I just wanted to tell everyone about the pleasurable experience I had dealing with both of these fine gunsmiths recently. About a year ago I acquired a Husqvarna 1640 rifle that had seen it's better day's. The stock had chunks missing out of it and the first 6" of the barrel had no rifling. It was basically shot to death but the action was in good shape and the price was unbeatable.

I contacted Mike McCabe about it and he said "send it on". After the Pac-Nor feather weight barrel arrived I sent it and all the other parts I wanted on the gun. He installed the barrel (.270WIN), a barrel band sling swivel, a 3-position Dakota safety, A half moon rifle shop bolt handle and a set of sights that I was set on have that new more work to install than they were worth. The work is absolutely beautiful. It was done in a timely manner and Mike is a very nice guy. I got to know Mike a few years ago when he worked for a gun magazine and feel like we were already friends before he became a full time gunsmith.

About the time Mike finished the rifle, James Anderson posted a thread about a stock duplicator HE BUILT FROM SCRATCH. Now I don't know the first thing about stock duplicators but you can tell from the pictures this thing was well built and could do what it was designed for. I had a barreled action and a piece of wood. He had a duplicator and needed some jobs for it. With the timing it went together like peanut butter & jelly . I glassed the barreled action in a 21H stock pattern and sent it and the wood in his direction. When he received it I got a call. James was very polite in telling me my pattern making skills needed a little work and he could either send the pattern back or I could send him the barreled action and he would fix it for me. I'm a garage enthusiast and my pride doesn't run too deep when it comes to these things. I sent him the barreled action and the improvements in the stock are obvious. I got the stock last Friday and was off today so I worked on it a little in the garage. It took about 5 hrs to get the barreled action seated in the stock. If you've ever done one of these you know that's fast. The inletting was very close right out of the box and the job went easy. I was very impressed! The outside will need no shaping, just sanding and then the finish.

Anyway, hunting season opened last Saturday and I doubt I'll get much else done to this over the next few months. But, I really wanted to put a plug in for these two vert talented gunsmiths. The work is amazing, the price was reasonable and they are two of the nicest folks you would ever want to meet. I sincerely
hope I get to meet both of them face to face one day.


OK, if you know me you know there will be pix. It's still "in the rough" but I think you can get and idea of the finished product. Here goes

Terry

Terry,

I spent quality time with that stock blank before James turned it. What a fantastic stick. The stock really turned out nice. I would be happy with shed full of wood that looked like that.

It amazes me how close that duplicator comes to the finished product. Pick me out a nice checkering pattern for this stock. You'll be seeing again this Spring.



Terry

Well, I have met James Anderson in person, and he is an extremely knowledgeable gunmaker and a very nice guy to boot. I plan on giving him some of my business as well.

And I have to agree with Mr. Soverns. That stick of wood is absolutely fabulous. But even more than that, I keep wondering where you find all of this fabulous metalwork. Seems like you are always coming up with these nice actions that nobody else can find.

Remind me again, where is the bolt stop on that Husky?

quote:

Originally posted by 22WRF:
Well, I have met James Anderson in person, and he is an extremely knowledgeable gunmaker and a very nice guy to boot. I plan on giving him some of my business as well.

And I have to agree with Mr. Soverns. That stick of wood is absolutely fabulous. But even more than that, I keep wondering where you find all of this fabulous metalwork. Seems like you are always coming up with these nice actions that nobody else can find.

Remind me again, where is the bolt stop on that Husky?

Connections my man, connections.

HA! actually I bought it off a guy on the 24hr classifieds. After I sold the stock I had $250 in the action before the work started. The Husky 1640 isn't a "rare bird" by any means. It's very mauser even though it isn't one and makes for a very light weight controlled feed rifle. If you decide to do one I would suggest you find one with the steel trigger guard.

Terry

Terry

If I get one I think it might be one with a trigger as well.

Where do you get your blanks?

22WRF, how are you going build a light weight right rifle if you go adding extra's like triggers!

ElCaballero, I bought this one at Hunterbid.com a few years ago. They seem like nice folks, but since I bought this one I've delt with Luxus walnut and like them much better. I bought a blank from luxus and had to return it because it just wasn't big enough. I'm kind of particular about wood. Adam sent me some pictures of a replacment blanks, but I really couldn't get excited about them. I was going through Cincinnati one day and Adam (over at luxus) loaded up his pickup truck full of stock blanks and meet me in a parking lot across town. It was a funny sight to see. A semi truck, his pickup and parking lot full of walnut blanks! Last time I talked to Adam he said he was sitting on 6000 turkish blanks! I bet if you explain exactly what you want to him he can find it. He went the extra mile for me and will get all my Turkish business in the future. He also give AR members a 15% discount.

Terry

Terry
Looks like you didn't waste much time getting after the project. What a great piece of wood to work on. Metalwork is pretty good as well. Should make a great rifle when all is done. Thanks again for your business.

quote:

Remind me again, where is the bolt stop on that Husky?

Oh yea, I forgot that one. There is a hole in the left side of the action for an ugly sheet metal plunger looking thing that releases the the bolt. I made the pattern to cover the hole and will cut the plunger off. To remove the bolt you'll simply put your finger in the action and push the the ejector down and the bolt will release. Pretty neat trick I learned from a Swedish member here on AR.

Terry

I have not met Gunmaker, but they don't come much nicer that Mike McCabe; he's a heck of a good guy. That has been my experience for the last five years.

TEX21

Did you mean to say "they don't come much nicer than Mike McCabe"? I would think that is what you meant to say if you have been dealing with him for five years.


Terry

Seems to me somewhere, but I can't remember where, I saw a photo of a real neat looking bolt stop replacement for a Husky that was custom made by a guy by the name of Herman Waldron. Maybe somebody else saw the same thing and can point it out.

Yeah...I did. Mike is a good friend; I'd never say anything negative about him. I have gone back and edited my post. Sorry 'bout that.

-Jason

Gunmaker is doing some work on a couple M70's for me and my Dad. I am looking forward to having a rifle Jim has worked over. From what I have seen of his work there are none better.

I cant say enough great stuff about Mike McCabe. His work is outstanding and he is a heck of a person. I consider myself lucky to not only having him do some great work for me but aslo to call him a friend.

Hope my 2 sticks from HB look that nice, and i know how the 2 pc. from Luxus already looks as work is in progress. Nice rifle...I like it!