We have just shipped a couple of rifles to a husband and wife, both 300 win mags, both with 26" standard magnum contour barrels. One is obviously lefthanded, the wife's, and the other right. Nitrided finish which is all but indestructible and makes the engraving "pop"was chosen. Stainless barrels and ribs were fitted and then ceracoated. Both rifles fitted with Swarovski 1.7-10x42 illuminated scopes.
Its been a while since I posted pictures here and cant seem to load them directly anymore so I've posted a link.

[IMG] http://www.flickr.com/photos/54840448@N07/ [/IMG]

The first 10 pics are the rifles referred to.

Drool

Soroka,
To my eye the nicest looking single shot being made today..

Incredibly Good!!!!!!!! OMG cant afford it, but can we ask how much they were each ?

Fantastic!

People must love these things once they get them... I've not seen any for sale on the used market...

Beautiful rifles!

Beautiful rifles - how though does ceracoted stainless, compare to a really well rust blued Crome Molly barrel. A rifle like one of these I would use, but it would be carried in a slip especially in the rain.

Thanks once again for the appreciation. Most of our rifles use rust blued steel Walther barrels. This client however wanted stainless barrels, ribs and actions. We couldn't supply stainless receivers, (and nor would I even contemplate them given the overall superior end result using a high grade tool steel and then nitriding it. So much harder and abrasion resistant than SS, very corrosion resistant, and looks like a traditional french gray. It is the "no brainer" receiver finish as far as I am concerned.) so he got nitrided ones instead.
The ceracote is a very good way of presenting stainless metal work on a traditional styled rifle. I firmly believe that the traditional old Scottish gunmakers of yesteryear would have used stainless barrels on rifles that would be used in the Scottish highlands, (where is known to rain just a little bit) if they had been available. I think it was Fraser that gold plated internal parts of his single shot to "rust proof" them, surely evidence enough for such thinking. The Walther barrels tend to be more corrosion resistant than normal barrel steels, so either way its not a major consideration, however the SS option does give one added insurance to bore corrosion. Imagine 100 years from now someone finds one of these rifles in a safe and they pull a patch through the bore to see it completely free of pitting and still mirror bright. How many old original Gibbs, Jefferies, Hollands does one see today with mirror bright bores devoid of any pitting? And as soon as someone changes the barrel, to rectify the smokey old corroded tube, it is non original and its value plummets by half. So thinking ahead, the barrel that will last the longest is not a silly choice for those thinking of their inheritors. I personally like SS barrels both aesthetically and practically. But each man has his own way of thinking and the choice is there for whatever will please.
The pricing can be easily found on the website, but a rifle with best wood, such as these, with full coverage engraving, sights, and couple of other extras is around $22,000- 27,000, depending on the engraver, extended top tangs, take down, custom ring options, etc.
We can still provide a rifle that will bring tears of joy to any English single shot fan for around $18,500. For many is too much, for others it is nothing. Most high end English doubles run over 100K....

Soroka - I'm going to be in Australia towards mid year - May spend a couple days in NZ - Would it be possible to tour your facility?

JDA

Sure, We are just about to start building our new workshop, house on our new property 25 mins south of Auckland. We will have some rifles here you can peruse and shoot. You will be welcome. Incidentally we do have a finished rifle or 2 in Arizona presently that were prepared for the SCI show, however we were too late in confirming our booth and so missed out. They are located in Sedona, AZ if that is of interest.
Cheers Glenn

If it means anything, I have handled( but not shot ) Glenn's rifles & they are pure perfection. I n my opinion the originals don't even come close.

quote:

Originally posted by soroka:
Sure, We are just about to start building our new workshop, house on our new property 25 mins south of Auckland. We will have some rifles here you can peruse and shoot. You will be welcome. Incidentally we do have a finished rifle or 2 in Arizona presently that were prepared for the SCI show, however we were too late in confirming our booth and so missed out. They are located in Sedona, AZ if that is of interest.
Cheers Glenn

Glenn,

25 minutes south could be Mangere or Manurewa depending on the traffic.

I'm in Auckland a few times every year, I'd love the chance to see your shop also.

No, We are on top of the Bombays. My truck must be a little faster than yours .
Let me know when you are in town. It is always great to spend time with like minded men...
Cheers Glenn

quote:

Originally posted by soroka:
Sure, We are just about to start building our new workshop, house on our new property 25 mins south of Auckland. We will have some rifles here you can peruse and shoot. You will be welcome. Incidentally we do have a finished rifle or 2 in Arizona presently that were prepared for the SCI show, however we were too late in confirming our booth and so missed out. They are located in Sedona, AZ if that is of interest.
Cheers Glenn

Thank you sir! Do you have pics & Specs for the rifles down in Sedona?

