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records. Ben Jnr was proclaimed "Shooting Hero" after setting a record score of 294/300 - the highest score shot in Bisley matches in any
Commonwealth country. Some countries would ban the Musgrave from competition as being "too accurate", with accurized service rifles unable to compete. Such bans were generally short-lived as other purpose-built target rifles such as the British
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Musgrave built three exhibition rifles by hand for display in the USA (1983-1984) with the following serial numbers: XMA001 – Supreme Grade XMA002 – Custom Grade XMA003 – Standard Grade These were polished Mod 90 actions, engraved by Armin
Winkler with gold triggers on French walnut stocks, fore ends
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approached
Musgrave in 1969 with a view to developing a production hunting rifle. Musgrave became a subsidiary of Armscor in 1971. Production hunting rifles became available in 1972. 1971 also saw the Musgrave RSA target rifle debut at the National Championships at Cape Town where it broke multiple
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wood. The handguard is absent from later models, which had significantly bulkier fore-ends to allow for an open barrel with effective cooling while still reducing potential fliers due to contact between the free floated barrel and the shooter's fingers. Accurate
Musgrave-manufactured button rifled
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A SABS inspector fired a high pressure round through every rifle manufactured on
Musgrave's site and signed off. Musgrave's quality control department did a rigorous functional test on every rifle, testing the trigger, safety catch, firing pin protrusion, extractor and headspace against strict
194:
in
England. Whilst there he was introduced to barrel manufacturer W.D. Lain who was nearing retirement. Lain agreed to train Trevor in barrel making, with the intention of then selling his rifling machine and tooling to Musgrave. Trevor duly completed his training and the equipment arrived in
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With the advent of the new RSA rifle and thanks to better sporting-type rifles in general, which were used for the first time in South Africa during the 1971 National
Championships at Cape Town, record totals began tumbling headlong. In 1972 South Africa, shooting in Salisbury, shattered the
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Musgraves were proofed by a recognised Proof-House. The SABS (South
African Bureau of Standards) stamped the metalwork on a proofed rifle with two proofmarks in the shape of a capital letter "T" within "Springbok horns", one on the action (receiver), the other on the barrel.
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The top part of the fitted hammer forged barrels (until c. 1975) from
Lyttleton, were encased by a handguard, while M&S 1/3 MOA rear sights were installed. Parker Hale 1/4 MOA rear sights were available as an option. Stocks were made of a dense and strong
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Engineering Works. By 1989, Musgrave employed 220 people and produced 6,000 hunting rifles per year over a ten model range. Musgrave's product range diversified to include shotguns, sporting equipment, fuel locking devices and other items.
261:'s design and features a controlled feed (claw) extractor. The actions have a large flat bedding area underneath and a short case extraction port. The original Musgrave target rifles were fitted with 26.5" barrels and designated "7,62" (
148:
Musgrave was started in 1950 by Ben
Musgrave and his sons, restocking and accurizing surplus service rifles before developing their own line of hunting and target rifles. The company was acquired by
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Many .303 rifles were available in South Africa after the 2nd Anglo-Boer war, and conversions of these were used as hunting rifles. For plains game, a flatter shooting alternative was found in
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conglomerate. Denel abandoned the name in August 1996 when Musgrave's Bloemfontein facility was closed down. Some of the equipment and personnel relocated to Lyttelton Engineering Works (new
183:. After experimenting with the accuracy of his rifle, he came to be in demand from other shooters to accurize and re-barrel their rifles. In 1950 he founded Musgrave with eldest son Trevor.
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In 1972, work started on a new purpose built factory in Bloemfontain, which developed into a giant gunsmithing concern. RSA actions and earlier hammer-forged barrels were manufactured at
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in 1953 when younger brother Ben Musgrave (junior) joined the firm aged 14. Ben Jr would go on to be regarded as a genius barrel maker. All three Musgraves earned full
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tipped with buffalo horn and fitted with express sights. Two additional front sights (drop compensated) came in a hidden compartment in the pistol grip.
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Ben Musgrave (senior) began target shooting in 1933. At the time, all target shooting was conducted with contemporary service rifles such as the
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Three models of Musgrave hunting rifles for which the RSA action served as platform were manufactured from 29 May 1970, namely the
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In 2009, the dormant Musgrave name was acquired by a private owner, Frikkie du Plooy. Manufacturing started at a new facility in
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249:, Mpumalanga. The revived firm builds new semi-custom hunting rifles as well as an AR-15 variant - the Musgrave AR.
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The name was revived in 2009 after it was acquired by a private owner, with production based at a new facility in
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Features highlighted below as characteristics of the various models are not exclusive, as many variants exist.
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Ambidex (Straight-pull action with bolt handle which can be reassembled to accommodate left-handed shooters)
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Pump Action: Musgrave 12, similar to the Beretta RS 200, also a version for the South African Police Force.
