A while back I picked up a really trashed No. 1a in 30-06 with plans to rebarrel and refinish (still intended). I've been working on the stock intermittently. Renner's stock shapes were one inspiration, but I didn't want to lower the comb too much because I need a scope. Instead, I wanted to raise the toe to grip line and add the crease behind the pistol grip in a British style. Also, I moved the point of the comb further back and increased the break angle slightly to create a sleeker look and open the grip. I used a very small amount of the reddish antique stain from Brownells. I'm a complete amateur and the crease is surprisingly tricky. I'm sure that's no surprise to the experienced stock people here. I've used recommended sealers and finish - permalin sealer, many coats of spar varnish. Finally getting the hang of applying the finish properly after buffing off some previous efforts. Several coats yet to go, I think. I'll have to get someone to checker it as I'm hopeless there. That will be a British pattern with the rear bottom point of the checkering tucked into the crease where it joins the toe line. I think I probably should have shortened the pistol grip just slightly. Next time. Here's a couple of pics. Suggestions welcome of course, as well as recommendations for someone to do the checkering.

Nicely done and an improvement from the Ruger profile. Be sure the checkerer understands that you want the back line to follow the full depth of the crease and find a photo showing how you would like the back line to meet the bottom line. It could be essentially a right angle or the two could meet as a fraction of a circle. In the future: adding comb fluting as an inch long very crisp crease almost parallel with the top line of the comb is very British and very attractive to my eye. It is also difficult to achieve matching side to side. This photo of a custom Dakota 10 I built years ago show everything but the comb fluting. It also shows the back of the grip almost flush with the toe line.

Thanks very much for the suggestions. I understand what you’re saying about the checkering, and providing a Picture would be essential.

This is a photo of my hunting rifle a Ruger #3 action converted to sidelever. The grip area as you described with checkering down the crease ending with a quarter circle and the comb fluting I mention, nearly parallel to the comb short and crisp. This comb nose is nearly a knife sharp edge. This is a completely custom stock I built in the 1990's and pictured in my Custom Rifles in Black & White book.

SDH,
That is a beautiful gun. The side lever modification is particularly interesting. If you happen to have a picture of the lever I'd love to see it. These things fascinate me. The comb almost looks like it has a slight upward curve before turning downward. Thanks very much for posting.

Jeffrey, that looks a pretty special piece of wood you are working on!

The finish is looking very good to me. As for the shape, I am not experienced enough to tell just by looking, and would have to feel it.

I'm starting to really like the idea of a side-lever, but my concern would be how much drops out the bottom when the action is open. Not sure if the Ruger action can be converted in such a way that it still looks svelte when the action is open?

A close-up of the action and lever, and my favorite pictures of the rifle ~~ in Namibia, 2005.

That is so very nice wood in the first picture.

Side lever is interesting.

Very nice work on the re-finsh.

SDH that side lever might be the best treatment of a #1 that I've seen. Truly magnificent!!

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
That is so very nice wood in the first picture.

That’s why I bought the gun! The stock finish was totally trashed, you could barely see some of it. In other places it was totally worn off. But there were no cracks, and I could see the word was very good under there somewhere. I didn’t know how good until I started to refinish it. The external finish on the middle was also trashed, but the internals are clean. Going to have Roger Penrod re-barrel it to something interesting.

I agree with regions, the side lever modification on the number three is magnificent. Really elevates it to a whole ‘nother level. If you care to describe what you did with the scope mounts on that gun, I’d be very interested in hearing about that too. I see that the rear scope mount is actually positioned over the receiver, unlike the factory set up.

I'm often surprised at just how high quality the wood is on some Rugers.

Yes Jeff, you lucked out in the fancy wood dept~

As far as the scope mounts on my rifle, modern scopes are so short and have such limited eye relief, placing the rear mount on top of the receiver will allow proper eye relief. These are custom bases built for that heavy barrel and the action with the front bevel welded up. You can see that the scope couldn't be mounted that far back with Ruger's base/ring location. The scope bases are also case hardened to prevent wear, and low to see the iron barrel sights when it is removed.

The sidelever is a complete custom rifle with many less than obvious modifications. You have been thinking about scope mounting and were sharp to see this different location!

SDH, I noticed the scope mounts right away. And the small rib all the way down the barrel on one of the pictured guns, and unusual front sight. It's all beautiful work and very drool worthy. I love Ruger single shots and have tinkered with them for years. The scope mounting position has always been a conundrum. My solution has been extension rings or the longest scopes I could get - sometimes an older Leupold, or a current 3.5x10 VX model. They can work. I'm aware of the picitiny (sp?) thing that goes over the factory rib, but they are really ugly and just destroy the whole vintage nature of the rifle. Over time and classes at the U of YouTube, I've learned to disassemble/reassemble them and replace parts, such as the trigger (with Moyers or Jard). This rifle needed a new firing pin and firing pin return spring. It already had the old-style trigger with sear engagement adjustment, unlike later rifles. So I was imagining how the side lever would work with the linkage that raises and lowers the breech block. The artistry that some gunmakers have shown with these is just great stuff, such as your work you've shown here.

Jeff, You are absolutely correct about scope mounting on Ruger single shots. The older, longer scopes with greater eye relief is the best answer. I never liked extension rings but understand why. A scope with the wrong eye relief just sucks.
The sidelever conversion of my #3 was done by a fellow named John Madole who died more that 15 years ago. John was something of a genius metalsmith and accomplished several different versions of Ruger single shots three of which are presented in my book Custom Rifles in Black & White.
Two different underlevers and my sidelever. John made three sidelever barreled action; one in .22 Hornet, my .30-40 and one in .45-70. I've seen pics of all three rifle and bought my barreled action about 1994.
Over the years different folks have said they were going to duplicate this conversion but I've never seen one. In fact, the only Ruger factory parts in my action are the action body and the breech block. Everything else is new and designed to work smoothly and positively. The barrel is 28", heavy weight with Rigby flats on the sides and top of the breech. here is a full length view. There are close up pics on the barreled action in my book that is available from me in the summertime.

