Got good news: via Loud n Boomer, Roger is bringing the engraved and blued metal over on Monday next. I'll take some photos of it all together, though still awaiting response from a photographer for the professional touch...remember what the girl with the nosebeeld said? "If it ain't one thing, it's another"

Awesome Duane

I'll be in Arlington and Dallas that week, and in and out of the show!!

More good news: Roger brought the rifle over today..I'll put it together, then off to Gary Bolster for photos...looks great! Roger will be posting photos the next couple days

Well kids, we must have been good this year because Christmas has come early.
Our rifle is FINISHED! I don’t have time tonight to do more than tease you with just a couple of photos – but I have a bunch more to post later.

Many thanks to Roger and Duane for taking time to provide us with photos while I have been on their backs to finish as quickly as possible. Thanks also to Mark Stratton and Tom Burgess for their work on this project. I have a bunch more thanks to post later too.

Enjoy the appetizer…

"Well done" to all involved; including you, Forrest. It's beautiful.

Glen

Again my heart felt sympathy for your loss.
I hope that this rifle may in some way may ease the pain that you have experienced.

Forrest

I want to thank you for your willingness to help a friend. It was your willingness that we have this rifle today.

I would also like to thank the ones that donated money, parts, knives and time in this project.Without every thing this would have not materialized.
I don't want to forget anyone, but I would like to give a special thanks to Duane. It seems that he has done a lot of the work and kept the ball rolling.He has also kept us informed with his wonderful pictures and posts.

Again, great job and beautiful rifle.

Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season to all.

James

Forrest:

I will be out of pocket on and off from now until the new year, but I will be honored to help out in any way to assist.

Please let me know what else I can do.

Paul

Congratulations! Well done, all!

Here are some photos of the completed rifle. These photos were taken by Gary Bolster who is a full-time Sheriff Deputy in Washington and a very, very good firearm photographer. Gary did us a great favor by providing a rush job so that we can get our promotional materials finished in time for the shows. Now I need to round up someone who will do a rush job on the promotional materials.

These are low-resolution photos that Gary emailed to me. I’ll replace them as soon as I get higher resolution files.

I've posted some photos of Mike Williams building the custom Damascus knife that he donated to our project. The photos are in the knife making forum, here:

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5021043/m/540103787

Simply beautiful. I can't wait to see it up close.

Doug

Here's a higher resolution photo for you Doug...

Raffle Ticket Details:

We will sell a maximum of 1000 raffle tickets. The price will be $30 per ticket or you can buy multiples of four tickets for $100 per four tickets.

The GRAND PRIZE will be the Custom Mauser 7X57 Rifle along with the Williams Custom Damascus Knife and a Murray Leather Guncase that is fitted into a Americase Custom Hardcase with a Cordura travel cover. This is all very high quality stuff.

SECOND AND THIRD PRIZES will be Custom Drop Point hunting knives built by Gene Ingram. Gene used wood cut from our rifle blank to make the scales for these knives.

We will have the drawing Sunday morning January 27, 2008 at the ACGG Exhibition in Reno. You don’t have to be there to claim your prize(s).

I really hope like heck that one of our AR members will win the Grand Prize. The only way to assure that of happening is for our group to buy all the tickets before they go on sale to the public at the DSC show on January 9th.

We are printing 1000 numbered raffle tickets for the drawing. You don’t have to attend one of the shows to buy tickets. If you want to buy a ticket, you can send payment along with your contact details to me and I will fill out the stubs for you and then email your ticket numbers to you. If you purchase at least four tickets, I’ll mail your numbered ticket stubs to you. You should make out your checks to the SEARCY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND. Mail your checks to:

Forrest Bruch
4238 Dartmouth
Houston, TX 77005

Please include a note with your screen name, email address, phone number and other contact information. I give you my word that you will be treated fairly.

We’re going to have a BONUS DRAWING for our AR members who purchase tickets. At Judge G’s Saturday evening party at the Comfort Inn, we’ll draw stubs from our AR forum members who purchased tickets and give away some bonus prizes. One prize will be another Ingram Custom Knife exactly like the ones that will be awarded in the main drawing. Other prizes will be subject to whatever items we can get donated in the meantime. If you have something you would like to donate, please post it here or send me a PM with the details. I’d like to sweeten the pot to induce AR members to buy as many of the tickets as possible, as early as possible. IF I DON’T RECEIVE YOUR PAYMENT BEFORE I LEAVE FOR THE DSC SHOW ON JANUARY 10TH, THEN YOUR STUBS WON’T BE INCLUDED IN THE BONUS DRAWINGS. You can always buy your tickets in Dallas if you will be at the show, dinner or AR party and we’ll include the stubs in the drawings. IF YOU BUY TICKETS IN DALLAS, PLEASE TELL US YOU ARE AN AR MEMBER AND PROVIDE YOUR SCREEN NAME BECAUSE WE WON’T BE ASKING.

Like the rest of you, I’m paying off Christmas bills. I just made a quarterly tax payment to Uncle Sam and I mailed my property tax payments today. I’m broke. That won’t stop me from buying the first 12 raffle tickets. This is for a great cause, and I hope we get some favorable press about our efforts but even if we don’t, all or you should be proud of what we are accomplishing. My hat is off to all the AR guys who helped out and especially to all the Craftsmen who worked on our project.

