If money was no object, what would you want as a custom rifle (as opposed to a factory rifle). what action would you use, what barrel would you use, what wood (or other material) would you use for a stock. who would you have do the work. and what scope would you put on it, if you were going to scope it. and what caliber would it be. (one gun only)

A Martini & Hagn single shot, in 375 or 30-06, concave tapered full rib barrel, integral scope bases, traditional fine English scroll engraving with gold borders, "exhibition" Turkish walnut, etc. Or maybe a full blown Hartmann & Weiss magnum Mauser.

I would build a rifle off of a 1903 Springfield action, not an 03A3. 3 possition safety, hinged floor plate, canjar trigger, Shilen or Krieger barrel with an octagon to round profile, custom Talley rings and bases, Figured English Walnut with some marble cake and ebony forend tip, extensive Victorian Scroll engraving on the action and bottom metal with game scene, checkered 4 pannel bolt handle, jeweled bolt, all metal rust blued, skeleton grip cap, initials engraved on the trigger bow. Chambered for an 06 based cartridge.

Actually this is very close to what I am trying to have built now but without the oct-rnd barrel profiling, and more moderate engraving ... no game scene, and a Dayton trigger.

FLA3006, we think alike. Mine would be a 7X57 on a Martini & Hagn single shot action. Octagonal 24" swamped barrel with no rib, and integral scope bases with Talley rings. A dark piece of quartersawn exhibition-grade english walnut, with end to end heavy fiddleback. Rust blued metal with a case colored action. Perhaps minimal engraving. Put a VX-III 2.5-8X36 with Premier Reticles #4 on board, and make the complete rifle with scope weigh in at 7 pounds. I'd be a happy guy.

If I could have only one custom hunting rifle, regardless of price, it would be one that I already have, and quite honestly, I've never owned a better rifle for any money.

It's a D'Arcy Echols & Company "Legend" in .338 Win. Mag., built on a Model 70 Classic action with all of the Echols metal refinements, Burgess triggerguard and floorplate, Burgess bolt release, Echols scopemounts and magazine system, Echols' own McMillan stock, brown paint, and red Pachmayr pad. Leupold Vari-X III 2.5-8X scope on top. Ammo is handloaded 250 gr. Nosler Partitions at just over 2700 fps. - a load for all purposes.

This rifle would take in the hunting of all of the world's big game except for buffalo, rhino, and elephant, and it's lighter to carry than a .375 H&H, with lighter ammo.

AD

by price is not object I take that to mean you are paying for it. In that case its easy. I want a battleship rifle made out of solid gold. I can accept delivery anytime.

Howard

Not quite.

Anyway, I am going to answer my own question. Ever since I walked into that darn magazine store in 1985 and saw a magazine called GUNS For Hunting on the shelf, that had a photo of a rifle in the upper part of it that said Big Bore Boomers, I have been Obsessed. That magazine turned out to be a great magazine and I still have it. There is a wonderful article in there about the first Custom Gunmakers Guild Raffle Rifle, which was made by Pete Grizel, Duane Weibe and Terry Wallace (It was made on one of Grizels own small ring actions. And another wonderful article by Stuart Williams on customizing a model 21 winchester for Grouse Hunting.

But That Big Bore Boomer turned out to be one of David Miller's creations, and in spite of what he makes now with the newer Model 70 action, If I could have any rifle it would be this:

1909 Argentine Mauser completely blueprinted
Kreiger 25 inch barrel in chrome Moly .338 Win mag. (left round) with quarter rib with standing rear and front with hood He used a 2 position safety back in those days but I would go for one of Jim Wisner's three position safeties today. Blackburn trigger and triggerguard. Red Rubber thin recoil pad, dark quarter sawn walnut with some marble cake figure in the butt, simple rounded checkering pattern, ebony forend tip.Schmidt & Bender 3x9 Scope in David Miller Scope Mount, and that incomparable Miller style bolt handle. Rust blueing, of course.

