Herter's J9 stock re-finish done!

[Uncle Alvah]

If you are old enough to remember the original Herter's out of Weseca, Minnesota, well, you're no pup.
Herters was like Sear's, nothing they sold was actually made by them, and they sold all manner of sporting goods, from leghold traps, to waterfowl decoys, to snowmobiles, reloading equipment......and rifles.
This is a Pawn Shop find, a Herters J9 Mauser. Actually built by Zestava in the former Yugoslavia, it is pre-1968, because it has no serial number. Commercial Mauser 98 action, this one is in .308.
The scope is a straight 4x K-Mart. That scope is actually a "sleeper" dispite the discount house logo, it is an early Tasco built in Japan. I suspect it will serve well for as long as I have left on Earth at least.
When I got it, the stock had some handling marks, and the varnish was a mite yellow. I took that off and the rifle is now Tru Oil finished.
The classic Monte Carlo stock and white line spacers/grip and fore end caps are pretty much a "retro" look these days.
Can't wait to shoot it.

 

[RPRNY]

I like that a lot! Great looking rifle and nice refinish.

 

[airedaleman]

How great is that! Wonderful job on that "world's greatest (fill in the blank)"
endorsed by George Leonard Herter himself...
Started hand loading with Herter products in 1954.

Love the Lightning spacers, a Herter dead giveaway!

 

[stan rose]

Very nice. My friend just found a Herters Mauser in 6mm Rem in his grandfathers attic. Nice rifles.

 

[Liberty1776]

wow. gorgeous job.

 

[ricebasher302]

Dang! That turned out nice! Good work

 

[bainter1212]

Nice job! I for one think those white spacers to be particularly attractive. The "tacticool" craze seems to have ruined rifle asthetics....anyway......I am only 30, but I started reloading on my grandpa's Pacific press with his Herters .06 die set that he mail-ordered from Herters in 1964. The die set was still in the Herter's box, with the $5 price tag still attached......sigh.....

 

[Uncle Alvah]

Love the Lightning spacers, a Herter dead giveaway!

You have a mighty keen eye!
These were taken prior to the re-finishing...

 

[airedaleman]

I really miss Herter's. Your rifle stirred up some pleasant memories...

 

[lefteyedom]

I was looking online today, Cabela's is using the old Herters name and font on their ammo. I may have just never noticed it before.

 

[mnrivrat]

I visited Herters a few times back in the day.
Bought one of their J9 complete barreled actions in 7MM Magnum. It was in a 50 gal. paper barrel with a bunch of others (mabe 30 total) in various calibers as well as some U9 barrel actions.
The Mauser (J9) barreled action cost me $25 . The BSA (U9) barreled actions were $35 . A close out 85% inleted cherry wood stock for mine added another $10 so I had a bunch of work and $35 total into the gun. (minus sights)

 

[Uncle Alvah]

$35 total into the gun

Nowdays, that $35 might cover the sales tax!

 

[mtrmn]

I bought some old Herter's catalogs off ebay for nostalgia. They sold out to Cabela's when I was a teenager sometime in the '70's I think.
I still have a "world famous Hudson's Bay" tent from them.
Also remember Abercrombie and Fitch advertising custom English side by sides and African safaris etc. LL Bean had custom bamboo flyrods. Orvis.....

Hey that's a beautiful classic gun you have and thank you for giving us a look at it.