Stunning.

Paz

Like Ks I find the barrel gap distracting from the over all build quality. You are a true craftsman and artist. The barrel gap makes it look unfinished. I have a over and under tika that has a plastic midrib that fills the gap but still allows for regulation adj (just one work around). I really have enjoyed watching this build and can't wait to see the action finished and showing the grain of the metal.
Thank you for allowing us to watch,best of luck
on this and projects to come.


JD

Mr.Bailey Bradshaw:
i would just like to say, that is a awsone piece of work. thumbs up.

I must say, if this were put into book form, I would buy two copies of it even if it cost $100.00. This is the best example of what you can do and I am floored by your abilities! It is beautiful! Put it into book form please. Michael

Mr Bradshaw May disagree and this is by no means trying to diminish ones ability
But it's not the ability that impresses me it's the drive and determination that i respect the most. Starting a project is nothing seeing it through to the end is the accomplishment
Spend a few months on any project and see if it doesn't make you want to quit.

BB....What's the latest???

JW

I went to Wyoming for a week, and have landed the knive's of the year for Sporting Classics magazine, of which 40 are due in 3 weeks....I also lost my camera either in the field in Wyo, or it is in West Texas at my buddies. Either way...no pics until I get another.

I do have the finish on the stock, and have been assembling the hammers, sears and triggers. I will be working on the ejectors next.

KCScott,

Thanks for pointing out the determination factor. It plays a huge roll and the lack of it is why so many projects go unfinished. I have several, but these rifles are just addictive. I just can't stop working most of the time.

Thanks for the update.

You'll be busy with that SC deal. One of my buddies had it a few years back and was covered up.

Won't leave much time for fun stuff, but is steady $$....Congrats on the deal!

JW

Mr Bradshaw
It's my pleasure to give credit where it is due.
I too have seen many projects come and go unfinished. It's the true craftsman that sees it through to the end.
It is quite easy to become overwhelmed with a project. Biting off a little more then one can chew doesn't help either. A full understanding of what's involved is in order before one should attempt anything of this level

OK, Here is an update....Please forgive the drop in quality of the pics. I am using an older camera until my good one shows up.

This is a shot of the bottom of the shoe lump/barrels. I've been fitting the ejectors and retainers. The ejector system I am using is similar to what would typicaly be on an O/U. Your basic coil spring ejector set up.



I've also been making and fitting the lock parts. I try to make mechanisms as simple as possible, which means as few parts as I can whittle down to. One way I accomplish this is to make the sear springs integral to the sear itself. The sear/spring also bears against the triggers making them return to rest after being pulled. The hammers will be driven by coil springs and are rebounding.







And at this point, the stock gets a coat of oil every day, mixed with a little rottenstone. I never do keep count of the coats, just keep going until it looks right. I would guess I have a dozen or so coats now...

Now you said this rifle is for a customer.
Would you mind posting an aproximate retail price Or is this a case of "If you have to ask you can't afford it"?
I completely understand if you don't want to disclose the price

KC,

I am making every effort to keep these rifles affordable. My base price is $5000. This rifle has several upgrades and is half again more. I have a price list and options page on my website... www.bradshawcutlery.citymax.com

That's extremely reasonable considering the amount of work involved

Beautiful!

I somehow feel very touched and emotional to see those calloused and grimy hands holding the beautiful hunks of metal.You,sir, are a truly gifted artist.All the very best with your ventures.

Best-
Locksley,R

Like a nice set of wall-street (woman's)hands would make it look better
That is a true sign of a craftsman.
Either that or he's not pay his manicurist enough

What's a manicurist??

My Dad had the roughest hands I have seen. He was a Farrier and Blacksmith. I wouldn't let him handle my knives once they were finished because his fingers would scratch them. As a kid, I always wanted hands like that.

I was told that you know you're a machinist (or insert job ) when you wash your hands BEFORE you use the bathroom
Farriers and blacksmiths qualify quite easily

You know it's bad though when you go out to eat and the waitress tells you the plate is hot and you grab it anyway to find it's luke warm

Hello Bailey.

I am Charlie, - Magnolia Texas.

Let me put my first post on your incredable build, and say thank you for taking the time to document what you do for the rest of us.

I am impressed, inspired, and very appreciative of you.

Your tenacity, skill, and dedication puts you in the top, less than 1% of the worlds craftsmen.

We are fortunate to have you share yourself and what you do with the rest of us.

Sneaking in more work here and there. My Sporting Classics knives are keeping me plenty busy.

I have the ejectors working smoothly, and have been working on the trigger group. First pic is of the raw bar I will make the main spring stops from, along with the trigger group.



Here, with the stops drilled and installed with the hammers at rest, and next with the hammers cocked. I actually need to remake one ofthe hammers as the left hammer sits a few degrees forward of the right hammer. The right hammer is is perfect, and the only way to make them match is to remove more material from the sear notch to let it move forward to the left hammers position. That would be a bone headed thing to do, so I will make a new hammer...





Here we have the stops rough ground so the trigger group will fit into the action.



Next step is to install the cocking feet and cocking rods so the action will....cock of course. After that, it will be time to chamber it and get her regulated.

We are not worthy of your awesomeness.


I shoot a .22lr mainly to kill gophers. A .22 DR would be nice, first shot to anchor the beast, second to finish it off.

