I just took delivery of a beautiful pre WWI Sauer M98 sporter. Metalwork is gorgeous, half octagon, half round barrel, engraving on barrel and front receiver ring. The stock has a chip, missing the toe. Small chip on schnabel forend. Anybody know of a gunsmith who does good work repairing stocks. It's clear it will need a graft of new wood to replace the chip. Thanks for your help. Bob

Bob-
This sounds like a very nice rifle that needs a quality repair job. I would send it to Duane Wiebe in Placerville, CA (530) 344-1357. He's not local (I'm in Houston too) but he's a master gunbuilder who will not make it worse. Duane has built several full custom rifles for me as well as fixing others I have had built elsewhere - he's as good as they come.

Wiebe can certainly fix it but I'd bet it will take awhile, and thats a very simple repair, I'd try Jim Brockman, Jack Belk, and expect a short turn around...If you can't get one then send it to me after Xmas and I'll fix it for you right away, since I'm not building rifles anymore, I have time to twiddle....hopefully you can get them to do it.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

For you two guys in Houston in particular.
You just had a dandy woodsmith move to Galveston (Jamaica Beach).
He moved from Irving, TX after all these years. His name is Wm. C. (Sonny)
McMillian and he is plenty good.
You can reach him at 409 737 9186.
Tell him Mims gave you the number.
He has built several rifles for the Dallas Safari Club to auction off as their convention rifle. Nice man and nice work.
We gun nuts up here are lost without him.

Thanks a bunch, guys. Mims, is your smith good at metal work as well? I know from posts that Jack Belk certainly is. This rifle is incredibly trim and light, has a classic stock without the usual European drop. I would have prefered 7x57 rather than 8x57, but I can cope. I'll slug the bore to make sure it's a .323. If it all works out, I'm planning to make this my classy, classic working rifle. Thanks again. Bob

BobC,
You have a dandy rifle, I have the exact rifle in a 9.3x62 and a 10.75 that is being converted to a 404 Jefferys....

A US custom gun builder or barrel maker would charge you Lord knows how much money to build one to the exact same specs....

A full length rib barrel, with sights, half oct/half round, barrel swivel, rust blue engraved, all entregal, today would challenge a new 4 wheeler in price, or a damn good roping horse.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Mims-
Your friend Sonny moved to a natural rust blue tank - hot and salty

All I know is I am unhappy he moved.
No, Sonny is not a metal man. Just a wood man.
I liked the part about the salt blue.