I bought this rifle a last week but have a lot of questions about it.  It appears to be on a Miller-DeHaas action, but there are no markings other than what appears to be a serial number on the front of the receiver, the name Cecil Bede McGee on the rear of the receiver behind the block mortise, and an engraging of a buck head on each side.  There is no safety on the rifle, as I would expect on a Miller-DeHaas.  The dealer said the owner built the gun from scratch, but the action appears to be too well done (but, then again, I might not understand the talents of a master machinist).  Any thoughts?

Well, if it is NOT a DeHaas-Miller it sure is a very close copy.  At least based on the photo.

The dealer advised me that the builder/owner had died but that was all the information he had on him.   

The rifle also came with an unmarked externally adjustable target scope in a fitted wooden box.  Looks sort of like an Unertl without the recoil spring.  It also came with a wood machinists tool chest full of accessories, some of which I haven't figured out.  There were a bunch of lead and jacked bullets, cases, breech seater, 2 boxes of 45-90 cases (I wonder where that rifle is), an RCBS Li'l Dandy powder measure, and three boxes of Remington Large Pistol (?) primers, plus other miscellaneous tools.  I probably paid way too much for this ensemble, but it looked intersting.

Send a PM to Keith Foster here on the site  , membership chairman/ BOD of ASSRA.  he might be able to track the name.

    I know almost nothing about the De haas action --the finger lever on this rifle looks like a Hoch as does the extractor pin above the finger lever pin.  The Hoch was a copy of one of the German striker fired rifles.   ledball

It needs to be taken apart and parts photographed. That should solve the mystery.  May only tell you what it's not.


                           Joe.

I appreciate all the comments.  I'm going to try to disassemble it and take some more picures.  I'll also post picture of the scope and acessories that came with the rifle.  Watch this space.

I'm looking for any reference that will tell about Hauck rifles.  TIA

waterman

Hello runningiron,
Well I can see that it unlikely to be a Wilbur J. Hauck, the trigger arrangement is all together different, well at least to what I've seen of his work thus far. Duane Cole design is also out, but getting close. From the photo it really is a closer match to DeHaas-Miller. Like others have said, if you can show pictures of the internals we could confirm more easily.

Cheers and Merry Xmas from Australia,
Stu

Here are the items from the chest.  I know what all of them are except the white handled tool on the right and the two black (mostly) flat tools in the middle

The tool to the immediate right of the amber colored screwdriver handle is a choke tube wrench for Mossberg or Winchester early type non-flush fitting chokes.  I'm guessing that the other two unknown are takedown/reassembly tools for the action.  The ivory handled one looks stout enough that it may be used to compress a mainspring or cock a striker.

David

And finally, the receiver mortise.   

Now, I hope I can get it back together, again.

I just looked at the DeHaas/Miller patent drawing, and it is definitely their action, though without the safty.  If Mr McGee did indeed build the action, he did a hell of a job.

You've got a Russ Weber breechseater in your kit, which means that Russ could probably tell you who he made the tool for, your scope is of course a Lyman Super Targetspot, and here's Frank DeHaas and Dean Miller's Patent;

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Bob

I had a look at the reference books and the Lyman scope is shown exactly as the one pictured on this thread. Thing is, I have an identical scope with the addition of a recoil spring and marked "Ross"--a UK manufaturer. Did Ross buy them from Lyman or did some other concern make them? Does anybody know?
Fred.

I've been studying the patent drawings and documentation this morning, trying to get a good feel for the action.  This action is 99+% according to the plans.  The only differences that I can see relate to keeping the lever closed, a roller bearing on the link of my action where it contacts the cocking lever and perhaps a difference in placement of the sear engagement screw in the trigger mechanism.  I think I see how to reassemble the striker into the breech block.  There is a pin hole on the rear ledge of the striker.  I believe that I will have to compress the spring in a suitable vise and slip a pin into the hole to retain it.  Then I drop the striker into the block and remove the pin.  The only thing wrong with that plan is that the striker spring looks a lot stronger that any pin that would fit the hole.

Runningiron- You've got a genuine DeHaas- Miller action. Serial # is probably around 100 (?), as it has no safety and the Canjar trigger shoe. The stock looks like one from Rufus Kline, who supplied that style, to the late Dean Miller, Neal Rice, Ron Long, etc.and others who shot the Coors matches. From the looks of the stock fit and the rounded corners on the action, it looks like a DIY project ( no offense).

Call Cyle Miller in St. Onge,SD with the serial # and he can tell you who bought it from them. He probably still has some of the instruction booklets and the video that came with the action.

Waterman- What did you want to know about the Hauck (Vermont)?

Good shooting.

Iron,
The trigger and the lever still make it a mid-80's or so action.The newer lever and the trigger w/push-button safety came around '88.  Sheer speculation on my part is that it's a custom serial number that the customer asked for when he ordered the gun. As long as the number was unique Dean would do that. If the 4th character is numeric I would say it was something significant to the owner. If its alpha, the the owner may have had another action with that same number, as I do. Cyle can probably help you there too.

The stock can be refitted easily- maybe Cyle is doing some work-ask him. If not, Earl Hines in Cody Wy. is an excellent man to work on it.

If you want to read about the action, get ahold of the following-

ASSRA News, Mar/Apr '86
ASSRA News, Nov/Dec '91
RIFLE Magazine, #145, Jan/Feb '93

and , of course, the de Haas books.

I missed the auction listing, do you know who's barrel it is?

You might also run the name past Russ Weber, the gentleman who made the breechseater. He's a great guy and will help you if he can.

Good shooting.