Browning Belgium Olympian .338 Win Mag, As-new, Original Case
Description:
SOLD ** Browning Belgium Olympian .338 WinMag, As-new.
Browning High-Power Olympian Grade (Belgium manufacture) bolt action rifle, (FN Mauser Long Extractor) 24” barrel, built second year, 1961. Browning’s High Power model was manufactured 1960-1974 in the Browning Custom Shop in Herstal, Belgium. Signed by 3 engravers.
The Olympian Grade is a handmade rifle, of best quality, and features near-exhibition grade figured walnut with contrasting colors, meticulously hand-checkering with intricate 32 lines per inch patterns surrounded by hand-carved border areas. The high-gloss finished stock has a Monte Carlo comb with swept right hand cheekpiece, adorned with a rosewood grip cap, rosewood forearm tip, and a Browning recoil pad. The face of the grip cap is fitted with an 18kt gold diamond shaped medallion.
As to the metal work, the barrel is hand-engraved forward of the receiver and highly polished and deeply blued. The receiver floorplate , trigger guard and guard screws are silver in durable satin finish and tastefully hand-engraved in beautiful scroll details, embellished with inlaid big game scenes which are appropriate for this caliber. On the receiver, there is an elk and moose engraving signed by Gina Carnel. On the floorplate is a brown bear engraving by J. Baerten. A mountain lion is engraved on the silver trigger guard signed by L. Acampo. The trigger is serrated and gold. The bolt and extractor are jeweled.
Olympian grade rifles are of the highest quality of workmanship and take many man hours to complete by master gunsmiths, master checkers and carvers, and master engravers.
For those of you who know of the salt problem that Browning endured for their high-end wood, that problem came about in 1966, long after this gun was made.
The L.O.P. 13 3/4” Weight 8 lbs 10 oz … no sights, factory drilled and tapped for scope mounts… and sling swivel studs.
Inscriptions: Barrel is marked “Browning Arms Company, St. Louis, Mo. & Montreal P.Q.” on left, with caliber and “Made in Belgium” on the right side. SN is on the right rear bridge. Gun is in mint condition with perfect bore, and comes with original hard trunk case.
The rifle is wearing a brand new Leupold VX-IIIa 3.5-10x40 scope in engraved steel rings on Leupold two-piece bases (the original silver plug screws for the receiver scope bases are included in the gun case).
According to S.P. Fjestad, in his Blue Book of Gun Values, for FN High-Power Olympian Grade, caliber rarity is as follows: .30-06 (least rare), .270 Win, .308 Norma Mag., .300 H&H , .375 H&H, .264 Win Mag, .222 Rem, .222 Rem Mag, and .284 Win (rarest). The .338 Win Mag. is not even listed. We know from dealing with these guns that it should fall into this group just past .264 Win Mag and is 4th rarest of the calibers.
According to USA Browning Custom Shop Dealer, Michael Murphy & Sons, if the Custom Shop were to build a Olympian today, the replacement cost would be in excess of $35,000. But, let’s look at current collectability of this model in this caliber: The Blue Book shows a base price of $9,250 in Mint condition. A footnote shows add 20% to 60% for rare calibers. Another footnote says to add 15% for Mag calibers with long extractors.
Condition of this rifle is Collector New, as manufactured in 1961, with near Exhibition wood with exceptional color and feather pattern.
About the Custom Shop: Ben Roberts recently wrote in his column for the Gun Mart, a review of his visit to the Browning Custom Shop in Herstal Belgium. Here are some excerpts from that review:
“Hand made sporting guns present the pinnacle of our industry the world over, whether it’s an English Purdey, French Demas, Italian Famars or a Belgian Browning. Each is special and unique, as much if not more a work of art than a tool. No wonder then that shooters around the globe yearn to possess one! Entering the Custom Shop is like stepping back in time. Instead of banks of CNC machines and crates of pre-manufactured parts awaiting assembly there are a few rows of benches at which the artisans of Herstal ply their craft. It is fitting then that [John Moses Browning’s] spirit lives on amongst the corridors of Herstal setting the standards all over again but this time for delivering a blend of human efforts and true manufacturing perfection into a brand that looks set to thrive well into the future.”
Priced to sell at $ 10,950.00, Must be shipped to FFL dealer. 3-day inspection privilege. Seller is the author of The Rifleman’s Rifle and will include a Letter of Provenance that this rifle is from his personal collection. Please check out author’s feedback on ebay under rcrwin70roger. 3-day non-firing inspection for full refund, shipping is $55 to buyer’s FFL, payment by MO, certified check , wire transfer, or personal check with wait for validation.
For questions, call (678) 971-4173 and ask for Roger.
SOLD