This is a project which has been waiting its turn at the smiths for quite a while.

I'm on one side of the globe and the gunsmith is on the other, but M 98 here was able to snap some photos for me (Cheers Daniel!). Thought I'd get them posted.

The gunsmith is Bob de Vries of Melbourne, Australia. It is currently with the stocker, Ross Waghorn, also of Melbourne.

Rifle is chambered for the 7x65R. We might get her finished by mid next year.











cheers,
- stu

lovely work and a great cartridge.

Wow! That's going to be nice.

Terry

Stu,
If the woodwork is as good as the metal work you are going to have a beautiful rifle. Good luck and thanks for sharing.
Michael J

That will be a sweet one!
But seriously, is that the original folding leaf sight?

Awesome work. Love the chamfered rib

Rich

This one is home with me now. I snapped some pics this afternoon.






























Thanks for the comments and thanks for looking.

cheers,
- stu

Sure is a magnificent rifle, that second one. And if the top one gets the same Walnut treatment, it will be awesome!!!

Simply outstanding.

Beautiful Stu! Did you notice that the cheek piece is on the wrong side?
Butch

I really like the wedding band barrel. I started a #1 about a year ago but I'm stuck on what barrel design I want to go with. I know I want it in 6.5x55.
Thanks for posting, may be the kick start I needed!

Did you notice the rear sight is wandering all over the quarter rib? You'd better nail it down.

Very tasteful engraving...

I'll second that Duane. It sure gives me ideas on my Hyper Single falling block that is being stocked at this time I hope.
Butch

Very Very nice rifles Stu.

Wedding band? I thought that was one of those vibration dampeners.

Thanks. I appreciate the comments.

To be clear, this is the same rifle in both sets of pictures. We had a new rib made to fit a shorter tubed scope. It works well now.

It's had less than a box of factory RWS ammo through it. The only time I shot for a group I had 3 shots almost touching at 100 metres. I'll be developing some handloads over the rest of the Summer and any results similar to the RWS factory loads will be eminently agreeable.

The barrel is a half octagon from Badger barrels, with extra profiling by the metal smith, Bob de Vries. It has a Kepplinger single-set trigger. The wood came from Roger Vardy and is his typical hard and dense Australian-grown English walnut. The forearm tip is buffalo horn.

Yes, I did notice the left hand stock and the wandering rear sight!

Here's one more shot of the forearm escutcheon



- stu

Super nice !

What a Good looker almost to purty to take to the field.Good Luck

Hey Stu, did you supply the action or did Bob come up with one? cheers jonno

Its real nice, I like it all but the wedding band at the end of the octogon is the best touch. Fine looking Ruger. DW

quote:

Originally posted by zhaba:
Hey Stu, did you supply the action or did Bob come up with one? cheers jonno

Ross Waghorn had the action, new in-the-white. Said it belonged to a customer who never got around to using it, so it became available. The project took five years from when I paid for the action to picking up the rifle last year. Sometimes frustrating, but the end result was pretty worthwhile.


- stu

My only 'issue' I'd want the screw heads all facing forward.
Cheers...
Con

In a word....Outstanding!!!

Speechless....

Stu,
Wonderful rifle and beautifully done. Only problem is the cheekpiece on the wrong side but if I remember right it being made in the southern hemisphere and toilet water going down the other way, it all makes sense. Hope you and the family are well. Take care.

STU
You miserable sod, you for got to mention that you missed a sambar stag on your first trip with this rifle....
i saw this rifle in real life when stu picked it up , its real magic, the attention to detail is unreal in both metal work and wood
Daniel

classiest #1 I have seen. Very elegant and tasteful work.