Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats I'm depressed, need photos of fancy wood and custom work

Real wood gives unique character to a rifle that is as original as it's owner. The more time you hunt with one, the more dynamic the sweet subtleties of figure, color & grain flow unfold. This helps vividly linger in your memories as having hunted with a close friend as opposed to just shooting critters with a trusted tool.

These photos tell you why James is doing a stock for me at present.
Butch

I have to say that JR sure knows how to shape a pistol grip! Man, that is perfect! Talk about elegant!

(Not that there is anything wrong with any other parts of that rifle either!).

John

I'm thinking I need serious re-hab.
Thought pretty wood was just for guns
THIS I want in my hallway.
Claro "occasional" desk. Occasional?




edit: yah, I thought the same thing, wonder how many gunstock blanks died to make that thing, LOL

Thanks John. While working at a semi-custom rifle shop I had to get stocks out the door on a much faster schedule then I preferred. This allowed me the chance to shape a large number of stocks and come up with my own style. Not that I can lay claim to it. Without the ability to glean what other stockmakers had done before me, and still do today, my efforts may have produced something more like a factory Rem700 BDL, white line spacers and all. A well known gunmaker that I respect highly, looked at my grip shape and told me, "I hate those open grips". He did appreciate the attention to detail I put into my work, but had little use for the style of it. To each their own. Here's a better shot of the grip. I still have to do something with that horrible looking trigger.

thats gorgeous btw
We all have our own style. We are artists (even tho most of us are a bit uncomfortable with that word) and as such, when someone looks at what you offer, they are attracted to it, or not.
I have volumes of books with photos of bespoken guns around the world. some are hideous, some just flatten me.
Personally I'm a huge fan of Johann Fanzoj, Miller, your work and a few others. Its art man, all of it.
The best kind of art, functional.

Gunmaker

Is that your own personal hunting rifle?

What did it start its life out as?

Yes, it's my rifle. It's still in the white as I'm waiting to make my first $100 million as a full time custom gunmaker and then have it engraved.

The action is Pete Grisel's version of a short action M70 in 244Rem.

The action that Mr. Grisel designed and sold before he joined Dakota Arms, or was that a Mauser action?

(I would think that you could afford a little engraving after your first million! )

Pete's M70 version drawn up in Bend, OR. While my action was manufactured in Sturgis, this version of the M70 was spawned far West of the continental divide. No meaningful engineering or design work for this Grisel version of receiver was done East of the Rockies.
Just giving credit where credit's due.

A few fun with files & stones pics.

Absolutely gorgeous hand work!!!!!!!!!

wow.

think i'll be saving up all my pennies.

Here's some eye candy I got:

These are a couple of Kleinguenther K-15, which I've had in my safe for a while. The stocks were made by R. Fajen and the inlays were done by EW "Pat" Patrick (? can't remember) who was Wby's manager in Cali. Mr. Kleinguenther was Roy's man in Germany hence the connection. They're purely safe queens













The rifle is a custom job by Johnston & Gervais, 338 Win on a Pre-64 action. The EELL, who cares.......








The top rifle is a Patrick Holehan 416 Rigby, he uses a Dakota action. The bottom is a 375 H&H built by Kevin Weaver on a Pre War Mod 70 action (with the "Tilden" type wing safety replacement).



[img]http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/fcavallo123/DSC00551.jpg[/img]




And I saved the best for last. This is my daily hunting rifle a 270 Win on a Pre War mod 70 ser# 10X which makes this a first year (1936) second/third month production. Krieger barrel, custom bases for Conetrol mounts, leather covered recoil pad. Rust blued, nitred screws and extractor....and the bitch can shoot 1/4" groups all day long (nothin like a chisel and action blue for a proper bedding). It ain't no safe queen either- it's banged up and killed a buttload of animals.



[img]http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/fcavallo123/Rifles/270_right.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/fcavallo123/Rifles/270_left.jpg[/img]

Frank

You have some beautiful rifles. I like the lines of the Johnston and Gervais the best. You can't get more classic than that rifle. How about some close ups of various parts of that rifle?

Who did the work on your .270 everyday hunting rifle?

All these stocks beautiful and some look like they belong in a muesum.

With that being said, I think the sexiest rifles are ones that have been used (not abused)and have blueing wore off and nicks, scratches and gouges. If only some of those guns could talk.

A guy named Bill Soverns. Unfortunately he had to recently close up shop. He's baggin up and shippin me back a coupla bareled actions and blanks. One is a G33/40 with a hollowed out/4 panel bolt, again with custom bases for Conetrol rings, set triggers, Lothar Walther barrel (yet another 270), the other is I believe at least a transition pre 64 (maybe pre war, can't remember) mod 70 in 300 win with a Krieger barrel and the same Conetrol set up. The blanks are english for the 270 and paradox for the 300 Win.

I will say this, there is no substitute for a properly wood/steel bedded action. None of those custom jobs have a stitch of glass or pillars in em and they shoot better than any synthetic stocked rifle I have (most of which need pillars, etc..........)

I hope you get them back!!!

You're right Jim, maybe Frank will get lucky, a lot of others didn't.
Butch

"I will say this, there is no substitute for a properly wood/steel bedded action. None of those custom jobs have a stitch of glass or pillars in em and they shoot better than any synthetic stocked rifle I have (most of which need pillars, etc..........)"

Gotta love the guild for living on lunacy... There is simply no way a rifle will shoot better because it is not bedded. It may not improve it, but saying they shoot best when perfectly inletted denies a whole lot of years of proving.

If that were true how many benchresters would go that route? And expect it to continue to remain stable?

The Guild members I know that glass bed are also concerned about the finish beyond rubbing in oil...

But they are gorgeous!
art

Well here is some "fancy" wood and some vintage "custom" work.

[img:left][/img]





A Marlin 1897 Deluxe that was in much need of some TLC (bulged barrel, finish (both metal and wood) and checkering just about gone) - recieved it this past summer.....man they literally do not make them like these any more!!!

PennDog