Dakota Rifle

[Bill H]

I recently purchased a used bolt action rifle, supposedly a Dakota model 76, although nothing on the rifle identifies the model number.

It is stainless, synthetic stock, with a four digit serial number.

In looking at the Dakota web page, there is nothing about a stainless rifle, and all the stock information seems to be pertaining to fancy wood stocks.

Anybody familiar with these rifles?

[PhillipM]

All I know is they are very expensive and appear to be a carbon copy of a pre-64 Winchester action.

[n64atlas]

Brownells sold the actions for a while. They might still sell them. This could be a gunsmith build on that action.
That is why the synthetic stock. I would hae to look at an old catalog to see if they offered a stainless version.

[PhillipM]

Do we have a ringer?

Dakota Arms 97 "Stainless Hunter" 300 Weatherby Mag

http://hendershots.net/gunRoomDetail.aspx?id=3883

[Bill H]

An update based on a bunch of phone calls:

The action is not stainless, apparently has some kind of finish that leaves the appearance of stainless. Dakota says this serial number comes back as having been sold to brownells in 2001. Dakota does now sell stainless in newer model 97.

Krieger, who supplied the barrel says their records do not go back that far.