Manufactured without sights and with medium weight octagon barrel with standard markings, caliber marking of "338 378 KT" on the barrel, but has been re-chambered to .378 Weatherby, factory drilled and tapped receiver with scope bases, jewelled bolt and follower, and checkered round knob bolt handle. Fancy checkered pistol grip French walnut stock with ebony forend cap, checkered blue steel grip cap, raised cheekpiece, and solid rubber recoil pad. According to the consignor, this rifle was once owned by famed pulp magazine artist Graves Gladney, a native of St. Louis, Missouri. Gladney painted 70 covers for the popular pulp magazine "The Shadow" from 1939 to 1941, was a professor of fine art at Washington University in St. Louis, avid sport shooter, and was the son of the founder of the 7-UP soft drink company. Gladney's service during WWII is as storied as the publications he painted for, enlisting in 1942 and serving first as a gunnery instructor at Fort Sam Houston before being transferred to the 82nd Airborne where he was deployed in both the D-Day landing and Operation Market Garden via combat glider, and eventually as a First Lieutenant, leading his combat division into Berlin in 1945. Graves' exploits in WWII were also an inspiration for the fictional character, Max Collins, in the popular 2nd Amendment novel "Unintended Consequences" written by Graves nephew, John Ross. Lot comes with written documentation by the consignor regarding the military service and family history of Graves Gladney. From the John Ross collection, author of the bestselling novel "Unintended Consequences".

Excellent overall. 99% original matte blue finish remains with some light handling marks and mild cycling marks on the bolt. The stock has sharp checkering and some small scattered dings. Mechanically excellent.