Well, it took a couple of years to get finished and has been carried across a couple of national borders, but I finally took possession of my first "custom" rifle on New Year's Day. Just borrowed a camera to take some photos. Pity my photography doesn't do the rifle any favours.



A couple of details,

9.3x62

Left-hand Winchester mod. 70 action - with a few extras

The makers are a couple of good Aussie craftsmen, Kudu Services (Bob de Vries) for the metalwork & Ross Waghorn for the stock.

Phil Vinnicombe did the engraving.

































Here are a couple of in progress pics scanned from a year ago











The stock blank on the right









And proof of the pudding...

Stu C,
All I can say is , Damn! That's real Purty!
Congrats, mate!

Beautiful rifle!! And it even has the bolt on the correct side!!!!!!!!!!! I have a lefty M70 being worked over right now, and it is my first custom rifle as well! Hope mine turns out as well as yours.


HUNTR

Thanks Rusty. I seem to remember you're having a left-hand rifle or two being put together at the moment? Please make sure to post pics when they're finished.

-Stu

Ditto Huntr. Please make sure to keep us posted once you've got some pictures.

Thanks,
-Stu

Stu,



It all came out real good.



Is it the way I am seeing the pictures or has the bottom of the receiver and recoil lug been trimmed back and also has the action screw been put into the recoil lug.



Mike

VERY nice, Stu!

What were the logistics of your project?

George

That is a fabulous rifle and I am pleased to see that you are not afraid to take it out in the bush where it can get some action.

George, funny you mention logistics. Talk about long distance planning! 3 trips to Melbourne over two years, many phone calls, faxes and emails to work out details and a two year wait to get it in my hands in Australia. Then it was off to Qld for its maiden hunt before being packed up for the return trip with me to Switzerland. Over two months to deal with Customs, the City and Fed cops here, and I ended up with my permits in time to fetch the rifle from Customs on New Year's day. Quite an adventure for me!

Beautiful, absolutley beautiful. That rifle is to my taste 100%.

VERY nice Stu....good bulls as well.

Stu-

To borrow a line from the Crocodile Hunter (sorry, I just had to). Sheee's a beauty!!!!!!

I love the lines of your stock. I wish I could find someone to duplicate that in a right-handed version.

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!1

Stu:

Beautiful work, and I would love to have the right-handed one. Did you have two rifles made? The one with the first bull is the right-handed one , or else the picture is reversed.

Dave

Great rifle, Stu, but I'll bet draggin' that bull out was a chore....You did have help, didn't you?

:-)


MKane160 aka BigDogMK

Very Beutifull rifle , nice classic stock , good work on the quarter rib and good engravings too
Stu enjoy it

Daniel

I guess I do need glasses. I just relooked at the picture and noticed that the bolt handle is up, which is why I did not see it.

Dave

Yeah, I thought that might be the reason. Would have been nice if Stu had had both a right and a left handed rifle built. I surely would have helped exercise the right-handed one... Must be my time in the Boy-Scouts!
- mike

Exceptional, you can be rightly proud.

Very, very nice Stu. You have good taste.

Jeff

Stu.....I've built a few guns but none prittier.....

The bolt handle is on the wrong side and the cheek piece is too....

You have every right to be very proud of that rifle....may it serve you well.

In praise of the left handed Model 70. Nice looking rifle.

Stu

Very nice!

What type of wood and what grade is that?

I really like seeing a before and after picture from blank to stock. It's hard for me to visualize what a blank will look like when finished....

Mike

Marterius, If that was your best milking cow, you must have been getting some rather strange milk!

That wood is Australian grown, English walnut. Not sure on the grade. I picked it out together with the stockmaker from his pile.

I thought the same thing about the before and after shots when Customstox posted the photos of the One Eyed Jack. Thought it was a good idea so did the same.