34 pounds of 1960 Benchrest Rifle

3

37 Rangemaster

New member
A while back a good friend called and said he has rescued a rifle from the scrap yard. He knows I'm intrigued by the unusual and unique gun items so he called me asking if I would want to buy it. When I asked him to describe it he stammered and stuttered and said BIG!

The next day I went over to his place and on the floor laid the beast. I must say it took me some time to wrap my head around this gun. He told me there were a few markings on the barrel but that was about it. It reads;

JANSON 219 WASP

DOUGLAS – TIMKIN 2 FIFIELD

3-10-60

After some time I believe that "JANSON" was the person it was built for. 219 WASP is the .219 Donaldson Wasp which is the caliber since there were some loaded rounds with it. This is where it gets tricky! Douglas - Timkin 2 Fifeld. All those are known family name but the last two are not very common to say the least. So maybe he built it and gave it to Fifield?? Who know after 62 years but 3-10-60 is the build date.

It is definitely a one off unique build. The rifle weighs in at 34 pounds. The receiver is attached to the stock with several bolts at the bottom. The bolt is unique as you slip a round into the shell holder style end and slide it into place to fire it. It was setup for a Unertl style old school target scope as you can see. I've tried over one year to find out more about this rifle but with no success.

It is definitely an early Benchrest – rail gun. The reloading kit that came with it is not pictured. But from that it appeared that the owner loaded a round at the bench, and then reloaded the same brass over and over.

Regardless, I'm glad it didn't end up at the scrap yard and someday I will mount one of my Unertl scopes on it and give a test drive.

Mark Sr

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Thanks for sharing.

THIS is an interesting and nice object. Love the "thread type" locking system, looks like downsized field artillery !!
 
Very cool rifle. I have a 1960’s 25 lb Taylor and Robbins 219 Wasp bench rifle. The big guns were known as unlimited bag guns, I believe they shot against rail guns.

The Wasp is a great cartridge, mine consistently shoots bugholes.
 

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Being interested in your rifle I did some googlin. I found Timkin steel was used in Douglas barrels and there was a Dr. Rod Janson who was involved in the early days of Benchrest shooting when those heavy bag guns were being shot in matches. Could be the Janson who built your rifle.

“ For instance, Mr Wallach credits the North West boys for their part in creating what we now know as modern BR. In his book he talks a lot about the early years… "In 1944 Dr Rod Janson, along with Roy Meister, Wally Burnham and Harry Atwood formed the Puget Sound Snipers Congress whose goal was “to improve and perfect rifle accuracy and determine the accuracy of modern rifles”. A formal competition was set up shooting at 200 yds with the winner being determined by the smallest average of the groups shot that day. The early rules stated … “any dead rest including machine rest, sand bag rest, rest over a sack of saw dust or horse feathers, elbow holes and muzzle rest, out of a car window rest, stump rest, toe holes or belly holes, any special clamps or vices or benchrest may be used”. That was 1944, the year of the first Sniper King Championship which is still shot yearly to this day at the Tacoma range. (although you don’t see many horse feathers these days) It was a big success with 37 competitors at that first shoot. Roy Meister won it shooting a 30.06 Springfield rifle, with his 200 yd group average of 2.235”. His was the first name on the Sniper King trophy which is still in existence today and awarded every year. Also, Dr. Rod Janson and Roy Meister were the NW representatives at the meeting in 1951 in Denver that resulted in the formation of the NBRSA.”


http://benchrest.com/archive/index.php/t-92269.html

Dr. Janson was the President of NBRSA in 1954.

http://benchrest.com/minutes.pdf
 
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1911Nut said:
Being interested in your rifle I did some googlin. I found Timkin steel was used in Douglas barrels and there was a Dr. Rod Janson who was involved in the early days of Benchrest shooting when those heavy bag guns were being shot in matches. Could be the Janson who built your rifle.

Thank you for the information, sounds like sound thoughts.
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37 Rangemaster said:
1911Nut said:
Being interested in your rifle I did some googlin. I found Timkin steel was used in Douglas barrels and there was a Dr. Rod Janson who was involved in the early days of Benchrest shooting when those heavy bag guns were being shot in matches. Could be the Janson who built your rifle.

Thank you for the information, sounds like sound thoughts.
Click to expand...

Is there any connection with your rifle and the Pacific Northwest?
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37 Rangemaster said:
Is there any connection with your rifle and the Pacific Northwest?

Yes, it was from an estate around Portland.
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Well there you go, more likely your rifle was from Rod Janson and likely was shot in the Sniper King Championship.

