GRANDMA’S RIFLE Frank Jezioro
rifle for Edith he could have purchased some small action but instead chose to rework an excellent early German 98 Mauser that he already had.
First he decided on the caliber. He
was never a big bore fan and liked the 25s and 7s. His personal rifles were a beautiful little 7mm (7x57) and one of the last 257 Roberts Model 70 barreled actions that left the Winchester factory. It came through a friend named Max Thompson who worked for Winchester. Both of these rifles were stocked by Phil in the beautiful classic style many of us prefer today.
Photo above: grandson Coltin Jezioro (on the left) with his first buck, using Grandma's Rifle. Far right, grandson Frankie Jezioro III holding the gun that he also used to take his first buck. Middle is grandson Liam Cochran eagerly waiting for his turn with Grandma's Rifle.
ightweight rifles for women and kids are not new and have been around for more than 50 years. “When can I go, Grandpa, and can I use Grandma’s rifle like Frankie and Coltin did?” This was little Liam’s question as he posed for the photos accompanying this article. Grandma’s Rifle had its beginning more than 50 years ago.
L
Those familiar with precision shooting, especially in the benchrest rifle circuit, will remember Homer Cul- ver. Homer was a true genius when it came to inventing and machining prod- ucts for shooters, as well as a world class metalsmith. He didn’t do stock work but had two greats who he exchanged metal work, chambering, for stock work. Phil Brewer was one of the true classic stock makers and in the same class as guys like Alvin Linden and Jerry Fisher, al- though he never made a stock for money and only for friends as a gift.
Page 62 Winter 2013 Above: The author with Coltin.
Phil lived near Homer in the Washington, D.C., area and worked for the government as a map maker, traveling around the globe. Every time he saw a certain type of wood that he thought would make a good stock he brought back a blank or two. But his favorite wood was straight-grained, hard French walnut. “Grandma’s Rifle” came into
being long before the factories were producing what they call kids’ and women’s rifles. Homer wanted to make his wife, Edith, a little rifle with which she could be comfortable when shoot- ing and which he thought would do a good job on the whitetail deer that they would hunt. If you knew Homer you knew that he wasn’t afraid to buy something if he couldn’t make it. Truth was, there was very little in the way of metal that went into a gun that he couldn’t make other than a barrel. When he planned the little
For Edith he chose the venerable 250-3000 cartridge. He knew the inher- ent accuracy of the round, having ex- perimented with it in a benchrest rifle in years past. Plus he had made his own 25 caliber bullet dies so he could make his own bullets if he chose to. Settling on the cartridge, he went to work on the action. He took that slick old 98, cut it into two pieces, and took out enough to produce the length of action that he wanted. He installed an old FN bolt handle and jeweled the bolt. The welded seam can barely be seen if you look closely. For his barrel, he had a blued 250-3000 from an old Savage 99. So he cut off the threads, shortened the muzzle end, and installed a hooded front sight and a receiver peep sight. Again, he could have done it a lot simpler just by purchasing a barreled action … but that wasn’t his way. Once the metal work was done he gave it to Phil and asked him to make Edith a stock that would fit her. He ex- plained that what he wanted was a little “she gun,” not a big “he gun.” Phil knew exactly what to do and went to work. He had been saving a very nice piece of French walnut for just such a project. It was straight grained, hard and with that beautiful golden color that high grade French is famous for. He made the stock with a blind magazine to keep down weight. He used a trigger guard off of a Parker Shotgun that added grace to the little rifle. He put excellent check- ering completely around the forearm and finished with a thinned down and
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