Fellas,

Looks like I spoke too soon about my experiences with gunsmiths.

This is almost too sad to post about but here goes..................

Got a call from my 'smithy yesterday, the one who has held my late father's Pre-64 Model 70 hostage for almost one year.
He told me that my rifle was almost complete, only some minor touching up of the checkering, when the house where mine and over 40 other guns were, BLEW UP !!! WTF <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> (I'll bet noone ever got a call like from their gunsmith !!!)

Evidently, my 'smithy has a partner who helps him with the wood work and that's were my rifle was. The furnace at the house was an oil furnace, somehow, the pilot went out and the combustion chamber filled with oil. Then the thing tried to re-ignite itself, then went KAAAAAA BOOOOOOOMMMM!!!!

Luckly, the guy and his wife were upstairs. The force of the explosion was so great, it literally blew the house off of it's foundation, and blew the foundation walls almost 3 feet out. They ran outside not knowing what the he!! happened. I remember seeing an article about it in the paper late last week, and the fact that there were over 40 guns in the house when it happened and thinking, "man, I am glad I didn't use that 'smith" !!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Evidently, they went in the next day and salvaged everything they could. Apparently, other than the stock and my Leupi scope, it survived.......barely. He said that he had the metal checked out for it's temper, re-polished it and re-blued it and the barreled action looks as good as new. Unfortunately, my Leupi scope went into meltdown !!! Guess they aren't as tough as I thought !!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Boy, that would be a tough one to get a free repair job from leupi!!

So I guess I was one of the luckier ones. Although I have not seen the rifle yet. He told me of a few very high dollar drillings and shotguns, with many hours of work on, with exihibition grade wood that were total losses.

Considering the circumstances of it being my late fathers rifle and not-replacable, I took it pretty well. I guess it was pretty lucky that noone got killed. However, talking to him, not everyone was taking it so well ! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Parden the pun, but we will see how this thing turns out after the dust settles and I get my rifle back.

Tune in !!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Tony.