Unusual .243 Musgrave RSA

[skindiver]

Hello

I recently bought a .243 after searching for a long while for one to match my beloved RSA .308
This rifle still had a TV screen 4 x 40 Weaver scope on it.

It has an RSA action with REP VAN SUID AFRIKA on the receiver. It has the magazine.
It has very nice dark wood ( not stained) with a similar coloured fore-end tip and grip-cap and chequering, but not skip line chequering.
It has a typical Musgrave butt pad.
It has a 26 inch Musgrave barrel with Musgrave in fairly small letters in the usual place on top of the barrel, cal .243 further back on the left side and the serial number left side of the barrel up against the receiver. The C in the letters cal.243 is half sized and appears to have what looks like a tick mark underscoring it.

Unusually the serial number is OB243E-xxx on the barrel.
I have not heard of another with an E. Mostly I have heard of a V.

Equally unusual is that is has NO SABS stamps. Neither on the barrel nor on the receiver.

Just as unusual, the barrel has no sights neither front nor rear. No place where sights ever were.

The bolt handle exhibits the reddish brown type blueing while the rest of the rifle is normal black blueing.
The gun is quite heavy, Perhaps heavier than my .308 but that has a shorter barrel.
The barrel is fairly thick I think, at 16mm at the muzzle swelling to 18mm where it enters the stock.

All parts are lightly hand engraved underneath with the XXX part of the serial number. The Receiver, the Bolt, and even the stock on the inside. It looks like it was engraved by someone with very shaky hands. Not scratched in though.

It's a beauty and I get to shoot it this weekend for the first time.

Any ideas about the things that I find unusual about it ?

regards
Greg

[OosKaapJagter]

If you look in the book, FIREARMS Developed and Manufactured in Southern Africa 1949 - 2000, pg. 24 - 25, it seems like a standard Musgrave Vrystaat Mk II Series. Some were indeed sold without sights, as indicated in the book.

[Alwin]

It may have been a standard production Vrystaat version, or a custom once-off build to order. Since they were all hand-built, a custom order was not too hard to fulfill, if the parts were on hand. The barrel diameter sounds pretty standard for these rifles, although the length may be 2 inches longer than usual.

[Hein M.]

RSA Vrystaat

[ruaanb]

it looks like the identical twin of my dad's 308 also with a 26 inch barrel but no engraving.

[Apie]

If you look in the book, FIREARMS Developed and Manufactured in Southern Africa 1949 - 2000, pg. 24 - 25, it seems like a standard Musgrave Vrystaat Mk II Series. Some were indeed sold without sights, as indicated in the book.

Stem


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[Apie]

Hello

I recently bought a .243 after searching for a long while for one to match my beloved RSA .308
This rifle still had a TV screen 4 x 40 Weaver scope on it.

It has an RSA action with REP VAN SUID AFRIKA on the receiver. It has the magazine.
It has very nice dark wood ( not stained) with a similar coloured fore-end tip and grip-cap and chequering, but not skip line chequering.
It has a typical Musgrave butt pad.
It has a 26 inch Musgrave barrel with Musgrave in fairly small letters in the usual place on top of the barrel, cal .243 further back on the left side and the serial number left side of the barrel up against the receiver. The C in the letters cal.243 is half sized and appears to have what looks like a tick mark underscoring it.

Unusually the serial number is OB243E-xxx on the barrel.
I have not heard of another with an E. Mostly I have heard of a V.

Equally unusual is that is has NO SABS stamps. Neither on the barrel nor on the receiver.

Just as unusual, the barrel has no sights neither front nor rear. No place where sights ever were.

The bolt handle exhibits the reddish brown type blueing while the rest of the rifle is normal black blueing.
The gun is quite heavy, Perhaps heavier than my .308 but that has a shorter barrel.
The barrel is fairly thick I think, at 16mm at the muzzle swelling to 18mm where it enters the stock.

