"The Rifles of Ed Yost"

"The following is a brief record of the several rifles of various design gunsmithed by me during my lifetime in my home workshop." Edward J. Yost 8-15-90

"It was in 1938 I first became acquainted with Dr. W. T. Disch, a dentist in Winneconne, Wis. and William Staege, a lifetime practicing gunsmith of Omro, Wis. (click for info)

These two respected gentlemen allowed me to ride along to the Black Wolf Schuetzen Club southeast of Oshkosh on Sunday afternoons. I spent many happy hours pulling targets at first and then later being allowed to shoot a .22 at 200 yds. offhand. I have many pleasant memories of those early days mingling with the older shooters who were using false muzzle loading 32-40 rifles and watching the .22’s come into popular use.

The years slipped by and I was drafted into the Army ordnance in 1942 serving in Europe until early spring of 1946.

During those war years I managed to save a few dollars and put some of it to good use by purchasing a Staege Ballard .22 Schuetzen rifle from Bill Staege. I still have this rifle and I will shoot it from time to time as long as I can hold it.

During the 40’s, Bill Staege made .22 actions of his own design that were simple and dependable. They were bolt actions somewhat like a 52 Win. My skill as a machinist led me to building two, similar to Bill’s, in my developing home workshop. One action was completed and stamped #1952-4, the time period when made. This first rifle was a gallery rifle using a Win 52 box magazine and clip.

The following years were very busy. I got married, built a home, and raised four children.....

Ed Yost brought back this 22 cal Gustloff-Werke KKW Trainer from WWII.

He later transformed it into an outstanding "Target Rifle" for his son. 1969

.....There was little time for home shop and only a rare occasion to do some shooting. But there was time for dreaming. I always wanted to build my own Schuetzen rifle and so I started to look for a design for that first one. My interest turned to the Lechner / Buchel design mostly because of the striker and its fast lock time. I had a double set trigger that followed me home from WWII that came from a Zimmer-Schuetzen that could be fitted to anything I built."

The Zimmer-Schuetzen trigger assembly that Ed Yost brought back from Germany.

"Having never seen a Lechner, I wanted to find one to look over before starting to build one to be more sure of going that route. Goergen of Minnesota was contacted hoping he may have one in his vast collection. He did not, but advised me to contact other sources who steered me onto Norm Miller of Oshkosh who had one in his collection."

The original Lechner rifle that was once owned by Norm Miller of Oshkosh, Wis. This rifle was built by the Famed stock maker, Leonard Mews of Appleton, Wis. in 1950. Leonard had his friend P.O. Ackley, install the barrel.

"Norm allowed me to look it over and since I couldn’t afford to buy it , I thanked him and announced that I would go home and build one of my own with some design changes."

One of Ed Yost's concept drawings for his Lechner Action.

Ed Yost's detail drawing for machining his Lechner action.

"The lever from an Aydt was used as a pattern to make an investment casting with necessary changes to the design. Also changed to a draw bolt stock and used the double set trigger mentioned earlier, stamped #177."

Original Aydt lever was was copied for Ed's Lechner project.

Investment casting blocks were fabricated by Ed Yost to make the Aydt style lever for his Lechner action.

The Aydt lever rough casting from Ed Yost's mold.

"The receiver was made of 4140 in two halves – mirror image – and welded together around the centerline. It took me almost two years to complete it including rifling the barrel in .30 cal in 14" twist. The project turned out well and I enjoyed shooting it for many years."

Completed Yost / Lechner breechblock. Removable cover plate reveals striker system with set trigger.

The Completed Yost / Lechner rifle in .357-.308 caliber.

"But a shooter never has enough rifles and about 1981 I started thinking about a totally new design. This would not be a copy of anything else like I had done with the Lechner and others before me had done.