Wonderful craftsmanship. Thank you for showing us your work.

OK, I've been working like a fool on knives for Sporting Classics magazine. When time permits, I sneak in an hour or two on this one. I have the action cocking and ejectors working.



I had to make a new set of hammers, and during programing, I mirrored the drawing not realizing I would need to make new spring struts to fit the new hammers. They needed a little tweaking anyway, so a new set was machined with improvements.



Since the action is damascus, so the stock furniture will be as well. Here is the grip cap...



and a quick etch on the action reveals a little of the damascus pattern....



I have the skeleton butt plate ready to install and will get a couple of shots when I am able to do that. The action needs a little tuning, firing pins and then it is time to chamber it.

Man that is gong to be a beauty when you get her done, Bailey!

whats the latest on this project.

I've run about 30 rounds through it getting everything to work properly. I should be able to start regulating next week.

There are no sights, but just sighting down the rib, the barrels seem to be shooting pretty close. Hopefully regulating will be easy for this one.

Sorry for the lack of pictures, but there isn't much to photograph when the only work is a file stroke here and there.

As you can see this is my first post on this forum. Ended up here from the Doublegun site after following a link to the Hornet project.

Over the last few weeks I kept finding myself comming back to see how it was progressing. Even added a link to my favorites for it.

As someone who can not even file the head off a nail cleanly watching a highly skilled craftsman such as displayed here create from near on nothing something such as has been produced is just amazing.

Welcome to the Board.

Yes, Bailey is clearly a true craftsman. He's making a double in .22 k-Hornet for me and I've just asked him to add one of his serious damascus hunting knives to go with it.

Best for the New Year,
Tim

quote:

Originally posted by Bailey Bradshaw:
I've run about 30 rounds through it getting everything to work properly. I should be able to start regulating next week.

There are no sights, but just sighting down the rib, the barrels seem to be shooting pretty close. Hopefully regulating will be easy for this one.

Sorry for the lack of pictures, but there isn't much to photograph when the only work is a file stroke here and there.

This is an outstanding thread! I followed a link from a longrange shooting sight that I frequent to this thread, which is ultimately what led me to join the sight. There are many eyes watching your progress, even more than are members here.....not to creap you out or anything!

One question, since you are making this with a Damascus reciever and chambering in a hornet I got to wondering "why not a big bore?". I know just about nothing about damascus, would it be insufficient to use with a heavy recoiling big bore?

Big day today. Got her shooting without a hitch, and it was so close to being regulated, I went ahead and made two small adjestments, and she is shooting "barrel spread" at 25 yds. I didn't have the sights installed, so I left it there as a good place to start sighting in a final regulation.

So, now for pictures. First is the damascus skeleton butt plate.....and my feet :-)



Next is the action just before heat treating. The action is forged from 1075 and L-6 tool steel. These will get VERY hard, and that isn't what I am after, so I austenitize at 1400. This is just hot enough to harden, but not full hardness. In order to eliminate scale, the action is coated in anti-scaling compound from Brownells. It works nice, but sure is ugly...



and after the quench



The compound is removed by boiling in water. The action is then polished, areas not to be acid etched are coated with laquer, and the action is imersed in ferric chloride to etch the damascus.



the results are hard to photograph, but easily visable in person. Sorry for the fuzzy picture..

Moving into the finishing step, so first up is the top lever. It will have a folding peep sight, so the center is left blank. not too much engraving, just a little touch of scrolls.
Pencil layout


and after cutting



The rifle will have QD scope mounts, so here are the bases installed in the rib, with the lower half of the rings slid in place.



These rings are my own design BTW.

While cutting the dovetails for the bases and sights, I went ahead and machined in my name/location and caliber on the barrel rib.



Last pic for this update is display of balance :-)

Neat stuff Bailey!



Looks like you're having fun with this -- keep up the good work!



Cheers
Tinker

Beautiful, Bailey!

quote:

So, now for pictures. First is the damascus skeleton butt plate.....and my feet :-)

Big shoes to fill.

If I ever become stupid wealthy I will order about ten guns from you.

Matching pairs of 577 NE, 500 NE, 450 NE, 375 Flanged and 7x57. One to hunt with and a matching back up just in case =)

Hmmm...5 pairs....I wish you all the financial sucess you can fathom :-)

I was able to complete regulating today. Fairly painless, and I like the results. I used Remington factory ammo, 45gr hollow point. I used open sights, 50yds. Here is a picture of the final group. ( I pulled the far right shot a little, but not too bad considering it was freakin cold today)



After that, I went into the shop and polished the barrels up and touched up a couple of other areas on the action and forend so I can show it this weekend at the DSC show. The action will get another acid etch just to make it a litte deeper.

Hope you enjoy!!

Congratulation on this exquisite piece of male jewelry! Wish you the very best at the expo & hope you get lots of orders with full deposit!!

Just gorgeous!

Thanks for sharing this journey!

Just wanted to Thank everyone I met at the DSC show. The response to my rifle was overwhelming and I greatly appreciate all the support and encouragement from everyone here. You guys are top shelf.

I will start the blueing process this week, so more updates are on the way.

Thanks again!!

Thank you for bringing this little beauty to the show and for letting me handle her. Very nice work!

Bailey,
My hat is off to you.
That little hornet looks fantastic.
It's quite a rifle.
SS/Timan