Did you know?
In the early 1970’s P.O. Ackley became involved with a company in Salt Lake City known as EMDEKO International.
The company worked a deal with P.O., bought out his barrel business and hired Ackley to overseen the production of barrels for EMDEKO. Under the P.O. Ackley Inc. name EMDEKO produced over 5000 hunting rifles. Calibers were mostly 25-06, 270, and 30-06 although others were made.
The details of these rifles are not very inspiring. They were made on Interarms Mark X actions. Barrels were Ackley five groove button rifled made in the EMDEKO facility. None of these guns had iron sights. Scopes and scope mounts were an optional item. The wood was good straight grain plain walnut, reportedly from Bishop, in a Monte Carlo style. Finished with a gloss finish, a plastic grip cap and a recoil pad, and no contrasting forend tip.Quality wise, these are decent hunting rifles much like a standard Interarms Mark X rifle. The only thing extra they had to offer was the Ackley name and barrel.
Research is vital to the telling of interesting history. Fred Zeglin has spent almost four years researching this book on P.O. Ackley. A surprising amount of previously unreported information has come to light, such as the short report you found here. Ackley’s generation is quickly slipping away, Fred says that many of the people he interviewed at the beginning of his research have since passed away. The efforts to preserve this important information about America’s most prolific wildcatter came just in time.
The finished book will be the go-to source for information on P.O. Ackley, his work, his cartridges, and his career. This is the story of a gunsmith who came along at just the right time in history. He was inquisitive, driven, and creative. Consequently, his legacy in many ways is the legacy of todays shooter. You will want to read this book just to see how Ackley lives on in your gun cabinet. He affected the production of modern cartridges and firearms for many years to come, who else could you say that about?
Book has recently been published,
“P.O. Ackley, America’s Gunsmith”
Web resource for P.O. Ackley: https://ackleyimproved.com
GunsmithTalk 
Trying to acquire a copy of Fred Zeglin’s book Wildcat Cartridges. Help! Help! Can’t find one. Also; looking at purchasing a used rifle,a pre 64 winchester custom with a barrel marked in the chamber area on the left side just above the stock P.O.Ackley & underneath the name 30.338. The owner is unable to verify it’s a PO Ackley. Is this the way he marked his barrels. If so, I’ll assume it may be one of his customs.
Z-Hat.com carries Fred’s book, it will be back in stock in June of 2011. Until then your best bet would be to check ebay or amazon.
The guns I have seen from Ackley were marked simply P.O. Ackley using a one piece stamp. Unless a person has the letters and/or invoices associated with the work done on the rifle there is no way to be 100% certain that a gun was made by Ackley. The value of such guns at present seems to be strictly the value of the gun for what it is, meaning no special value seems to follow an Ackley gun. I suspect that this is for two reasons, first, young shooters have no idea who Ackley was. Second, Ackley guns tended to be very plain and utilitarian. Those who do value them usually comment on the quality of the barrel.
Hope that helps.
Ihave a rifle chambered in .338-06. The barrel is stamped”P.O. Ackley”. The barrel was a replacement for another maker. The Barrel was aquired in the Roseburg,Or. area. I just wonder if this is a “real” Ackley barrel or not.
Lance,
Most likely your barrel is made by Ackley. There would be no real profit in faking an Ackley barrel. In fact, last I checked there was no collectors organization for P.O. Ackley goods.
The barrel seems to be a 1:10 twist,and has 4 lands and grooves.
Thanks for the reply.
Just a note which may, or may not be of interest. I knew a gunsmith, name of Jim Argus Day who said he worked for P. O. after being discharged from the Marine Corps shortly after WW II. He said that P. O. assigned him the project of cutting down the barrels of both a 30-06, and a 22 caliber rifle.