All parts are lightly hand engraved underneath with the XXX part of the serial number. The Receiver, the Bolt, and even the stock on the inside. It looks like it was engraved by someone with very shaky hands. Not scratched in though.

It's a beauty and I get to shoot it this weekend for the first time.

Any ideas about the things that I find unusual about it ?

regards
Greg

Greg

Hierdie gewere is nie veel werd en ook nie akkuraat nie.

As jy my R500 gee sal ek jou verlos van hom....




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[skindiver]

Apie

Ek skiet hom die naweek vir die eerste keer.

My enigste vrees draai om die feit dat n .243 n barrel burner is.

Nou, omdat ek nie sy geskiedenis ken nie en my oee seker nie n goei loop sal kan uitken van n slegte een nie, en die verkoopsman by die skietwinkel ook maar nie veel meer kon uitspraak oor sy toestand nie,... as hy wel nie akuraat skiet nie en die loop wel gekalf het, sal ek so teleurgestel wees dat ek jou aanbod sal anvaar, maar sommer met n Duisend rand by.

[skindiver]

Ek het al gelees dat sommige spekuleer dat n V in the serial nommer staan vir Veld of Vrystaat.
Dat myne n E in het, maak dit albei stellings dan seker n negatief.

'E' sal nie Veld of Vrystaat, Standaard of President kan beskryf nie.

[MB James]

Ek het al gelees dat sommige spekuleer dat n V in the serial nommer staan vir Veld of Vrystaat.
Dat myne n E in het, maak dit albei stellings dan seker n negatief.

'E' sal nie Veld of Vrystaat, Standaard of President kan beskryf nie.

Dalk "Eienaar spesifiek"?

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[HeinM]

RSA Vrystaat

Ek was blykbaar verkeerd... Musgrave President model met vol ruitwerk en sonder korrel en visier ...

[Capt. Yoda]

Apie

Ek skiet hom die naweek vir die eerste keer.

My enigste vrees draai om die feit dat n .243 n barrel burner is.

Nou, omdat ek nie sy geskiedenis ken nie en my oee seker nie n goei loop sal kan uitken van n slegte een nie, en die verkoopsman by die skietwinkel ook maar nie veel meer kon uitspraak oor sy toestand nie,... as hy wel nie akuraat skiet nie en die loop wel gekalf het, sal ek so teleurgestel wees dat ek jou aanbod sal anvaar, maar sommer met n Duisend rand by.

Moenie alles glo wat jy op die internet lees nie, as n jag geweer sal jy nie daai loop klaar skiet nie

[Philip J]

Apie

Ek skiet hom die naweek vir die eerste keer.

My enigste vrees draai om die feit dat n .243 n barrel burner is.

Nou, omdat ek nie sy geskiedenis ken nie en my oee seker nie n goei loop sal kan uitken van n slegte een nie, en die verkoopsman by die skietwinkel ook maar nie veel meer kon uitspraak oor sy toestand nie,... as hy wel nie akuraat skiet nie en die loop wel gekalf het, sal ek so teleurgestel wees dat ek jou aanbod sal anvaar, maar sommer met n Duisend rand by.

Moenie alles glo wat jy op die internet lees nie, as n jag geweer sal jy nie daai loop klaar skiet nie

Die blote feit dat hy nog 'n 4x40 teleskoop opgehad het, laat my al klaar dink daar is bitter min skote deur daai loop. Dis waarskynlik dieselfde teleskoop wat oorspronklik op dag 1 op daai geweer gesit is. Lankal terug het die manne nie sommer honderde skote in n jaar geskiet met n jag geweer nie.

[Wielie Waps]

My skoonpa se 243 se serial nr begin ook met OB243E....
Verder kan ek jou nie veel vertel nie, behalwe dat hy nie baie van die geweer hou nie. Ons skiet maar meestal met hom.
Hy het ook n baie mooi okkerneut kolf op.