Al Freeland rifle?

[Fat_46]

I'm refurbishing an older Palma rifle built on a Winchester Model 70 action, with a heavy fiberglass stock and a 30" barrel. It has a rail inletted into the underside of the forearm. As I was stripping the layers of old paint off of the stock I found a marking in the rail that said "Al Freeland".

From my Google searches it seems he is/was a benchrest shooter that mainly dealt in Martini 22s. Do I have a Freeland built gun, or did someone else merely inlet the stock for a Freeland marked handstop rail?

 

[rcmodel]

It's just the rail brand name.
If Freeland had built & sold the rifle, it would say so on the receiver or barrel.

Al Freeland had a company that sold any number of rifle accessories for NRA Bullseye rifle competition in the 1950's / 60's..
http://www.rollanet.com/~stacyw/unknown_al_freeland_target_sling.htm

The Martini in this add is an NRA positon Target rifle, not a benchrest gun.


We used Al Freeland brand stock rails and adjustable bedding blocks when we were building Model 52 & Model 70 Match rifles when I was gunsmithing with an Army AMU team in the late 60's, early 70's.

Most of his product line was for NRA Bullseye .22, and high-power long-range competition, as Benchrest competition was just getting started good when he was in business.

rc

 

[Fat_46]

Thank you!