The Accurate Reloading Forums
Even more eye candy........
21 March 2007, 04:23
Bill SovernsEven more eye candy........
Just to keep the trend going here........
Merkel 201. Black walnut stock.
21 March 2007, 05:39
ElCaballeroVERY NICE!
Is that similar to the checkering pattern that we have been discussing?
21 March 2007, 05:47
Bike RiderBill,
Nice stick of American Black. By far the best wood I have seen on a Merkel.
21 March 2007, 05:49
257 RockWish I could find a branch like that on one my trees
That is one beautiful shotgun.
21 March 2007, 05:57
Bill SovernsWes,
Yes...but I can add more points if you like.
Corbin,
Its an aftermarket stock by yours truely.
21 March 2007, 05:57
fla3006Beautiful. Love Merkel O/Us.
NRA Life Member, Band of Bubbas Charter Member, PGCA, DRSS.
Shoot & hunt with vintage classics.
21 March 2007, 08:28
D HumbargerWell done Bill.
Doug Humbarger
NRA Life member
Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club 72'73.
Yankee Station
Try to look unimportant. Your enemy might be low on ammo.
21 March 2007, 08:31
308SakoBeautiful, simply beautiful...
Member NRA, SCI- Life #358 28+ years now!
DRSS, double owner-shooter since 1983, O/U .30-06 Browning Continental set.
21 March 2007, 08:39
shootawayI don't like the forearm.Not only does its wood not match with the stock but it has a weird shape.The stock is very nice.
21 March 2007, 09:15
dempseyshootaway, you should grace us with some pics of your firearms. A feathered forearm would look very odd IMO
______________________
Always remember you're
unique, just like everyone else.
21 March 2007, 09:24
400 Nitro Expressquote:
Originally posted by shootaway:
I don't like the forearm.Not only does its wood not match with the stock but it has a weird shape.The stock is very nice.
You're obviously not very familiar with Merkel O/Us
-------------------------------------------------
"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."
21 March 2007, 09:27
Mike_DettorreBill,
That is sweet...and I happen to think the forearm matches quite nicely.
MikeLegistine actu quod scripsi?
Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.
What I have learned on AR, since 2001:
1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken.
2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps.
3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges.
4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down.
5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine.
6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle.
7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions.
8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA.
9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not.
10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact.
11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores.
12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence.
13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances.
21 March 2007, 09:27
daleatkinsJust absolutely beautiful!
21 March 2007, 09:34
Gringo CazadorBill, really nice, pretty wood, good work.
Billy,
High in the shoulder
(we band of bubbas)
21 March 2007, 09:38
Charles_HelmGood-looking work once again!
21 March 2007, 17:20
Jim KobeNice job, and not only that, you are a better photographer than I.
Jim Kobe
10841 Oxborough Ave So
Bloomington MN 55437
952.884.6031
Former Professional member American Custom Gunmakers Guild
21 March 2007, 17:42
ramrod340Bill it looks great to me. Then again everything of yours I've seen looks great.
As usual just my $.02
Paul K
21 March 2007, 18:15
Bill Sovernsquote:
Originally posted by shootaway:
I don't like the forearm.Not only does its wood not match with the stock but it has a weird shape.The stock is very nice.
Not that I really need to comment but the wood for the forend came out of the blank for the buttstock. The exact area is right behind the pistol grip running toward the toe.
21 March 2007, 18:30
ForrestBI have shitaway on ignore and I'd appreciate it if you guys wouldn't quote him in your posts. It's just one of those little things that will allow me to go through life blissfully unaware of his presence in the universe.
gracias
______________________________
"Truth is the daughter of time."
Francis Bacon
Bill,
That stock is absolutely stellar!!
Magnificent work.
Don't even worry one second about the ankle biter. He's just jealous.
21 March 2007, 19:40
gunmakerNice work Bill!
Lot of tedious work in that trigger guard & forearm.
21 March 2007, 19:42
Glen71quote:
Originally posted by ForrestB:
I have shitaway on ignore...
21 March 2007, 19:44
Marc_Stokeldthat is a very, very nice piece of work you havee done
21 March 2007, 20:12
ramrod340quote:
I have shitaway on ignore and I'd appreciate it if you guys wouldn't quote him in your posts. It's just one of those little things that will allow me to go through life blissfully unaware of his presence in the universe.
Thanks Forrest that concept just made my day.
As usual just my $.02
Paul K
21 March 2007, 21:09
577NitroExpressBill:
Great looking work, my friend!
577NitroExpress
Double Rifle Shooters Society
Francotte .470 Nitro Express
If stupidity hurt, a lot of people would be walking around screaming... 21 March 2007, 21:55
triggerguard1Beautiful work.......
I have a real softspot for them there shotguns.
With all that said, since by the resident expert the stock is a real mismatch, I'll make you a deal you can't refuse...
That most certainly qualifies as "Eye Candy".
Williams Machine Works
22 March 2007, 01:10
22WRFReally nice work.
