doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Monty Kennedy - .257 Roberts - Mauser Rifle

Is this a Kennedy rifle?
Is it the rifle in Kennedy's book as the listing suggested?

https://www.proxibid.com/lotinformation/86057074/custom-257-roberts-rifle

As to whether the rifle bring auctioned was stocked by Kennedy, I’ll lesve that question for others.
The rifle you linked is not pictured on page 64 of Kennedy’s book. There are actually three rifles pictured on that page.
One is a .30/06 built for Audie Murphy.
The other two are both .257 Roberts Mausers with maple stocks.
The first .257 Roberts is stocked with birdseye maple, has a recoil pad, no white line spacer at the pistol grip cap or the forend tip, has a more open grip, it has a cut down FN action, and does not have floorplate bottom metal.
The second .257 Roberts is stocked in Oregon burl maple and uses an 98 Karbiner action. However, the stock has a pad, no white line at the pistol grip cap or forend tip, has a recoil pad, has skip line checkering, and a 20” barrel. Is does have a rollover cheek piece, but it is much lower and doesn’t step down at the front like the auction rifle, the pistol grip is more open than the auction rifle, and the the forend is more slender than the auction rifle.
As to the listing stating, “This rifle is nearly identical to the rifle pictured on page 64 of Monty Kennedy’s book “Checkering and Carving of Gunstocks.” I guess it depends on one’s definition of “nearly.”

Nearly is not the same

This post was to doublecheck my thoughts on this rifle.
I have a copy of Kennedy's book and when I saw this listing many weeks ago I reached out to the auction.

I noted the same details you have listed here and that the rifle in the auction is built on a GEW action, not a Kar(biner).

Auctioneer shared that consignor was adamant that it was the rifle in the book, but they did change the text, somewhat.

Screenshot of original auction text:

Text on auction day:


Is it a Kennedy rifle?
Like you, I'll leave that to others. I was the high bidder (at a much, much lower price) until auction day.
I was interested in pulling it apart and attempting to determine if it was a Kennedy rifle.

Mike, still interested in tearing it apart? Sold for $13,500 plus 15% buyer's premium. I was right. This forum is coming back to life.

really that much?

"Tearing" is not what I was suggesting.
"Pulling apart" as in disassembling and looking for clues such as makers marks or other details that may help identify the maker.

Would I still be interested in doing so? Absolutely, but at the selling price the bidder either knows, or is convinced it is a Kennedy rifle.
No benefit to the bidder to have such an evaluation done.

As an aside, if it is a Kennedy rifle, the price is still surprisingly high. Within the past 5-7 years I have seen a couple of "documented" Kennedy rifles sell for significantly less.
Unless the buyer added value for the story.

Cannot comment about the forum, I know I don't participate enough to bring any life.

As the owner of two other rifles illustrated in that book, both of which I feel are more significant in the story of the American custom rifle than the subject rifle, I am delighted at the price the rifle sold for.

John

That sold for quite a lot considering what the RCBS museum guns sold for. I'm pretty sure everyone with a copy of that book came to the conclusion that it wasn't the same rifle.

Based entirely on the checkering, I feel sure the rifle is Kennedy's work.