Said he cut them off one quarter inch at a time and tested the velocity at each interval of 1/4 inch. Jim said the results were that there was no drop in velocity of the 30-06 until he reached the barrel length of 21 inches. The 22 caliber did not drop off until getting down to 19 inches barrel length. So, it would appear that the length of a barrel in excess of the minimum, is designed more for sighting radius than to attain maximum velocity. I have no proof of these claims, just the word of an old Gunnery Sargent turned gunsmith and now long gone from the scene. Jim said He served an apprenticeship with P. O.Ackley somewhere in Utah. I forget the name of the town, and if anyone knows the name I would appreciate if you would pass it on.
P.O. Ackley lived in Holiday UT, which is part of Salt Lake City today. Thanks for your input. I will check this against my list. I think Jim Day was on the list of people I have identified as working with Ackley but could not locate any details on. Maybe we could chat and see what you remember about Jim?
I have a Rifle That Is Chambered In 25-06 Ackley Improved . It Is Not a Ackley Barrel though. It Is a ” E.A. Nickerson Barrel”. Do You Know Of This Barrel Maker or If He Supplied Barrels To Ackley?
Ackley was a barrel maker, so he may have used other barrels if the client sent them in or requested, Otherwise, he would have used his own barrels.
Did you ever find information on the E. A. Nickerson barrel? I have a Winchester Model 71 barreled with E. A. Nickerson marked 450.
Perhaps I misread your question the first time around. I have never heard of Nickerson, it is more likely that he was the gunsmith who installed the barrel, than that Ackley used his barrel…
I just bought a Winchester Model 70 from 1948 30-06
It has a custom laminated walnut/maple stock said to have been made by Andy Easton who was said to be PO Ackleys partner? ON this rifle is a custom engraved Redfield 3D9 accu-range scope. It was said to have been shipped to Germany by Andy for the engraving? Do you know who they might have been using in 1968? This was when the work was said to me done in Salt Lake.
O ya whats the value?
Thanks
Jim
I won’t be much help with Easton. Andy bought out P.O. Ackley Inc. in 1951 from Ackleys financial partner in Trinidad, CO. He had a contract to work for Easton’s Store in Salt Lake for a year. Even before the year was up Ackley was setting up his own shop and getting ready to go back on his own. Ackley was not prone to talking about people he did not like, however he made an exception for Andy Easton. He clearly did not like the way Easton did business and by the end of that first year all of the men Ackley brought from Trinidad had been fired.
My research into Easton stops shortly after the first year (1952), as Ackley was no longer part of the company.
Ok thanks
I have Charles Atkins’ No2 Accurate Rifle, a 6.5mm Rem Mag Model 600 that was customized left handed and has a P.O.Ackley barrel on it. The barrel has a slight taper from the receiver to the muzzle, an anti-whip technique about two decades ahead of its time. The rifle is light, but solid, with the only down side being the plastic trigger guard and floor plate on the otherwise custom stock.
If anyone has the copy of The Accurate Rifle where Atkins’ rifles appearerd (this was #2), please, let me know, I’d at least like a photocopy of the article, it can be mailed to me at caligula@pbth.com
Thanks.
Steve
I have 1909 Siamese Mauser converted by P.O. Ackley to 45-70 reportly in the late 60’s -early seventies. It is engraved P.O. Ackley 45-70. It has a beautiful wood grain stock that I am trying to identify. It also has a Timney Safety trigger. And a Tasco Scope . If anybody has any idea of the value of this. I can send pictures. Send your email address to topangabob69@hotmail.com Thanks Robert
Robert,
Sounds like your gun was barreled by Ackley. However, it would not be an Emdeko rifle as it would be marked as such. Also all Emdeko guns were made on a commercial Mauser actions.
P.O. Ackley did not do stock work. If the stock were done in his shop it would have been done by an employee or a subcontractor. As for value, impossible to say without seeing the gun. There is no premium placed on Ackley guns that I know of, people have little sense of history. So, the value is that of a working bolt action.
Siamese Mausers if well converted make a great 45-70 bolt gun. Feeding is the biggest question, if it feeds smoothly then you have a winner. Hope that helps.
