The North American Classic Hunting Rifle  ACGG Firearm #23

    The North American Classic Hunting Rifle.  Just the name brings images to your mind of Desert Bighorn Rams in the Southwest, Mule Deer up and down the Rocky Mountain range, Moose in the northern U.S. and Canada, Dall Sheep in Alaska and, of course, Grizzly Bear.

The concept of such a rifle began five years ago at the 2002 Firearms Engravers & Gunmakers Exhibition in Reno, Nevada.  Two Old World trained gunmakers from Cranbrook, British Columbia, Ralf Martini and Martin Hagn, and American engraver Marty Rabeno, known for his detailed bulino style engraving, put their talents together and assembled the rifle pictured.

Metalsmith Ralf Martini began with a Hagn single shot action, a very well designed and strong action, with ample space on either side for engraving.  Barrelmaker John Krieger supplied an oversized .30 cal. barrel blank from which Ralf machined a half round half octagon barrel with an integral quarter rib, front sight, sling swivel and express open sights.  He then chambered the barrel for the  .300 Winchester Mag., hand polished the barrel and fit it to the Hagn action.

Martin Hagn began the stockmaking by selecting a well-seasoned blank of Turkish Walnut with exceptional grain and coloring.  From that wood blank he created a two-piece stock of classic British design with a pancake-style cheek piece.  The forend has an ebony tip and the buttstock is fitted with a leather covered recoil pad.   The stock was finished in traditional fashion and Martin checkered the stock in a classic point pattern with mullered borders in English flat topped checkering.  This is style of checkering that is not commonly seen on today’s firearms and is difficult to execute properly.

Marty Rabeno then began his magic of turning plain steel into almost real life with his engraving.  The sides of the Hagn action depict the life and death struggle of the wild.  An Alaskan Moose and a Grizzly Bear square off with each other on the right side in that struggle.  On the left side the victor stands in triumph over his rival.  The two portraits are highlighted with Marty’s style of bank note engraving and bordered with fine line gold inlay.

After the engraving was completed, the action was color case hardened and Marty then grayed the engraved animal scenes and the remaining metal parts were rust blued.

The rifle is topped with a fine 3-9x36 Swarovoski scope in Tally scope mounts.

The rifle and cleaning components are French fitted in a full-length leather covered oak carrying case by Marvin Huey.

            The rifle has one other unique aspect.  This rifle also represents the 25 years of the ACGG being in existence and is engraved in gold on the triggerguard.

The Craftspeople:

Ralf Martini

1264 Jim Smith Lake Rd

Cranbrook, B.C. CANADA V1C 6V6

(230) 417-2226

Martin Victor Hagn

PO Box 444

Cranbrook, B.C. CANADA V1C 4H9

(250) 489-4861

Martin Rabeno

530 Eagle Pass

Durango, CO 81301

(970) 382-0353

Photography by Gary Bolster.