A note on the photography if I may (since I used to do so much of it)
Take a look at a person outside in direct overhead sunlight. You will be able to see dark shadows in their eyes, and under their nose, and under their chin. Too much contrast.
Same way with inanimate objects such as guns.
Two ways to fix it. Either add light (additive principle) or subtract light (subtractive principle)
Easiest of the two is probably subtractive.
For example, in the shot of the shotgun, if another person was standing around not doing anything and held a large piece of cardboard or something else a few feet above the shotgun you would subtract a lot of that harsh light and soften the shadows, making it far easier to discern the quality of the wood, checkering, etc.. Even better yet would have been to hold a piece of cardboard over it, and some sort of white card to the side to bounce a little bit of light back in. Or, you could have used the additive principle and either bounced with a big white card or used your flash to add a stop or two of light.
22 March 2007, 01:27
kaboomI know there are some stockmakers that feel working in black walnut is somehow beneath them. Your work shows that it can be magnificent! Well done
Mr. Soverns:
While I cannot see the details in you photo, that must be one hell of a fine job of checkering. The color and depth of the wood is almost as clear thought the checkering as through the finish. An all together fine piece of work.
Respectfully,
Glenn Fewless
22 March 2007, 02:04
Bill Soverns22wrf,
When I grow another couple hands I'll try that.
kaboom,
That wasnt too bad a stick. I still had a few problems due to all the figure but over all its one of the "good ones" as far as black walnut goes.
Glenn,
The checkering is only 24 lpi. Thanks for the kind words......P.S. wheres my buttplates???
22 March 2007, 02:32
GerryWell.....from a guy who daily observes a boat load of Merkels; not only on the Clay Pigeon ranges and in the field - that's a pretty impressive looking shotgun - especially where I haven't seem similar from Merkel's Custom Shop in wood, checkering & finish.
While I'm personally not much for the White Line Spacer - but that's someone's else's personal preference - still; well executed.
I've got many a Parcour, Skeet or Trap Range and a few selected Driven Bird hunts here where if I unsheathed that baby here in the Fatherland it would draw a crowd in a big hurry.
Nice (sic) looking shotgun IMO.
Cheers,
Number 10
22 March 2007, 04:36
22WRF[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bill Soverns:
22wrf,
When I grow another couple hands I'll try that.
Bill
Before I was fortunate enough to afford the scrims that I used to use that attached to light poles I would use a couple of ladders on each side (obviously out of the picture) and just lay the cardboard on top of them and then get a piece of that white foamcore insulation and stand it up next to anything I could put close by to reflect a bit of light back in.
You don't have to have fancy stuff to make it look fancy.
Or, you can wait until the sun is lower in the sky, or even better yet you can go on the north side of a building so that there is no direct sunlight, but only sky light.
Even beter get a swedish super model dressed in a beermaids outfit to hold the rifle to improve the lighting.
Nice work Bill! Nice picture also!
22 March 2007, 05:00
shootawayI own a over and under shotgun by an italian manufacture.It is not high end and I paid 600 dollars 20 yrs ago,new.The only ones that have ever really impressed me were some from Winchester that a local sporting store used to keep by the window on display.I don't know if Winchester made custom double shotguns but they were beauties.I remember those reddish stocks on some of them.
22 March 2007, 05:27
RogerRquote:
Posted 22 March 2007 01:32 Hide Post
Well.....from a guy who daily observes a boat load of Merkels; not only on the Clay Pigeon ranges and in the field - that's a pretty impressive looking shotgun - especially where I haven't seem similar from Merkel's Custom Shop in wood, checkering & finish.
While I'm personally not much for the White Line Spacer - but that's someone's else's personal preference - still; well executed.
Gerry
Unless my monitor is totally fried, I suspect you are looking at a reflection at the juntion of the stock and buttpad. I don't see a "White line spacer".
Athough I can't see it well, I am willing to bet that this stock does not have a ventilated pad either. It may be leather covered, and a slight bulge where the leather is turned under is reflecting the light. That is just a guess, perhaps Mr Soverns will enlighten us.
Shootaway, I think Winchester did sell an entry level o/u (?model 96) and of course they sold the Miroku (101) for a few years. I don't know of any o/u they made. The 21's ( and even the 24's) were/are solid guns, although now over priced like everything else that is any good.
If you look at guns, you know some are just special, this Merkel is one of those. Outstanding. Some would give their first born to own a gun like that.
Roger
Very nice work Bill.
Terry
--------------------------------------------
Well, other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?
22 March 2007, 06:00
AkshooterVery nice
I have a Merkel o/u that has a nearly idenicle stock except it's old and needs to be replaced.
We need to talk
DRSS
NRA life
AK Master Guide 124
22 March 2007, 07:03
Bill SovernsNo white line spacer. Stock has a leather covered pad.
Akshooter - PM me or give me a call if you want to discuss your project.
maybe something from recycled ice cream pails 