Now gotta find the records from the Sniper King Championship at Tacoma to see if Dr. Janson shows up.
 
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37 Rangemaster said:
Appreciate your time and efforts.
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I’m glad to get the info on that super cool rifle.
Internet researching is a pastime, it’s like a puzzle.

Here’s my Wasp in a shrine I made for it. Yeah I’m ok as long as I take my ….
 

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I agree with 1911Nut's post on possible Northwest origin.

Back in the 60's there was a Dr. Rod Janson that shot with the Puget Sound BR Club. I never met him, but heard of him when I started in 1969 with PSBRC. The rifle could have been his. There are no
Ole Timers left here in the NW area who might know for sure. Did you obtain the rifle from the NW area?

Back then there were two UNL classes, Restricted and Unrestricted, Restricted rigs had got be shot off sand bag rests, while the Unrestricted could be return to battery. It wasn't long before the Restricted class was dropped due to lack of participation. That rifle appears to be a Restricted class rig.

FWIW
Steve Kostanich
 
Steve Kostanich said:
I agree with 1911Nut's post on possible Northwest origin.

Back in the 60's there was a Dr. Rod Janson that shot with the Puget Sound BR Club. I never met him, but heard of him when I started in 1969 with PSBRC. The rifle could have been his. There are no
Ole Timers left here in the NW area who might know for sure. Did you obtain the rifle from the NW area?

Back then there were two UNL classes, Restricted and Unrestricted, Restricted rigs had got be shot off sand bag rests, while the Unrestricted could be return to battery. It wasn't long before the Restricted class was dropped due to lack of participation. That rifle appears to be a Restricted class rig.

FWIW
Steve Kostanich
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Looking for results of the Sniper King matches I came across this, Rod Janson was Sniper King in 1959 and 1960. And Steve Kostanich was Sniper King THREE Times! The last in 2016. Wow! Pretty nice shootin Steve!

Odds are better that 37 Rangemaster’s rifle won the 1960 match.

Sniper King names…

1944 R. Meister
1945 V. Burnham
1946 J. Davis
1947 A. Learned
1948 Joe Lutch
1949 W. W. Kiser
1950 Dave jones
1951 R.V. Manning
1952 Don Mckay
1953 L.E. Wilson
1958 Mary Staley
1959 Rod Janson
1960 Rod Janson
1961 Roy Meister
1962 Ed Frombach
1964 Allen Bench
1965 Ed Fromback
1966 R.E. Norman
1967 Allen Bench
1968 R. Norman
1969 R. Norman
1970 L.E. Wilson
1971 Ken Glanzer
1972 Allen Bench
1973 Roy Norman
1974 John Fry
1975 L.E.Wilson
1976 Denny Andrews
1977 Gene Harwood
1978 Denny Andrews
1979 Manley Oakley
1980 Roy Norman
1981 Manley Oakley
1982 Bill Crosby
1983 Bill Crosby
1984 Bill Crosby
1985 Jim Falwell
1986 Bill Crosby
1987 Bill Crosby
1988 O.L. “Doc” Vosburch
1990 Bob Fritz
1991 Don Nielson
1992 Bob Demonstoy
1993 O.L. Vosburgh
1994 Bill Mellor
1995 O.L.Vosburgh
1996 Del Bishop
1997 Sue Blazzard
1998 Jay Young
1999 Tom Price
2000 Chris Klumpp
2001 Jeff Williams
2002 Del Bishop
2003 Steve Kostanich
2004 Mustafa Bilal
2005 Rick Graham
2006 John Parrish
2007 Lou Murdica
2008 Larry Boers
2009 Rick Graham
2010 Steve Kostanich
2011 Jeff Yost
2012 Rick Graham
2013 Larry Boers & Gary Ocock (tied)
 
Well......
It has been a little over a year since I first came upon this rifle.
But is very nice to know that with your help I belive we have figured out the story.
Mark Sr
 
Nut,

Thanks for the kudos. I've actually be lucky enough to win the Sniper King six times in '16, '17, '18, and '19 plus the two shown on the roster of winners.
I alway considered the winning groups as freaks, 'cause you rarely shoot an agg. composed of all groups as small as it takes to win the SK.

The way the match format is set up now, we shot 15 groups at 200 yards trying for the SK. It is composed of three 200 yard aggs.

Also, there now is a second trophy tied to the SK, it is called the Agg. King, and is awarded for the best agg. when firing 10 shot groups at 200yds. It was started 5 or 6 years ago.

FWIW
Steve Kostanich
 
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