Is this an ORIGINAL Weatherby?

[Graybeard]

Does anyone know how to tell if an old rifle chambered to .257 Weatherby magnum is an original from the days when Roy made them up on whatever action he had available or on customer supplied actions? Is there anything to look for that would clearly identify one?

Some images of the one in question are attached.

I really suspect this rifle is a rare gem an original Weatherby made by Roy himself in the first 2-3 years he opened up and was making them on Mauser actions and really whatever he could lay hands on before he developed the now famous Weatherby action.

Any and all suggestions on how to be sure are welcome.

[skifastchad]

I looked up some info in a book I have, and the stock sure looks like his early deluxe guns.

The book said his originals were mostly FN Mauser actions, but some Springfield actions.  Later, when production moved to Germany and Japan, they used Sauer actions.

[Graybeard]

I do believe the rifle to have been an original Weatherby and as such something of a collector's item with some value but now that's kinda immaterial. He noticed the crown was quite buggered up and there was a crack in the stock. He took it to a local gunsmith to see about having the crack repaired and the barrel recrowned. The smith convinced him it needed a new barrel and that a recrown would waste time and money.

He committed to a new barrel for it and repair of the crack so even if it was an original it no longer is now.

[rifle_man]

Post this gun on weatherby Nation there is someone on there that may be able to help. You may even get Ed Weatherby him self to help you.
I have had weatherby's all my life and to me it don't look like it is a original weatherby.
http://www.weatherbynation.com/

[Graybeard]

As I said it's moot and no longer matters. He has given it to the local smith to replace the barrel so no matter what it was it no longer will be.

[czarpl]

What's the difference between a Weatherby and a HOWA? Does HOWA really stand for House of Weathrby Arms. Is HOWA a Japanese knock-off of the Weatherby? A straight answer would be appreciated. I looked at HOWA model it it looked almost identical to the Weatherby, but $100 less.

[Graybeard]

Howa is a Japanese arms maker. They were in business making the same rifle long before they ever got involved with Weatherby so not that clearly is not what Howa stands for. It just so happens that Weatherby made a deal with them to import the Howa rifles under the Weatherby Vanguard name a good many years back.

The Vanguard is basically just the same rifle as the Howa 1500 which is also the rifle that several other companies have in the past imported with their names on them. S&W imported them for awhile and one other company but which escapes me at the moment.

They still make the cheaper Vanguard line of Weatherby rifles.

[rifle_man]

To me they are not the same yes they share the same action but that is where it ends. And all so if you check the action very close you will see the Vanguard is made to a much closer tolerance than the Howa 1500 also the bolt is fluted the howa bolt is not. Next the barrels are not the same Weatherby uses there own barrels on the Vanguard.Next if you go to a Weatherby Dealer and check the trigger on the Vanguard now, I am not talking the old trigger you will see the Vanguard trigger has a much nicer pull than the Howa.(weatherby has did there home work there about time)
And also to me what makes the vanguard a weatherby is the stock if you check the walnut stock on the Vanguard Deluxe and sporter the howa will not even come close.

[saltydog]

A few years ago I had the opportunity to look at what was represented to me as a late 40's Weatherby rifle that came through the shop for some gunsmithing work. It was built on a Mauser action but not marked as a Weatherby or anything else. The guy indicated his father had purchased it directly from Roy when he lived in CA. The stock and finish of the rifle was outstanding in terms of a Winchester M70 or Remington 721/2 from the era  - the barrel had a very thin contour and the bluing was very deep. The stock had a "hump" and typical grip shape w/cap (no diamond) but was not finished in a shiny "plastic" coating. The rifle pictured could be one that Roy customized for a customer using the customers action as he often did that or one that he supplied from his stock of what he could pick up. Regardless of if it was an orginal Weatherby it is (was) an example of an early rifle non factory build and a piece of historical interest. It is unfortunate your friend went to what seems to be smith that was more interested in dollars than taking care of the customer and respecting history - a simple recrown would have been fine if the chamber and tube was good. A piece of history lost.

[Graybeard]

The smith did confirm to my friend after the fact the rifle was in fact a genuine original Weatherby and he kept the barrel so marked after doing the rebarrel job. In the process he some how messed up the safety and it now needs to be returned to him for that fix. He got screwed royally by the smith on this one.

[mauser98us]

Weatherby also used Schultz and Larsen actions