Mark V Ultra Lightweight.257 We atherby Magnum
provided by a large flange on
the bolt sleeve which shrouds
the cocking piece at the rear of
the bolt assembly. When the
action is cocked, a cocking
indicator bar extends from
under the cocking piece
housing. It is not coloured red
but can be felt with the thumb,
however a red dot cocking
indicator is visible when the
safety button is pushed forward
to ready the rifle in firing mode.
Most unusually, the handle is
made as an integral part of the
one-piece bolt, and its root turns
down into a notch in the
receiver to act as a safety lug.
When the Mark V was
introduced back in 1958 the bolt
body was smooth, it was Sauer
who added eight shallow relief
grooves to reduce friction and
binding as well as improving its
appearance. Early Mark V
production was in California,
but around 1959 J.P Sauer &
Sohn in West Germany began
making Weatherby rifles. Due
to the world economy and
continuing difficulties with
Sauer, in 1971 Mark V
production was moved to Howa
Machinery in Japan. This
relationship also brought the
Vanguard (Howa 1500 rifle) into
the Weatherby stable and due to
the price differential its
popularity flourished to such
an extent that today it's being
chambered for some Weatherby
Magnum calibres, including the
.257. In 1995, however, Mark V
production returned to Maine
temporarily before once again
being shifted, this time to Paso
Robles, California, bringing it
full circle since 1958.
Weatherby fanciers find the
early U.S and German-made
Mark V rifle's more desirable,
but from a practical viewpoint,
each time the manufacturer
was changed, technical
improvements were made to
the design that could onlyW W W.SPORTINGSHOOTER.COM.AU | 55Around 1959 J.P. Sauer and
Sohn in West Germany began
making Weatherby rifles.”
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