TargetTalk

Saw this rifle:
http://www.geweermakerij.nl/wapens/actu ... /1/12/7575
Says its a biathlon.
What action does it use? 54?
Is it 54-rifle age? (70s/80s?)
What accuracy to expect? Similar as normal anschutz?

I used to compete in biathlon in the early 1980's and this is the rifle model I used. it is an Anschutz 1827 and was top of the line in its day. This model was replaced with the 1827 with a Fortner action (straight pull) after I stopped competing, but the 1827 I had was very accurate. I used it not only in biathlon, but also conventional rifle shooting competitions, and it held it's own against other target rifles. I'd say it was comparable to the Anschutz 1807, but with a lighter barrel.

The one you have pictured, however, is missing some parts, if you want to use it for biathlon. It's missing the sling and handstop, the carrying harness, the front sight with snow cap, the rear sight with snow cap, and the buttplate with hook peg. The scope, buttplate, and weights on the end of the barrel are not part of the original rifle. And it looks like the stock was re-varnished, based on how the stippled pistol grip and fore end underside areas look shiny (the original one would not have varnish on the stippled areas).

It's been 30 years since I've had the rifle, so I don't recall the actual action used in the 1827 and if the one pictured is the original barreled action. There is a biathlon forum in TargetTalk. You might want to post your question there to get more responses. Also, you might try to see if you can get a picture of any text or numbers stamped onto the barrel or action. I checked the Anschutz web site to see if they had a manual for this version, but I did not find one. But if you had the serial number, you could try contacting Anschutz to get more information.

Good luck,
Pete

I did some more checking on the Anschutz web site, and I did find a spare parts list with explosion diagram for the 1827. There also was a parts list and diagram for a 1427.

http://jga.anschuetz-sport.com/index.ph ... &sprache=1

Based on the bolts in the diagrams, the rifle you have pictured is a 1427, not an 1827. The 1427 manual has a version date of 6/1981, and the 1827 has a date of 1/1984. I stopped competing in the Winter of 1984, and I had my rifle for a few years by then, so I'm thinking I had a 1427. Like I said earlier, it was very accurate.

Pete

To add to the above, yes it's a Match 54. The bolt looks to be the older 1400 type, but the trigger looks to be the newer 57xx (1600 style), or 50xx (18/1900 type). The stock is almost identical to 1607 models from the late 1970s.

How come it is not a straight pull when the Soviets were already using straight pull back in the 50s?

conradin wrote:How come it is not a straight pull when the Soviets were already using straight pull back in the 50s?

Anschutz don't make the straight pull actions themselves, so perhaps this pre-dates their partnership with Fortner.

Straight pulls are older than that. I believe the Russians were using variants of the Canadian Ross rifle, a pre WW! design. The Austrian Mannlicher and Swiss Schmidt-Rubin are of slightly older vintage.