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July 3, 2020
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The sale began at 8am this morning… and scheduled to end at 11am. I was told about it at 11:15am as I was leaving a doctors appointment. I was close by and thought, why not go and see if anything was left? I got there at 11:30 and fortunately the sale was still open. I began to look thru drawers, cigar boxes, parts bins…any place I could think of. I ended up finding a nice pile of goodies… several standard Model 70 sights, a Super Grade sight, ramps, butt plates, bolt stops, triggers, followers, safety’s, escutcheons, lot’s of screws, a few Springfield 1903 parts and some Ruger parts too, lots of misc…. I piled it up, they gave me a price and I took it all. As I was walking out the door, I spotted Al’s work apron and asked if it was available and they told me to take it. It will hang in my shop as a fond reminder of a great gun maker. Some days it pays to be lucky… I just wish I had been a little luckier and had known earlier, I may have skipped my doctor’s appointment. My brother inlaw is the one who told me about the sale after he had loaded up his truck with stocks & parts including the stores original neon sign. He did much, much better than I did, but I’m still very happy with my gleanings.
November 1, 2013
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Good you were able to pick up those items despite the late notice, but sad to hear that the property of such a famed artisan as Biesen ended up in a garage sale. It’s even sadder that masters such as him evidently left no understudies to take over their shops & carry on their work.
July 3, 2020
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The Biesen gun shop was in the basement of the family home. The mill and lathe and other machines were actually put in before the rest of the house was built on top. Roger Biesen, Al’s son, was also a gun maker. He passed away in 2020. Roger’s daughter, Paula, is a master engraver and her work is amazing and still in high demand. So it could be said that the Biesen legacy & artistry still continues…
August 25, 2009
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If I had known about that sale i would have gladly traveled the 5 hours to get there
I have the honor of owning two Biesen model 70 featherweights, one in 270 and the other in 6mm Remington. Both were commissioned by a friend of mine in the mid 60s. With the 270 I have all of the correspondence with Mr Biesen and my friend along with the sales invoice. These rifles are truly works of art by a master craftsman. I hope that when the time comes to move these along someone will appreciate them as much as I.
November 1, 2013
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DEEREHART said
I have the honor of owning two Biesen model 70 featherweights, one in 270 and the other in 6mm Remington. Both were commissioned by a friend of mine in the mid 60s. With the 270 I have all of the correspondence with Mr Biesen and my friend along with the sales invoice. These rifles are truly works of art by a master craftsman. I hope that when the time comes to move these along someone will appreciate them as much as I.
Do you know if Biesen marked his stocks in any way, like in the brl channel? Once bought a custom rifle alleged to have a Biesen stock, but when yrs later I found out to communicate with him, I was disappointed to discover he had no recollection of that rifle. I know that many custom stockmakers didn’t mark their work.
July 3, 2020
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I’ve seen stock channels marked “AL BIESEN – SPOKANE, WA”. I’ve also seen his guns with stocks unmarked….
July 3, 2020
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DEEREHART said
If I had known about that sale i would have gladly traveled the 5 hours to get thereI have the honor of owning two Biesen model 70 featherweights, one in 270 and the other in 6mm Remington. Both were commissioned by a friend of mine in the mid 60s. With the 270 I have all of the correspondence with Mr Biesen and my friend along with the sales invoice. These rifles are truly works of art by a master craftsman. I hope that when the time comes to move these along someone will appreciate them as much as I.
Pics would be appreciated… always enjoy seeing his artistry.
I inherited a 1948 custom Winchester Model 70 257 Roberts from my uncle. Cannot figure out who gunsmith was or who my have made the stock. Disassembled it this morning and no markings, except on Butt of stock under metal butt plate. Now get this, the stock was bored out to reduce weight, and only letters just above where it was bored out were “MADE BY”, which were stamped in the butt wood. Any help in identify would be very helpful, for my own interest only. My son will get Uncle Bill’s rifle when I am gone.
Well, was going to paste pics, but cannot figure out how!
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