, reusing the German hardware, as the stock shape is neither German nor Belgian.
Poldi Anticorro was a high grade (read: expensive) rust resistant barrel steel by the Poldi steelworks in Kladno, Bohemia. .... IMHO the rifle was originally made by Berhard Merkel as a 7x64 during the interwar years, soon converted by Mahillon and restocked by Hoffmann Arms in the 1930s. As such German barrels usually had an integral full length rib with a rear sight, the rib was likely milled down to the quarter rib shape by Hoffmann (Mr.Howe?), removing the rear sight dovetail. ..."

More pictures of a .280 Halger:
https://www.feine-jagdwaffen.de/Waffengalerie/Archiv/Repetierer

A 7x64 Brenneke in a Magnum Action makes no sense.
The 7x64 needed only a slightly longer Magazine box ( 88mm) in a standard action length.

I used the wrong word typo , what I wanted to say is:The different kind of lettering 7X and the small 64 .
Can´t believe that it was the original designation.
They certainly had the correct lettering stamps , when they marked the barell first.
The barell is modified from the Original configuration in more than bore and chamber.
The rear part of the(milled down)rib is so poorly matted , that I can´t imagine as the work of so qualified smiths like Hoffmann/Howe or Mahillon .
Could you measure the Magazine box internally (length,rear and front width) to narrow down its original intention to be used for.

Hello halger,

Thanks for the reply,

As Quoted to me by my source in Germany;

" ... Some early 7x64 rifles were indeed built on Magnum actions to take Wilhelm Breneke's special load with a 173 gr "Torpedo Ideal" bullet seated out. ... "

As for the "7x 64" caliber marking, its hard to say what was in the mind of the barrel maker 90+ years ago.

As per my quote in the previous post;

" ... German barrels usually had an integral full length rib with a rear sight, the rib was likely milled down to the quarter rib shape ... "

As far as the rib matting goes, my picture taking skills are lacking. The camera's flash is the problem. The matting is in fact very well executed with a "super-fine" matting to reduce glare and it appears to be done by hand.

The mag box length is the standard Oberndorf Magnum Mauser measuring 3.780" long inside. The inside width at the rear is .970" and the inside width at the front is .720". All surfaces are original and unaltered.

Hand matted - yes.
Fine lines - yes .
But it lacks the precise good looking execution when maschine cut(Guillochier).
Anyway the original Cartridge of that barell / action combination is really a mystery.
Rumor is , that there were 7x64 Brennecke rifles with a Magnum action , but seriously reported nowhere.

The magazine dimesions are exactly those specified for the
.375 H&H Cartridge.

There was no standard Oberndorf Magnum Magazine.

.318 WR
.280 Ross
.333 Jeff
.375 H&H the Rigbys and .404 and so on all used Magnum actions

with specifically dimensioned boxes.

Therefore it is in my eyes doubtful( though not impossible) that for the relative little 7x64 Brennecke such a Magnum action / Magazine box combo should have been (a)used to build that rifle.

Hello halger,

Thanks for the reply.

Well ..... The matting works, ..... and it looks just fine to me.

Maybe this is the 7x64 Brenneke from the rumor, and its now reported here, ..... seriously.

This rifle may still be a mystery. But is is an Original Oberndorf Magnum Mauser in 300 H&H caliber, that was Harry Snyder's personal rifle. It seems to shoot great, and I'll likely have a custom set of claw-rings made for it.

Just my opinion, but this stock doesn't resemble the typical Hoffman stock in any respect.

Hello Carpetshib,

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, I agree. The stock is serial numbered to the gun in hand written pencil in the barrel channel.
It is very light and difficult to photograph, but the numbers are written in a German style handwriting. 1 7 6 0 2

Or the Harry Snider that founded the "In-and-Out Weinie"??