Sure. You can see the rifles on the link above. Scroll down the same page until you come to a row with 3 high end 2 piece blanks and a big red stag. The next 7 rows of pics show the rifles we took to the Russian hunting show. The deep relief engraved rifle with the receiver "in the white" is a 375H&H and is one of the rifles available. It has since been colour cased. The other rifle which has an "in the white receiver" is a 270, which has just had the receiver engraved by Gary Griffiths in the same pattern as the rifle shown directly below the pictures of the rifles we just finished. It is a traditional Gibbs pattern. This receiver still needs either nitriding, or colour casing.
BTW, these pics were taken with a cell phone under fluorescent lighting at the show, which is why the rifles look so dull and green.
If you want more info or pics send me a mail via the link on my web site and I'll send you all you could want to know. They both have very good wood and they are finished.

Fabulous rifles Glenn. Just gorgeous.

Best wishes, Chris

Thanks Chris. I wait patiently to see your Farkie finished by Damien the Great. That too is a fine, fine work of art. Incidently, one of Damien's clients bought a barrelled action from me for a very special commission that will have over $100,000 spent on it. It is then to be donated and exhibited at a US firearms museum. It was an honour to be asked to supply the metalwork for such a project.

Point taken re rain in Scotland - over on the west they measure rainfall in Yard, but on the East coast it's one of the driest parts of the UK.

From the pictures it looks as if the ceracote is amongst indistinguishable from a good rust blue, but must admit I have never seen a coating -dura cote etc, not look just like a coating, rather than part of the metal like a blue.

quote:

Originally posted by soroka:

The first 10 pics are the rifles referred to.

Absolutly beautiful rifle. Thanks for sharing

True Rolls Royce of Single shots !!!and worth Every Cent !!!!

Good God!

Fantastic looking rifles Glenn...........absolutely top shelf!!

Shane

Yippee!

I have had one on order, Glenn called the other day & apparently mine is the
next in line to be finished!

I'm getting a 30-06 takedown, with heavy scroll engraving & nitride finish.
I just picked up a 2.5-10 x 42 Leica ERi scope at SCI auction for it.

Had a hard time picking out the caliber (300 H&H, 300 Win Mag, 270 & 30-06),
ended up going with the cartridge I've used extensively & hasn't let me down?
Should work OK for Mule Deer here in Wyo & a Leopard next year in Zim.

Hope to have pics in the next couple of months?

Jim

Oh my!!! Gorgeous!

Stunning!

i looked at there web site to bad they dont make them in 505,577 or 600 if they did id buy 1 in a heart beat

I love the art and mechanical perfection of these rifles but I would be too nervous to damage them in the field. I can see using them at the range but I would feel better using a field grade version. One of the reasons I like used rifles is that I don't have to worry about adding more character to the rifle. A dinged up truck I can relax in when going off road compared to the cowboy limousines I often see with perfect paint and no dirt. No criticism from this amateur aficionado of lovely rifles like these. Much admiration to all involved in creating such classic beauties. Whoever did the scroll work on these deserves a raise.

quote:

Originally posted by longrangehunter:
i looked at there web site to bad they dont make them in 505,577 or 600 if they did id buy 1 in a heart beat

Ask Bailey Bradshaw. He will fix you up.

quote:

Originally posted by longrangehunter:
i looked at there web site to bad they dont make them in 505,577 or 600 if they did id buy 1 in a heart beat

Im sure Soroka can make you a 500 Nitro Express

ill be calling both bailey bradshaw and soroka to see what there willing to make and we will see what i can add to my collection leaning to the 577 and 600 not shure if they will build guns that big

Glenn,

Your rifles sure a beautiful, I was the gent that drove you to the hotel in Reno in the snow storm...I enjoyed our visit then and look forward to handeling one of these fine rifles in the future.

Ed

Beautiful work.

quote:

Originally posted by longrangehunter:
i looked at there web site to bad they dont make them in 505,577 or 600 if they did id buy 1 in a heart beat

Jongmans in Australia is now making Farquarsons up to 600 Nitro, price is around $10,000.00 ,his email is piedrainbow@hotmail.com
hope that helps you