A true one-of-a-kind rifle. Irreplaceable. The internals must be very cleverly designed indeed. I think I misinterpreted the Rigby flats as a low rib looking at the pictures on my phone.

Where can I get a copy of your book?

quote:

Originally posted by JeffreyPhD:
Where can I get a copy of your book?

I want one too!

I'll be selling Custom Rifles in Black & white again in May, 2023.

That nice to know Steve, your book is one of the few that gets re looked at often.

If you have a list to buy the book, I would like to be on it.

Phil, thanks, I call it a "cult classic"~~

Jeff, If I don't get in touch with you by May, please ring my bell~~

Unidentified fan~~

SAMPLE PAGES:
Stephen Heilmann-James Tucker, M-52 Win.

SDH, Marlin

Bruce Russell, .257 Mauser

Nice work on the stock Jeffrey. It's going to be a sweet one.
Steve's book is a must-have for every custom gun lover. I'm continually going to mine to see how a Gunmaker did this or that little detail. It's dog-eared and smudged so I might need to get a new one also.

Thanks Wayne, you know where you can find another copy~~~

fI think everyone who has bought the kool Aide on high combed rifles should at least try shooting a low combed rifle with a scope, its really no big deal, and makes a rifle that works with both irons and scope, it won't work whereas a high comb savage's your pink little cheek!!

quote:

Originally posted by SDH:
Phil, thanks, I call it a "cult classic"~~

Jeff, If I don't get in touch with you by May, please ring my bell~~

Unidentified fan~~

Nice Pic Steve!

I am currently patiently waiting for one of Tuckers fine stocks on a Winchester 52 barreled action I sent him. Have long admired his work. Never seem to see his work on the second hand market. My guess is that those that have it don't want to let go of it.

Thanks for all you have done to shine light on the custom gun trade over the years with your books and articles.

John

Hey John,
That young man might bear some resemblance?

Congrats on the James Tucker project.
You might have James send it to me, on the way to you. I'll shoot dynamite photos and do a story for SA. It will only be a couple of days delay and you will have forever memories and documentation.
Just a suggestion, you know how to contact me...

I would love Custom Rifles in Color. I know...I am being greedy.

Yes, me two. Custom Rifles in Color is already written. In the form of my collected stories from Sports Afield columns. All I need is a willing publisher and about $20,000 to get started~~
I've mapped out the title page, Contents and all of the photos are on this computer. Great photos of great guns, explanations of Custom gunmaking, some restoration, stock wood and much more. The best book on custom rifles never written. Let me know if you're a backer?
Story explaining Forends:

Rust bluing

Checkering

Custom Lever Guns

Penrod/Tucker Custom Mauser

ONLY A SAMPLE~~~

I guess the editing is pretty much taken care of. Need to format it into a book. Does not seem insurmountable. A very worthwhile project.

Easy for you to say~~

I have read every one of your stories in the magazine. I sure hope you can get it in to a book. It will be a real classic.

Thanks Larry and bghntr.
I have enjoyed researching and writing all of the Sports Afield columns. (I am about to start another about a Very custom Savage 99.) I've gotten to handle and 'raccoon' a bunch of extraordinary hunting rifles I might not have otherwise seen. I'm about to turn 72, am pretty much retired from gunmaking and teaching and simply don't have the drive and enthusiasm to take on a self-publishing project as big as this one.
I would be very willing to work with a publisher but gun topics are not selling very well these days and there is not much outside interest that I can establish.
I too think it worthwhile and could be the best and most complete book on the subject but have no idea how to proceed and neither publisher of my other two books is still in business.

Thanks for the encouraging words~~~ Give my name to your local book publisher.
Marlin M-94 For Sale

I wonder if Headstamp Publishing would be interested?

Never heard of Headstamp Pub? Please send PM with info...

Well, I certainly can understand why the hesitation/ reluctance. I have more projects than time, especially with teenage twins. But the project sounds like so much fun to me. I guess ignorance is bliss! As I really have no idea how much time and effort will be needed. Still, I am going to make some calls and do some research.

Thanks Pete, I'll check out Headstamp Pub. They do publish many military firearms books.

bghntr after 40 years of writing, self publishing, photography and a life saturated in gun stuff I have some other ideas of fun I'd like to pursuit. I'm sure open to hearing about any well funded and experienced entity genuinely interested in seeing, "a very worthwhile project" come to fruition. Let me know... In the meantime I'll keep writing and illustrating the column if you all will keep reading it.

Nice-looking rifles, SDH, and the short fore-ends work as a tribute to the London tradition, esp. where a sling swivel on the barrel is needed.

However, I'm not sure about the general application of it and to the golden ratio.

I think the British use of the short fore-end was somehow analogous with the splinter fore-end on their double guns, and perhaps an effort to bring balance back a bit. The irony is that gentlemen are not supposed to hang on to their guns at the wood but ahead of it, even if hot barrels mean they have to wear gloves or use a leather thong around them.

That will not work with magazine rifles even if the barrels don't get so hot - yet some of us like to hold farther out.

I can understand the golden ratio as it applies to painting dimensions, shell shapes etc but am not sure it works here. The length of fore-end you adopt would seem to begin near the trigger, which to me seems too far from the barrel and in the wrong direction to fit that concept.

Maybe if the metalwork length included the receiver, I could come come on board