Hi all, here's a rifle I just finished for myself. It started out with a slightly bubba'd 1908 Brazil action, Roger Vardy walnut and an Aussie made MAB barrel. As you can see I utilised the original bottom metal,it would have been a shame to waste it. The wood was tough but checkered like a dream at 24 LPI and was easy to finish with tiny pores. Weighs 7.5 lb with 2.5-8x36 as low as you can go. Thanks to my father for the studio shots,he did them outside on a bright,cloudy day. Enjoy.
Posts: 644 | Location: Australia | Registered: 01 February 2013
Beautiful stock. Beautiful rifle. Exemplary craftsmanship. Congratulations. My only even remotely non-positive comment would be that rifles stocked in this period styling generally had open sites. Other than that, it doesn't get any better than this... Dave wesbrook
Posts: 437 | Location: wisconsin | Registered: 20 June 2013
"Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid" -- Ronald Reagan
"Ignorance of The People gives strength to totalitarians."
Want to make just about anything work better? Keep the government as far away from it as possible, then step back and behold the wonderment and goodness.
Very nice. Neat work on the floorplate. Open sights are cool looking, but on a modern built 7 x 57 ? Not needed in my opinion. I like the svelt look of the sightless barrel. Looks similar to a 09 in 257R an AR member smith built for me. The next one, a Mex in 7x57, will also be done this way.
Originally posted by gasgunner: I see a front sight, quarter rib, and two barrels in the rust blue pictures. Do we get to see pictures of that rifle, or is this a switch barrel?
GREAT work by the way.
John
I was wondering if we'd see about that other barrel too.
Metal it's a spectacular rifle to say the least! Thanks for the photos from start to finish.
"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy."
Posts: 776 | Location: Minnesota | Registered: 05 September 2006
Good lesson on wood here. I would have never considered that blank based to the perceived flow through the wrist on the off side. Finished it looks great. Lesson-don't buy a blank without seeing all six sides and do have a pattern cutout to get a basic idea of the finished product. Looks great.
Posts: 1197 | Location: Wyoming | Registered: 04 April 2009
On the plains of hesitation lie the bleached bones of ten thousand, who on the dawn of victory lay down their weary heads resting, and there resting, died.
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch... Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son! - Rudyard Kipling
When I see something like this I cannot help but be a little irritated. Irritated with the man upstairs. He passes out this much talent to one person and then short changes me since I cannot even mount scope bases without messing something up. It just ain't fair.
The parts in the cabinet show what can go wrong sometimes. For some reason the humidity went through the roof so I pulled them early and boiled them off, no harm done. Summer weather over here is erratic to say the least so you have to watch the rust like a hawk. 70 deg F & 70% humidity is were it's at for me but if you get a 105 deg. day it gets out of whack somewhat. The other parts in the cabinet belong to another rifle that I was just bluing, they are not my work.
Posts: 644 | Location: Australia | Registered: 01 February 2013
I hear ya Mike but most gunsmiths aren't so talented at merger agreements and SEC filings. Fortunately, you can afford good help when it comes to guns.
______________________________ "Truth is the daughter of time." Francis Bacon
Posts: 5053 | Location: Muletown | Registered: 07 September 2001
The wood looks darker in the finished product than the original blank. Did you do something to make it darker, or is it just a difference in the light in the photos.
Use enough gun... Shoot 'till it's dead, especially if it bites.
Gun Control - A theory espoused by some monumentally stupid people; who claim to believe, against all logic and common sense, that a violent predator who ignores the laws prohibiting them from robbing, raping, kidnapping, torturing and killing their fellow human beings will obey a law telling them that they cannot own a gun.
Posts: 992 | Location: Spokane, WA | Registered: 19 July 2005
That is a very nice rifle, and the stock is outstanding..
The question of Iron sights came up on this thread? Well I'm a hunter primarily, and a rifle without iron sights is like driving in a 10,000 acre pasture in Nevada, and having a flat tire and no spare, when you need them, they are awfully handy. A barrel band front sight, barrel band swivel and a petite island rear or Talley peep would be very English and in line with such a nice piece. But, its anybodys choice one way or the other.
This proves a point I've stated many times on these forums. The quality produced by todays gunsmiths easily equals and in some cases such as this surpass the smiths of jolly old England. If you can find any fault that is not esthetic in nature that applies to this work please tell me what it is. On another thread the participants all wax eloquent about the quality of work by a well known Gunsmith and more or less state he has no peer. This workmanship seems to me to be equally as good. Of course all I can comment on are pictures as I have had neither gun in hand. This shows what is to me the epitomy of a gunsmith,one who does it all,the metal work (with custom parts),the wood work and the checkering ,both metal and wood. And above all the polish and bluing. I personally happen to be greatly impressed with the stock shape which is what I always tried to reach but never quite got there. I think it's the pistol grip,it's very open and I could never seem to get one to that point. To me that is the most comfortable and impressive feel about a rifle, how the grip feels. Lest you think I have no complaints against it I actually have one BIG one. I have owned,built,and used rifles for over 60 years and I have owned only one rifle with no iron sights that I can remember. In all those years I have commissioned two rifle to be built to my specifications and one a 7x57 and the other a 257 Roberts both have iron sights which are built to be used but with my eyesight never will be and this was known when they were built. I have just always believed a rifle was not complete with no irons sights. While irons would improve the LOOKS of this rifle to me it would not change the quality of the workmanship in the least. Were I financially able to afford it I would have him build me a copy of it tomorrow knowing fully I would never be able to use it as my hunting days are over. I have never had this feeling about ANY other rifle I have seen on these forums except a few by Duane Wiebe.
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Posts: 2786 | Location: Green Valley,Az | Registered: 04 January 2005
There is nothing I can add regarding the design and execution. However, the pictorial history is also way above average. It tells the story well, and helps one understand just how difficult it is to create a custom rifle that is a balanced work of art. (Don't ask me how I so painfully know that.)
Posts: 2827 | Location: Seattle, in the other Washington | Registered: 26 April 2006
On the iron sights issue I'm hearing you and I appreciate your opinions, they are all valid. Trouble is I like irons but my eyes don't, so for the hunting I do a scope mounted LOW and solid is what suits. Also I would like to thank everyone for their kind feedback, I'm chuffed. Dave Wesbrook, your stockmaking book got me started on the right track many years ago, cheers. Same goes to SDH for Custom Rifles in B&W. Also to Duane Wiebe and every other custom maker whose ideas I've stolen over the years, you helped build it.
Posts: 644 | Location: Australia | Registered: 01 February 2013
Metal, What a gracious post that speaks volumes about you the man. While many may have helped you, it was your hands, your eyes, your heart and your visions that made this work possible. If I was teaching a course I would give you an A+++ ...Dave Wesbrook
Posts: 437 | Location: wisconsin | Registered: 20 June 2013
