doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com 475 A&M Mag - BREVEX - info wtd on A&M Rifle Co.

Hello All,

I'm posting this here also in the hopes that I might find someone that can provide some history on the A&M Rifle Company.

I found this beauty on the Internet. When when it arrived I was absolutely thrilled to see what I purchased.

It was listed as an; "Atkinson & Marquart Mauser .475 A&M Magnum" with the description; "...a Custom Gun built by A&M.....Fancy hardwood stock.....Oak leaf and acorn Basket Weave Carved..... w/ rosewood Pistol Grip and Forearm....." etc., etc.

And here is what I received;

A Custom rifle built by The Atkinson & Marquart Rifle Company (as marked on top of barrel) - in original 475 A&M Magnum caliber (as marked on left side of barrel) - built on a French M300 BREVEX action - with a Custom Mesquite Stock - with Black & White Line accented Rosewood Forend and Grip Cap - with Oak Leaf & Acorn Basket Weave Carved by by Nils Hultgren. Rifle has a 22" heavy A&M Barrel with an integral Pendleton Muzzle Brake, and integral Forward Recoil Lug under the barrel. The sights are A&M Custom 2-leaf Express Sights w/ each leaf adjustable for both elevation & windage. Whistles and Bells include a Hand Engraved Floorplate with Cape Buffalo w/ a Custom Floorplate Safety Lock, a Canjar Match Trigger, and an Engraved Gold Diamond Monogram Inlay in the Grip Cap.

The Gold Diamond Monogram Inlay is engraved "J D L" - and the top of bolt release is engraved "1972 J.D.L." I'd like to know if anyone has an idea who "JDL" may have been. I'm sure he was in the Big Bore gun game in the Late 60's into the early 70's.

Please help with History about A&M as I've found very little. As always comments and opinions are always welcome.

What thrills me the most about this rifle is the story associated with the 475 A&M Mag cartridge and Fred Barnes. It appears in Cartridges of the World. (see red highlighted text)









I got an email yesterday indicating that the A&M Rifle Company supplied 17 caliber barrels for the O'Brien Rifle Company, and that Nils Hultgren did the custom stocks for O'Brien. I guess that explains the A&M / Hultgren connection for the stock on my rifle.

Now if only someone could tell me who J.D.L. was. My internet searches keep coming up with Jewish Defense League but I really don't think this rifle was built for them?

Is it possible that it's not JDJ for JD Jones? He was president of SSK Industries that did a lot of cartridge development a ways back.

Bob Saathoff,

No, its JDL allright. It appears in 2 places.

Jack Lott. Wrote a lot of articles for Guns and Ammo on big bores.

Guess not. His middle initial was "P."

Hello RDH45,

Maybe the folks at A&M miss read his handwriting and engraved a "D" instead of a "P". Easy enough to do?

The rifle is pictured in the '74 G&A Annual, p.174, in an article by Lott, part of a "mini-series" on .475s. The stock is attributed to Shaw's.

HTH- Good shooting.

Looks like you can rule out the late Jack Lewis of Gun World. "Jack" was his middle name C. Jack Lewis.
Thaine

Hello Wapiti,

Well that's really something. Its my exact same newly acquired rifle. I only wish the article by Jack Lott had given details to when, and for who made. The only info about my rifle was the information in the captions. Maybe it "was" made for Jack Lott and they "did" get the middle initial wrong.

It looks like this article may bring the Nils Hultgren connection into question. I need to do more research. So I wonder, who was Shaw?

E.R. Shaws is a long time gun outfit in Bridgeville PA. that has been doing primarily re/barreling, metalwork [e.g. bluing, bolt handles, drill and tap, magazine and feed ramp alterations and stock work to a lesser degree. They now manufacture their own line of rifles on Savage Actions. They originally got their start during WWI, manufacturing Machine Gun Barrels under a Navy contract. They do good work at affordable prices. HTH Jerry