From time to time I have posted some "Work in progress" photos of a project that I have just about wrapped up. So here is the last installment.

I started with this:

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A left handed Mauser (the last I have found at a decent price,) a .35 Douglas barrel, and a semi-semi-inletted stock that was intended for a RH action.

I sent the barrel and action to Mark Skaggs in Oregon, and he chambered it in .35 Whelen. Then I worked on polishing the metal, and inletting it into the stock. Then off it went to Gentry in Montana, for the barrel band, turning the barrel for the banded NEGC front sight, weld on a MacFarland checkered bolt handle, and intall a 3-position safety. Back to me for more stock shaping. Metal goes off to Redneck/Lee for bluing and final installation of the front sight. I also sent the stock to Claude Gatewood for bending, because being an amateur stockmaker, I ended up with RH cast and the stock just didn't feel right.

At this point the gun was looking like this:
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I did the epoxy base coat finish that Sitka Deer/Art taught to me, which required heating the stock up. So I finally found a use for the natural gas faux fireplace in this house.

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I have to admit that I am not very good with this finish method--I probably sanded through the finish at least a half dozen times, and needed to reapply it.

I have been using General Finishes' Arm-R-Seal as my top coat, and it has been quite easy to work with.

So I can't think of much more to do with the project at this point. It uses Warne bases and some old QD Kimber rings I had. With a Leupold Vari-x 3 2.5-8 on board, it weighs 8.5#.

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Take the scope off, and install a Williams peep, and I have a quick pointing old school black timber elk gun.

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Keeping some crisp lines around the floorplate was a goal

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as was figuring out some kind of treatment around the bolt release.

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v703/utah708/P1010181.jpg[/img]

And the wood ended up looking pretty good (although I have some Johnson's paste wax on it, and every fingerprint seems to show in the photos.)

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v703/utah708/PB141744.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v703/utah708/PB141738.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v703/utah708/PB141742.jpg[/img]

I will get the stock checkered at some point, but I want to shoot it 50-100 times first. If the stock is going to crack, I would rather not have more money into it when it does.
Sorry for the quality of the photos. It is snowing hard here today, so getting any natural light is out.