On a sad note, I could not have engraving by Lynton Mckenzie anymore since he passed away a few years ago (I once owned all three of his engraving instruction tapes) so I would instead have Roger Kehr do some of his magic McKenzie style scrolls on the bottom metal and triggerguard.
bolt handle would have 4 raised panels with checering and one inlaid panel on the bottom with ivory. each of the checkered panels would be surrounded by a thin gold wire.
the action would be tastefully touched up on the corners. one gold ring around the front of the action, a thin and a thick gold ring around the rear of the barrel, and the same in the front of the barrel. French gray on the cocking piece, and the cocking piece end of the firing pin in gold. extrmely small swirl bolt jeweling.

Well, I'm in deep doo doo



A Hartmann & Weiss mauser magnums with all the sweet extras you can think of. One in 416 Rigby





A Hartmann & Weiss double on Purdey system. Game and scroll, case color hardend action. A yellow and black piece of french walnut. Caliber 577 NE



A three barreled Boss SxS sidelock. The only that been made



A mauser 98 from Martin Hagn, actions with single squarebridge. Excibition wood, scroll engraving. claw mount. Caliber 8X68S



/ JOHAN

what a bunch of dumb asses that are worthless. There is nothing finer than a Dakota 76, they are the finest custom in every respect, do I have to start the Cut & Paste to prove my point

I would pay a professional machinist to create me an action with all the best features of the 98 Mauser, Winchester 70, Ruger 77 and MRC M1999. The safety would be the old Ruger tang type but with a new feature that blocked the striker and disengaged the trigger. The extractor would be a plunger type but one that did not activate until the bolt was fully rearward. I would want a 60 degree bolt lift like the MKV Weatherby. The stock would be laminated english walnut with great mineral streaking and fiddle the entire length. The shape would be similar to the Merlin from Serengeti. Sights would be Brockmans new "Hex" system. Scope would be Leupold 4x and the rifle would chamber the 375 H&H.

If money is no object then I assume I wouldn't be working, either. In that case I would buy the machines, pay for the time to learn and make my own. After all, I'm making it for me, not the approval of others; right?



By that comment I meant that it would probably look pretty crappy but like my butt-ugly dogs, I love'm all the same.

money was no object to PURCHASE the gun, not make it.

and I disagree, for not matter how private one is, there is, in the world of guns, a sense of comaraderie (sp) between people, and I think that people own guns not only to shoot and enjoy theirselves, but also to talk about and in a sense share with others.

Ok here goes, its one I am working on right now.

Mauser G33/40 action
Trigger by either Timmny or Blackburn
Bottom metal left as it with a push button release no hinge.
Trigger guard shaped both for and aft and slimmed.
Custom barrel in 23 inch length.
Barrel will be � round � octagon.
Caliber is 7X57
2 position safety. I like the larger shroud as opposed to the three position.
Fully blue printed and checked for absolute perfect function.
Custom bases to fit Talley rings.
Turkish walnut stock with lots of fiddle back, traditional style with nice but not fancy checkering. Ebony fore end tip, skeleton grip cap. Leather covered recoil pad.
Some engraving, Kudu or Mule deer on the bottom metal.
Perhaps a color case hardened safety shroud and rings.
Leopold 2.5X8 scope

The barrel contour could change, might end up with a round barrel, and could possibly end up with Blackburn bottom metal.

Barrett light 50 with lots of ammo. After that a fine double shotgun with really nice wood in 20gan

SwampHA (Jimmyd) Is your Dakota dream rifle a fold out photograph picture in a gold picture frame mounted on the ceiling above your bed?

with a birdseye maple stock too right?