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Mk III & Mk IV (Mod 98 based Santa Barbara actions and barrels - Serial numbers start with "R-")
234:) where hunting rifles were built under the "Vektor" (Vector) name for a short while, alongside the
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In 1952 Ben was awarded Springbok colours and selected to travel with the South African team to the
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Some Musgraves were exported to Europe and the US, either as complete rifles or components.
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Over and under: Some Beretta components used - similar to the Beretta 686 O/U shotguns.
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barrels (with a slightly longer, parallel nox) were usually matched with these stocks.
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The single-shot Musgrave RSA action (sometimes marked "Lyttelton RSA") is based on
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spectacular Rhodes Centenary Match record of 1845 points by a staggering 81 points
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http://historicalstudiesuct.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/7-bernhard-schlenther.pdf
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In 1992, Musgrave was one of the businesses moved from ARMSCOR into the new
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Concerned with growing industrial isolation due to apartheid sanctions,
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target and hunting rifles, in particular the Musgrave RSA Target Rifle.
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156:. The brand disappeared in 1996 and the Bloemfontein facility closed.
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pistol and other small armaments which form Denel's main focus.
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Semi-Auto: Essentially a Musgrave-barrelled Beretta A300.
60:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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286:standards while evaluating the rifle's accuracy.
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289:The South African Bisley Union site states:
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345:Several other models followed, including:
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120:Learn how and when to remove this message
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873:Firearm manufacturers of South Africa
501:Robertson, Karen, ed. (Spring 2004).
370:Afrika (Standard, De Lux and Supreme)
794:"C.I.P. decisions, texts and tables"
58:adding citations to reliable sources
29:
414:Pistols built by Musgrave include:
409:
24:
883:Gert Sibande District Municipality
745:R A Dynamic Distributors (Pty) Ltd
669:from the original on 28 March 2023
639:from the original on 28 March 2023
477:from the original on 28 March 2023
27:South African firearm manufacturer
25:
894:
842:".308 Winchester Cartridge Guide"
825:
741:".243-303 Wildcat / 6mm Musgrave"
723:South African Bureau of Standards
581:"The SWING SIN71 Rifle Prototype"
768:. 12 August 2011. Archived from
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695:. December 2012. Archived from
45:needs additional citations for
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152:in 1971 and later moved under
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579:Laurie Ingram (Summer 2002).
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253:The Musgrave RSA Target Rifle
215:were also coming to market.
137:is a brand of firearms from
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141:. They are noted for their
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810:"Wildman Summer Fest 2019"
693:South African Bisley Union
596:National Rifle Association
554:South African Bisley Union
518:National Rifle Association
341:"Presidents Model" (Mk II)
166:
467:"The History of Musgrave"
308:Surplus rifle conversions
69:"Musgrave" firearms
689:"Rules and Regulations"
338:"Vrystaat Model" (Mk I)
303:Musgrave hunting rifles
863:Rifles of South Africa
759:"Musgrave .22RF Rifle"
659:"SEMI-AUTO | Musgrave"
878:Economy of Mpumalanga
804:on 29 September 2008.
428:Semi-automatic rifles
161:Ermelo (Gert Sibande)
868:South African brands
663:musgraverifles.co.za
633:musgraverifles.co.za
629:"HUNTING | Musgrave"
203:for rifle shooting.
188:NRA Imperial Meeting
54:improve this article
846:AccurateShooter.com
820:on 21 October 2019.
775:on 21 October 2012
766:Thames Valley Guns
232:Denel Land Systems
154:Denel Land Systems
699:on 7 January 2014
320:Production Rifles
201:Springbok colours
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16:(Redirected from
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550:"SABU History"
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43:This article
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665:. Musgrave.
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635:. Musgrave.
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473:. Musgrave.
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418:Varan PMX-80
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335:"Veld Model"
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139:South Africa
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52:Please help
47:verification
44:
602:1 September
588:NRA Journal
510:NRA Journal
379:.22 Rimfire
177:Lee–Metford
173:Lee–Enfield
143:bolt-action
857:Categories
798:cip-bp.org
673:3 November
643:3 November
531:2 November
446:References
80:newspapers
779:7 January
703:7 January
526:0028-0070
220:Lyttelton
667:Archived
637:Archived
564:12 March
481:28 March
475:Archived
394:Shotguns
367:Mod 2000
352:LP 1000s
135:Musgrave
110:May 2021
514:LXXXIII
208:ARMSCOR
167:History
150:ARMSCOR
94:scholar
524:
520:: 53.
358:Mod 83
355:Mod 80
259:Mauser
247:Ermelo
192:Bisley
96:
89:
82:
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67:
773:(PDF)
762:(PDF)
719:"FAQ"
594:(2).
592:LXXXI
584:(PDF)
516:(1).
506:(PDF)
275:beech
228:Denel
213:Swing
101:JSTOR
87:books
781:2012
705:2014
675:2023
645:2023
604:2022
598:: 24
566:2013
533:2023
522:ISSN
483:2023
440:AR15
179:and
73:news
434:LM4
361:K98
269:).
265:or
240:Z88
190:at
181:P14
56:by
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