Let me know what I’ve left out and let me know if you have an item you would like to include in our bonus drawing for our AR participants.

Thanks,
Forrest

Forest, The rifle turned out purdy darn slick.

Congratulations, good job with your endeavor.

Thanks, Roger and Duane and others for taking pictures and showing us what you guys do best. Very cool!

I was specialy fascinated with Duanes stock making tutorial.


Rick

Pm sent, may I assume the additional items to be raffled at the DSC are considered "does not have to be present to win"??

FOr what it is worth, I have donated a barrel fitting and chambering job. It can be transferred in case someone can't use it.

Jim

Check in the mail tomorrow

Forrest, Glen, Duane, Roger and all,

Money for 4 tickets already sent.

The rifle and knife look fantastic. A job well done for such a wonderful cause. Wish I could be at the raffle drawing.

Forrest - I’m looking forward to seeing more teaser photos once the New Year’s hangover wears off!

Cheers,
- stu

Silver lining team,
I wanted to give back to this great group of people and the cause that you all have rallied to. I sold another action to help support the "silver lining". A check is in the mail for a dozen tickets. Win a prize or just the gift of giving it's all good. To all who worked on this, thanks for stepping up!

As for the rifle and knives, well all there is to say is wow...VERY nice work! I'm glad that they will be at the ACGG show so I can see them in person.

Happy New Years day everyone

You have $100 on the way from me.
-Don

Wow! I do hope an AR member wins. I'll get my $$$ out on the 2nd!

Terry

thanks for the opportunity buy tickets... i've got $100 headed your way in the mail...

I am in for 3....

Well I certainly would like to purchase some tickets. I'll see you at the booth in Dallas Forrest. Man, what a great endeavor. All of you that contributed have my admiration. jorge

Forrest:

Check is going in the mail tomorrow.

One hundred $ in the mail from me as well!

Forrest, I will take 4. And I will add another $10 and you can send Mike D the fourth one, I owe him anyway. You guys did a great job on this rifle. Duane and Roger really created a masterpiece and the knife is such a wonderful addition.

Thanks Chic. I was worried that Mike was just not that good with math.

We're getting several new donations for the Bonus drawings. I wish there was a simple way of allowing the winners to pick their preferred gift in the order their numbers were drawn. The problem is that not everyone will be at party when the drawing will take place. Any ideas?

Many thanks to all of you who are participating. Please help spread the word to your PM buddies and on the other forums.

Happy New Year!

That is a superb looking rifle and a knife.Congratulations to all involved and all the very best.

-
Locksley,R

Forrest,

You will have my check for 12 tickets by week's end.

Great job to all concerned!

Dang!
Now I'm really wishing I could get the time off to go to the show with Bill and Gunmaker.

I just hate it when work gets in the way of fun.

Check in the mail tomorrow.

Forrest, I'm in for four tickets with a check you should receive soon.

quote:

Originally posted by ForrestB:

We're getting several new donations for the Bonus drawings. I wish there was a simple way of allowing the winners to pick their preferred gift in the order their numbers were drawn. The problem is that not everyone will be at party when the drawing will take place. Any ideas?

As one of those who will not be physically present (but I will be there in spirit!), I suggest that those who are present have first pick, in the order chosen of those who are there. For the absent, let them pick from the remaining bonus prizes, also in the order they were picked, by e-mail perhaps?

quote:

Originally posted by ForrestB:

We're getting several new donations for the Bonus drawings. I wish there was a simple way of allowing the winners to pick their preferred gift in the order their numbers were drawn. The problem is that not everyone will be at party when the drawing will take place. Any ideas?

Forrest,

If the bonus prizes can be known before the drawing, perhaps indicated on this thread, some of the absent raffle ticket holders could let you know their preferences. Would this be feasible?

quote:

Originally posted by 22WRF:
Recently I purchased a brand new Zeiss Conquest 3 x 9 scope. It came with the papers, but the box was wrecked on it. (I still have the box). As noted, its new, and I have never mounted it on a rifle.

This past year I have been blessed. And I really believe in this Searcy Memorial Scholarship project and the good it will do.

So, as an added incentive to AR members to purchase raffle tickets (as if they needed any considering how beautiful the grand prize is), I am going to donate this Zeiss Scope that can only be won by an AR member. How it is won will be at Forrest's discretion.

Gee Kevin, that's a wonderful donation!

I'm going to donate an autographed picture of me as I know this will send the sells through the roof

Terry

Terry

I hope you and everyone else here on AR buys a TON of tickets to try and win it, the other donated prizes, and the Grand Prize as well.

Wouldn't that be great if all of the 1000 tickets sell.

K

sent

Forrest,

I'll get with you at DSC.

In the mail, thanks to all!

What's the chance of some larger, high res pictures....the current one makes a decent wallpaper on my computer, but a bigger one would be great!

ForrestB......

you have a pm, and Thanks for the heads up on the ticket sales!

Good Luck to the rest of you on the AR draw...'cause I'M gonna win the rifle!!

I'll take 4 tickets

LeRoy

I'm very pleased with the rifle...$100.00 on it's way. I've made a point of bringing this project to the attention of frends and relatives,we all do that, it can't hel but be a success