Fred Wells< !--color--> made mauser with mannlicher-schoenauer magazine sized exactly to the .375 H&H and Classic Barrel< !--color--> (cut rifle) with all integeral quarter rib(1 standing, 3 folding), recoil lug, barrel band sling swivel, barrel band front sight, a Swarovski 6 power in QD Talleys(bases integeral to reciever), in a classic stock of English walnut, extravagantly checkered. And while I am dreaming it is might aswell be fully engraved by Reachel Wells< !--color--> .

That would about do it for me.

Kristofer

If money were no object I would have delivered a new Mauser action to John Ricks for my 404 Jeffery project.

A new Mauser action for a classic rifle! What a wonderful combination that would have been. Would have even been better than a Dakota!

HUH!!!!!!

OK, mine would start out with a pre 64 action, fully re-worked by one of several smith's and then fitted with 26" Kreiger Octagon barrel and fitted with the most exotic XXX wood that customstox could find. The bottom metal would probably be Blackburn, with the trigger guard thinned and stretched,Timney trigger. Either Warne or Tally bases and ringsQD's.Then off it would go to Scrollcutter, to engrave the butt plate,grip cap action and three gold bands on the barrel and the rings and bases. It would then be topped of with a Leupold 3.5-14 LPS scope. The caliber, 264 Win Mag

Lets see here.....

I would start with a nice pre-war Model 70 action. Take it to Jim Dubell and have him install(read as make) a 1/2 round 1/2 octagon barrel with an integral quarter rib and front ramp. 3 express sites, 2 folding 1 standing. It would be chambered in .404 Jeffrey.
New bottom metal from Blackburn.
Custom bases by Jim for Talley QD rings, new 3 position safety.

Then I would buy the most drop dead gorgeous piece of Turkish or English I could find and stock it with the usual stuff. Skeleton grip cap, ebony forend tip, inlet sling studs, leather recoil pad (maybe in a nice deep maroon color).

Checker at 26 lpi with fluer de leis and ribbons.

Then off to Roger Kehr to "hit the corners" with some nice English scroll and gold wire inlay. And of course some incredible looking animal on the floor plate.

Rust blue the whole mess and then stare at for about 3 years...before I hunt with it. lol

Blue, you are going to have to moonlight a bit to help pay for this.

A double square bridge Brevex Mauser action with drop-box triggerguard and a winchester 70 type catch on the hinged floorplate. The bridges will be machined for Talley detachable rings. The octagon barrel will be turned from a Lilja blank and feature a quarter rib, swivel eye, and front ramp all milled from the blank in one piece. The quarter rib will have three folding leafs and the front ramp will feature a nice round detachable hood. The stock will be made from a nice quarter sawn blank of Bastogne Walnut with fiddleback the entire length on both sides. It will be from a pattern of mine that borrows heavily from the Europeon Classic style. It will have a BLACK, I detest red, decelerator pad and a trapdoor gripcap with and extra bead for the front ramp stored in it. It will also have an ebony forend tip. A simple point pattern checkering style with good coverage will be about 22 lines per inch, more for function than looks. Two quick release scope ring sets will hold something akin to a straight 2.5 power and a 2-8 variable scope respectively. They will probably be Schmidt & Bender scopes. This whole outfit will be housed in a custom carring case that is as airline proof as possible.

That should pretty well do it. Oh wait, the caliber is........375 H&H. This is my opinion of about as good of an all world caliber as there is. I might add this whole thing will be built by Dennis Olson from Plains, Montana.

Blue, when can I expect the check for all this?

Screw you all! I will stick with my NEF Handi Rifle in 30-30 and a Leupold Vari X-III 4.5x14-50

A Holland and Holland double in .470 Nitro.

alvinmack, is that out of the "custom shop"

a fully engraved, exhibition grade English walnut Searcy double rifle in .375 flanged. It, of course, has an extra set of barrels in 12 Ga.

