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An A-Square - 338 A-Square Mag Cal - An Awesome Story

One of the Forum members asked me to share this story here also.
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Although I always considered A-Square rifles to be "Big Bores" regardless of the caliber, this one is a .338 A-Square Magnum caliber, so I guess its actually a Medium Bore.

The 338 A-Square Magnum is based on a 378 Weatherby Magnum case (460 Wby Mag case) necked down to .338 with a conventional neck and shoulder - with no radius.

I chased this rifle for over 2 months. It was originally listed in the first week of October, on my Birthday. It appeared in my Guns International Search list at a West Coast Cabelas. I called that Gun Library immediately - just "seconds" after I got the email, only to be told that the rifle had been sold the night before, and that it was being shipped to a Mid-West Cabelas store. I could have cried. I really wanted that rifle and it for a Birthday present - from myself, to myself.

And then ..... 2 months later the same rifle appeared again on my Guns International search. It was at the Mid-West Cabelas Store. Amd, once again I called immediately - and said "I want it" - "please ship it to the Cabelas store here in Wisconsin." (that sore is 45 minutes North of where I live) Apparently the guy that had it shipped from the West Coast store, to the Mid-West store, never picked up the rifle, and it was again relisted for sale. So there, it was finally mine. Very seldom in life do you get a second bite at the apple.

Well, a week later I got a call that the rifle had arrived here in Wisconsin. But, wouldn't you know it, on this particular day we were having our first snow storm of the season, a real Blizzard. Instead of a 45 minute drive, it took me 2 hours of white-knuckle driving to get to the Wisconsin Cabelas store. But, I wanted it, so I made the trek.

When I got there, I told them my name and that I had been called and told that my rifle had arrived. While they were getting the rifle from the Gun Vault, I start filling out the 4473 form on their computer. As I finished, they showed up with a box that seemed much too small for a large A-Square rifle with a scope. When I inquired about the scope, the guy says; "there's no scope with this rifle." I replied; "there better be a 3.5-10x Leupold, because that's what the description said." Upon opening the box, not only was there NO scope, but out of the box comes a Weatherby Vanguard in 300 WBY MAG caliber. I explained that this was the "wrong" rifle and gave him the Cabelas "code-number" of the rifle that I ordered from the Mid-West Cabelas store. The guy looks up the number on his computer, and tells me "that" rifle is at a South-East Cabelas store and it was listed as "sale pending".

I can't go into detail about the comments that were exchanged upon hearing that, but you can imagine how displeased I was, especially after the 2 hour Snow Storm drive. Not to mention that I was now facing another 2 hour adventure to get back home, without my rifle. Well, after about 1-1/2 hours of telephone calls between the Wisconsin Store, and the Mid-West Store, and the South-East store, I was finally promised that a mistake had been made and that "MY" rifle would be shipped to Wisconsin the next day. ..... so I left. It actually took me 2-1/2 hours to get home that evening because the Snow Storm had become more severe into the evening.

And, two days later, I find that the rifle was in fact shipped the next day to Wisconsin, via "Next Day Express". I remained uneasy during my 45 minute drive, and only settled down when I finally got the rifle in my hands, exactly 2 months and one week after its original discovery. Its not too often you get an opportunity to buy an absolutely "MINT" A-Square rifle, with a great Scope attached, for a real good price. Even if it takes 2 months and one week to get it. Only a Gun Collector will understand this. And now it turns out to be a Christmas present from myself, to myself.

Some people think that A-Square rifles are not very stylistic. In fact some think they are "Butt Ugly", but I really like them. I now have 3 of them in my collection. And this one has the most awesome Tiger-Stripe Walnut Stock that the pictures below can't begin to show.

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"You never pay too much for something, you only buy it too early."