Taylor & Robbins built 22 Wasp benchrest rifle

George Dickel · Jul 1, 2019

A guy I know was gifted this rifle a few years ago and has had it setting on a mantel. From the pictures you can see it is getting rusty in some places which is a shame as this gun is a piece of firearm history. He was told it is a 22 Wasp made in 1941, I have tried to verify this but information on these rifles is pretty scarce. I offered to buy it but he said it wasn't for sale, I would love to own it and take it to the range. The rifle must weigh 25 - 30 lbs. It is based on a sleeved 98 Mauser action. It has a set trigger with a pull of around 2-3 Oz.

Edited: I believe they guy was mistaken on the year of the rifle, my limited searching on these gunsmiths indicates they were active in the 50's and 60's. The serial number is either 160 or 168, it was very hard to read, so I would think it is an early one.

George Dickel · Jul 1, 2019

Screwed up on the pictures, here some more.

Hookeye · Jul 1, 2019

VERY cool

George Dickel · Jul 1, 2019

George Dickel said:
Screwed up on the pictures, here some more.View attachment 848326

Super screwed up, hopefully these pics will post.

Scooter22 · Jul 1, 2019

Thanks for sharing the pics. I wonder which Wasp it is. Theres quite a few variations including a rimless one.

gotboostvr · Jul 1, 2019

Anyone know the deal with the spring around the scope? That's a new one on me.

Merle1 · Jul 1, 2019

IIRC, that scope free floats in the rings - and the spring is intended to return it to zero.

George Dickel · Jul 1, 2019

Merle1 said:
IIRC, that scope free floats in the rings - and the spring is intended to return it to zero.

That and because the scope has external adjustments, the rear ring has adjustment screws for windage and elevation. I have also been told that it reduced the recoil effect on the scope, not sure if that is correct but heard it from an old timer.

George Dickel · Jul 1, 2019

Scooter22 said:
Thanks for sharing the pics. I wonder which Wasp it is. Theres quite a few variations including a rimless one.
View attachment 848346

Thanks for the picture, the guy was told by the gift giver that it was a 22 Wasp. Good possibility that he didn't really know either.

old heeler · Jul 1, 2019

I think this may be first Wasp

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.219_Donaldson_Wasp

Not sure what year rifle was build but sleeve action should have cut out for rifle serial #.. If some one # sleeve that not serial # . I got into BR when still shooting sleeved actions and sleeved Rem XP and bottom sleeve be flat and you could glue in.

This may help

http://benchrest.com/archive/index.php/t-50433.html

George Dickel · Jul 1, 2019

I'm going to work on the owner a bit more about selling it, I sure hate to see it rust away. Problem is he lives in western Nebraska and I live in Florida. I was on his ranch two years ago shooting prairie dogs when he showed me the rifle, it had no rust then. I was there again last week shooting prairie dogs and took the pictures of the rifle, I noticed the rust. He said he'd take care of it but I don't really believe he will. I believe the guy that gave it to him is a good friend and he doesn't feel like he can sell it.

lightman · Jul 1, 2019

Thats a cool looking rifle and a piece of history. I would love to shoot it and see what its capable of. Too bad about the rust, hopefully the owner will take care of it. If I had it I would do a chamber cast to see exactly what it is.

Scooter22 · Jul 1, 2019

I believe the guy that gave it to him is a good friend and he doesn't feel like he can sell it.

You know I get that. Just like a rifle from a relative. But if the gun really isn't being used and is deteriorating you may want to gently point out his friend would have wanted it being used and appreciated. I've picked up several rifles over that years just by pointing that out.

Not sure what year rifle was build but sleeve action

Gee I missed that it was sleeved.

22250Rem · Jul 1, 2019

Wow....... What a piece of history. I would try to make the owner realize what he has and how his late friend would have wanted it to at least be kept rust free. Earlier this year I read an interesting, classic gun book from the 1940's entitled " 22 Caliber Varmint Rifles" by Charles S. Landis. He covers all those early wildcat cartridges in detail including those by Harvey Donaldson ( 1883-1972), a famous gun smith and wildcatter from central NY state. That may be a 219 Donaldson Wasp, which was based on the old 219 Zipper case. I'd consider that rifle a treasure.

Jim Watson · Jul 1, 2019

Tasco scope is pretty late to be on a Wasp.

Offfhand · Jul 2, 2019

Jim Watson said:
Tasco scope is pretty late to be on a Wasp.

I agree, that is a 1950's era rifle and that Tasco model scope wasn't on the market until years (decades) later. They don't go together, and besides, I don't think any serious benchrest shooter would have ever used that scope.

Offfhand · Jul 3, 2019

Here is another 1950's-70's era unlimited class bench rifle with features similar to OP's. The stockwork required an enormous amount of work and planning, yet the details are quite creative. Rifle was built for 1000 yard competition, which was gaining some popularity at that time, and it is chambered for wildcat 7mm/300 Wby mag. (.300 Wby Mag case necked down to 7mm). Note that the barrel is bedded in V-blocks, a bedding concept experimented with at the time, with the action "free floated". The action is a Pre-64 M-70 Win, and I mainly bought the rifle just to get the action and Unertl scope, but the rifle proved too interesting to strip down. Someday I may shoot it, as some prepped cases came with it.

Jim Watson · Jul 3, 2019

How would you shoot that thing? Flat square butt like a regular benchrest rifle to be shot in free recoil, but an elaborate thumbhole handhole.

Dustbowl · Jul 3, 2019

My grandfather was around when Taylor and Robbins had their shop. He still talks about how he got screwed out of a winchester 70 in 257 Roberts because the owners son sold it when he had money down on it. His favorite story about them is he bought a beat up 30-40 Krag and took it in for them to look at and old man Taylor looked at and and said “Take it out into a field with a post maul and use it as a fence post, you’ll get better use out of it like that.”

Offfhand · Jul 5, 2019

Jim Watson said:
How would you shoot that thing? Flat square butt like a regular benchrest rifle to be shot in free recoil, but an elaborate thumbhole handhole.

The big Unlimited Class bench rifles like the one shown are easy to shoot. One you get the rifle and rests positioned on the bench, and aimed at the target, it's mainly a matter of just watching the wind flags and touching the trigger at the right time. Proper rests for these rifles are often made by the rifle's builder and fitted to the rifle. Here is a sampling of a couple of these custom fitted rest tops, and a nicely fitted combination. The rifle glides smoothly on ball bearing rollers.The aim of such rigs (excuse pun) is pure accuracy.

Taylor & Robbins built 22 Wasp benchrest rifle

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