It feeds very smoothly. And has averysmooth trigger pull. Do you think if I sent you some pics you could tell me what kind of wood the stock is made from? Robert
Hi,
I have a Parker Ackley question. I just purchased at auction a winchester Model 70 .243 (1940) rifle with a P O Ackley stamp on it. Being an optimist I will figure it is genuine. does any one know if Ackley kept records of his work to create a history on this rifle? Thank you. It has been very interesting learning about Ackley. Thank all of you for writing about him.
John
Ackley did stamp his barrels with his name. Most people today do not realize that his main business was barrel making. The date of the rifle manufacture will only give you a max age. There is no way to know when Ackley barreled it unless there is a date stamped under the wood line on the barrel. If the stamp reads P.O. Ackley it is likely that the barrel was installed after 1952. P.O. passed away in 1989.
It is my understanding that much or Mr. Ackley’s records were destroyed long ago. I have a line on two possible batches that may survive but it’s not at all likely that any individual gun could be tracked. I have been trying to access these records for nearly five years, so, please don’t ask specifics because they may never become available.
Hi, Thank you very much. Great historic information!
I met P.O. Ackley in about 1985 or 1986. My father and I went buy his house in Salt Lake City hoping to meet the man. His daughter happened to be leaving when we arrived and led us back to his shop. He was changing the cutting oil on an old lathe he still had. Could not have met a nicer man. He took a few hours of his time to talk to two strangers like he had known us his whole life.
He told us that he was working on a new book. I don’t know if his daughter is still living but she seemed to know about it. I don’t recall what he said it was about. I was only 14 at the time and was in more than a little awe.
In 1990, while attenting Trinidad State Junior Collage, I had a chance to spend much time with Ackley’s reamer maker. His name was Paul Meyer and he had operrated Raton Gun Shop. He was another of the nicest men I will ever have the chance to meet. Took the time over several months to teach a 19 year old kid how he ground reamers. I don’t know if he ground Ackley’s reamers when he was in Salt Lake, but he said he did his work when Ackley had his shop in Trinidad.
I am looking forward to reading the new book and the chance to learn more about a great man.
I need a copy of the most recent book on P.O. Ackley, the book that seems to perhaps still waiting to be printed…? Please advise on when it will be available, how to obtain a copy, and the cost. Thanks very much.
Thanks for your inquiry about the upcoming P.O. Ackley book. I am putting the finishing touches on it now. It still has to go to the publisher for editing etc. so it will be next year sometime before it is available I am sure. No idea as of yet on price. Again thanks for your interest.
I have heard that P.O. Ackley’s daughter has a store/Ackley gun collection in Utah, is this information correct?
I have an Ackley .357 magnum rifle I purchased in 1951.
Thanks, Charles Stangel,
I recently purchased a original Rem. rolling block in .243 cal. The barell is marked PO Ackley. The former owner tells me that his fatrher sent the action to Ackley for assembly. It weighs 16 pounds and is a joy to shoot. I also knew a Glen Brooks in Las Vegas in the 1960’s who said he had been employed by Ackley in Utah. comments please. Gary Jones
Congrats on your purchase, sounds like fun. I only have one reference to Glen Brooks in my research. I believe he was with P.O. in Trinidad, CO as well. I would be interested if you have any details about him. I am down to the final details on the book and will be done with it soon.
My father left me a 250 – 3000 rifle. I remember how excited he was when he got it back from P.O. Ackley. (It used to be a 22-250) I’m now having hard times, and will need to sell this gun. The problem is, it doesn’t seem to be marked by Mr. Ackley anywhere. However, the stock is a custom, because it covers up the original 22-250 caliber mark. Does anyone know if Mr. Ackley kept records by serial number of the guns he modified? Or can anyone offer any advice on other ways to identify it? Also, what is the name of the book that Fred Zeglin is writing that is supposed to come out this year?
Any help will be greatly appreciated
Most likely your Father’s gun was rebored to the larger caliber. Ackley only marked barrels that he made, so a rebore would not be marked. Ackley guns do not carry a premium price in general, however if you could round up a letter or receipt that referenced the gun and work that would make it more interesting to collectors. The majority of Ackley’s records were hauled to the dump many years ago, as with most companies the value of the history takes years to surface, there was no real value to the records when they were destroyed. Still trying to get the book done and published this year, very close to completion.