I build this one about every other night just after my prayers. Mine would involve travel, I would like to place the order face to face. So I would start in D'Arcy Echols place of business, with my favorite hunting coat. Then both he and I would make a trip to mess up Gene Simillion's wood pile. On top of this I would also have this rifle fitted with a Legend stock so it could go anywhere I chose without worry. Like Allen's this would be a 338 Win. and scoped with a 2 x 8 Leu. but only because I already have a wonderful 300 Win. (Simillion metal work in a Legend stock) I'd have to have Burgess's iron and a new bolt handle on this Mdl. 70 Classic action. Basicly an Echols Legend dressed in formal attire.

Many Thanks

HBH

Sorry if this doesn't qualify as a custom rifle, but I would choose a 1920's vintage double by H&H in 500/465 Nitro. It would have tasteful, but not necessarily full coverage, scroll engraving, and the usual features (trap gripcap, flip-up ivory front bead, etc.). I wouldn't care too much whether it was a sidelock or a boxlock, as I want it to use, not just to look at. Unfortunately I will probably never be able to afford one as long as I continue to hunt in Africa, and it would be a shame if I got one and never got to use it for what it was intended for.

Jim

As it happens, money is no object since I essentially have none! To me, rifles I want are rifles which shoot well and are fun to use because of it. While there is really nothing being made that makes me lie awake at nights, there are some rifles I would like to have and to shoot.
I'd like to have one of the Wm.Billinghurst muzzleloading hunting and target rifles with accoutrements.
I'd like to have one of A.O. Niedner's sporters built on an 03 Springfield.
I'd like to have an Officer's Model 1873 Springfield.
I once saw a nice 7x57 sporter stocked by John Hearn. I wouldn't mind haveing that.
I'd kind of like to have my best BR rifle back (I built it on a Wichita Mini action)! Regards, Bill.

I would like a full-house, custom made Mauser action by Wells, four plus one mag. box, integrals for Talleys, old Brno style pop-up peep in rear, banded ramp with Euro-style front blade and ivory nightsight in front, Blackburn trigger. The stock to be a Serengeti laminate with even quater-sawn, hard English with straight, lined grain, cal .338 Win Mag. to shoot Nosler Gold Moly Free 250s at 2700+ fps. A simple, flawless 24 lpi, point checkering pattern and my initials engraved into the floorplate in Gothic script.

I would scope this with a pair of Leupie 1.75x6, matte, HDs in the new VXIII., these in Talley rings.

I would like this made by Tom Burgess and Jerry Fisher, or, D'Arcy Echols Co. or Stephen Heilman and Duane Weibe, in fact, I would like one of each!

I'd want the equipment to build my own. I'd like to make a short action out of titanium with any one of the better barrels, #2 or so fluted. I'd put it in the lightest stock I could find and chamber it for 270/308 improved. That would be the first then I'd build a....... and then a...... maybe follwoed by a ......... and so on.

I tried that tack and it didn't work. So, Blue; mine would be an original Daniel Frasier side lever falling block (solid frame) re-built to Best Gun standards but no gold or silver inlay. English walnut with fish scale grain, horn forearm tip and trigger guard. Heel and toe plates; checkered in between. Caliber 500/416 3-1/4". It is in fact, under construction now except the action is new made here in Houston, not an original and I won't be able to afford the stock blanks I would like to have.

I've had lust in my heart since the first day I saw this. MY DREAM RIFLE
I don't dare inquire about the price as I'm sure it would cost me a divorce

The only thing I would have done different is the scope mounts, but the one's on it are very nice.

Terry

"A part of the wonder of life is the ability to dream, hope, and aspire to things that are not, at present, within the realm of possibility. Whether it be a mansion, a Rolls Royce, a horse farm, or a very fine custom rifle, dreaming of someday is a wonderful aspect of life"

My Dream Rifle is actually a pair. .270 Win & .338 Win Mag. Since money is not an object for this thread I'll have a pair of wood stocked Classics done up by Mr Echols on M70 classic actions, of pre SC vintage. Leupold VXIII 2.5 x 8 on both.