Hembrug 1911 Rifle?

J

JonnyB

New member
I've done a search for "Hembrug" and come up empty. Has anyone heard of this one? My father-in-law has a rifle that he brought back from Korea in 1952. It's been lightly 'sporterized' and re-chambered. When he got it, it was chambered for .257 Roberts, but shot poorly (bore too large; rifling too slow?), so he had it redone. It's currently chambered for, of all things, 6.5 x 53R (Russian?). He uses resized .30-40 Krag brass, and 6.5mm, 140 grain bullets.

Can anyone shed more light on this obscure (to me, anyway) model amd caliber? If it's not too weird of a wildcat, I may buy it from him. Is it worth owning, other than sentimental value?

JB
 
dutch95.jpg


JonnyB, if your rifle is similar to the one pictured above then it started its life as a Nederlands 1895 Dutch Navy carbine made at the Hembrug arsenal in 1911. You can visit http://www.geocities.com/swede94/dutch95.html for a little more information.

The 6.5x53Rmm Mannlicher caliber, an earlier rimmed version of the 6.5x54mm Greek cartridge, was designed to be used in the Dutch Models 1892 & 1895 rifles as well as the Romanian Models 1892 & 1893. This cartridge was dropped by both countries after WWII.

Hope this helps!

Steve Mace
 
Steve,
you're right. Hembrug was an dutch militairy arsenal where they made some guns. It closed at about 1985.

Jos
(from Holland)
 
Thanks for the prompt response!

I can't get to the website, nor can I see the photo. The receiver is stamped "Hembrug 1911" on the left side. The action is exceptionally smooth. This one is (at least now) in carbine configuration; short barrel and buttstock. It's light enought to be quite a handful when fired.

I have a forming die and a resizer -RCBS. I presume brass may be available from the guys that handle the obscure, obsolete stuff (I can't think of the name, but it'll come...). Finding loaded ammo may be too much to expect.

Does this thing have any value as a shooter?

JB
 
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