Thank you for the reply, I guess I’m out of luck then… I have the loading die box that has Ackley’s name on it, but the die’s are not marked either. Dad was not much into keeping records, so finding anything like that would be improbable. I am looking forward to the book, good luck!
I have a sporterized 03A3 Springfield (Remington manufacture) that belonged to my father. He bought the barreled action from someone in the mid-60’s, who claimed that the work was done by P.O. Ackley. The barrel appears to be a turned down and polished, 2-groove rifling military barrel, shortened on the chamber end to allow the use of .308 Winchester. The rifle bolt has been polished and the bolt handle modifed to allow for scope usage. The receiver has also been drilled and tapped for scope mounts.
There are no marking on the barrel that I can find, not even a caliber marking.
My question is, does this sound like work that would have happened at P.O. Ackley’s shop? If so, would it have been common for a rifle like this to have no markings on the barrel?
I have pictures of the modifications if it would help.
Thank you!
It certainly could be. However, there is no way to know. When Ackley installed a new barrel he stamped it with P.O. Ackley. Even so there is not way to know if they marked every barrel. In short, there is no way to know who did the work, unless you have a receipt or letter from Ackley that refers to the gun.
I have a 91 Mauser that Ackley put a o3 barrel on in .308 and also turned down the bolt handle and drilled the action for a scope. He was in Holiday at the time and I lived in SLC at the time. I carved the stock from a piece of walnut I found at a local lumber yard. All that was around 1962 or 1963.
Nice, sounds like you have had many years with a gun you love. Thanks for sharing.
Where can I go or who can I call to get info on my Ackley rifle?
There is no resource on the internet that I know of that would help.
Like most small businesses history is not a concern while your busy making a living. Consequently there is not a data base or list anywhere that details guns.
My book on P.O. Ackley is at the publishers and will be out in a few months. It has far more information on the various endeavors that Ackley participated in than just this small blog post. Even so, there is not exhaustive list of guns or features available anywhere.
I researched for nearly 10 years so if it were available I would have probably found it. I do think that the information I gathered is interesting to anybody who has and interest in Ackley, wildcats, reloading or guns in general. P.O. Ackley left a lasting mark on the gun industry.
I see. So really there’s no way to appraise my rifle :/. Is it possible to even contact the company to have another new Ackley rifle made?
P.O. Ackley died in 1989. There is no Ackley company today. EMDEKO went out of business long before that.
Your rifle is worth what a rifle is worth, i.e. you can take it to a gun shop and ask them to evaluate if for insurance value. Generally, Ackley guns do not have any special value attached. If you have documentation (letters or receipts) from P.O. to the client then that adds interest and possibly some value. Of course if you have documentation that the rifle belonged to someone famous that adds value.
Most people who are interested in Ackley guns are aware of the history and like that added bit of history attached to their rifle.
Hello, What can you tell me about a Gunmaker named Bob (RG) West, Eugene Or. >?
Thanks;
Lawrence
Bob West became friends with P.O. Ackley and worked with him for a short period. He was a founding member of the American Custom Gunmakers Guild. I have a little more information on Bob in the book on P.O. Ackley. The book is at the publishers and I expect it will be out in Jan or Feb of 2017.
Signed copies of “P.O. Ackley, America’s Gunsmith” are available at this link.
https://4drentals.com/product/p-o-ackley-americas-gunsmith
I have a gun that says it is a Easton rifle co salt lake city it is called a perfection does any one know if it was mad by Andy
Easton
P.O. Ackley Inc. of Trinidad, CO sold to Easton in 1951. P.O. moved to Salt Lake City with the company and worked there for less than a year. He and Andy Easton mixed like oil and water. From the research for my book I would feel confident in saying that Andy never personally built a gun, he had staff building guns. Hope that helps. There is a lot of detail on such things in the book, P.O. Ackley, America’s Gunsmith
I would also suggest you visit http://www.ackleyimproved.com for more info.