Doesel Floorplate from a Model 70 Winchester that is mostly bulino work depicting an African scene featuring three Cape buffalo. Included is moderate gold line inlay and larger scroll decoration, including a fleur de lis motif. Photo by Hans Doesel.
Ferrell/Swanson Frank Wesson No. 1 Long Range Rifle in .45-100. Photos by Tom Rowe.
Roger Ferrell and Mark Swanson
This rifle was commissioned by a collector of Frank Wesson rifles with a goal of creating a quality reproduction of the original Wesson No. 1 Long Range rifle as a tribute to Frank Wesson. The owner of this rifle is also writing a book on Wesson Rifles. The Wesson design is based on Alexander Henry’s falling block action. The most unique feature on the rifle is the treatment of the octagon flats at the breech of the action. All work, including the exquisite American Black Walnut stock, was done in the Georgia shop of Roger Ferrell except for the engraving. Mark Swanson executed that portion of the project. The tang and heel sights are exact reproductions of original Wesson sights that the owner had fabricated specifically for this project. The front sight is from Montana Vintage Arms. The rifle is chambered for the .45-100 cartridge.
Barry Lee Hands
Shown here are two examples of the artistry of Montana engraver Barry Lee Hands. Considering that he’s about the same age as my son, it’s remarkable that he has progressed so much in such a short time. A very versatile engraver, he can do most any style of engraving, and do it very well indeed.
This little Colt .25 auto is a perfect canvas for Barry’s exquisite floral and gold pattern, on both steel and pearl. This work is as good as it gets. Photo by Barry Lee Hands.
It is probably unfair to show just the buttplate engraving on this Rifle. The scene depicts the annual collection of winter’s meat by the plains Indians, driving buffalo off a cliff and then collecting their rewards. This scene is done in high relief and is immaculate. Photo by Barry Lee Hands.
Terry Wieland and James Flynn
This rifle is the brainchild of outdoors writer Terry Wieland. Terry is a Canadian by birth, and an avid Anglophile. In addition to being a fantastic writer, he is also a history buff and delights in doing themed projects. This rifle is such a project, and is called his Beau Brummell rifle. Brummell, for those unaware, was the arbiter of English men’s fashion in the late 18th century and into the early 19th century. >His motto was “if people turn to look at you on the street, you are not well dressed.” He left behind an England where men dressed in austere but superbly cut clothing, a style still followed there today.
Wieland/Flynn “Beau Brummel Rifle” on FN Supreme Mauser action. Photo by Terry Wieland.
Wieland, in collaboration with Louisiana gunmaker James Flynn, transferred Brummell’s concept in clothing to the making of this rifle. Their object was to demonstrate the time, effort, and skill that go into making a custom rifle functional and aesthetic perfection, like a Beau Brummell dinner jacket. Starting with a FN Supreme Mauser action, a Danny Pedersen 25-caliber cut-rifled barrel, they had Bill Dowtin of Old World Walnut personally select the blank of walnut for the project. James Flynn then fashioned all the components into a functional masterpiece that would fully fit Beau Brummell’s sense of styling. I like to call it quiet elegance.
Reto Buehler
Reto Buehler began this project with a Granite Mountain Arms Magnum Mauser action, a custom contoured PacNor barrel, and a fabulous stick of Turkish walnut. He first extended the tangs to the action and to the bottom metal. He also machined the quarter rib from bar stock. The GMA action was worked over to feed the big .500 Jeffery cartridges like a hot knife through butter. He then fashioned the terrific stock in the English styling. He checkered the stock in 20 LPI flat topped checkering. Reto finished the job by rust bluing the metalwork and nitre bluing the ejector and extractor spring. It just doesn’t get any better than this.
Reto Buehler .500 Jeffery on GMA action. Photo by Mustafa Bilal, Turks Head Productions.
Mike Dubber
Mike Dubber from Indiana is a super-talented engraver. Over the past several years that I’ve known him, he has matured from a really good engraver into a really great one much more quickly than most I have known. This photo is a recent example of his exemplary work. He started with a 2nd Generation Colt SAA, and a theme of the Lakota Sioux last buffalo hunt. He even had a pencil drawing of the last Sioux buffalo hunter, drawn by an unknown artist in the 1800s. The 5-1/2 inch barrel revolver has been heavily inlaid with gold and platinum, and has been fitted with custom sambar stag grips. It is chambered for the .45 Colt cartridge and is finished in French Gray.
Mike Dubber 2nd Gen SAA in .45 Colt. Photo by Tom Alexander.
Gary Goudy.
A lovely custom rifle from the shop of stockmaker Gary Goudy. The rifle was a Model 70 Featherweight .30-06, and the barrel was so accurate that it was retained. Gary fitted an ancient set of Ted Blackburn bottom metal to the action. Note that it does not use a straddle floorplate, something that Ted hasn’t produced in years. The stock is checkered in a very nice point pattern with mullered borders. Bob Evans engraved the rifle.
Gary Goudy M70 Featherweight in .30-06. Photo by Gary Bolster.
Goudy Daisy Red Ryder. Photo by Gary Bolster.
This is most likely the most unusual custom rifle that you’ll ever come across. Gary Goudy’s client wanted a custom BB gun for his grandson. Gary came up with a brand new Daisy Red Ryder BB gun and stocked it with a magnificent piece of Turkish walnut. I’ve been around the horn a time or two, but this is the only custom BB gun that I’ve ever come across.
Paul Lindke
Stockmaker Paul Lindke started this project with a pre-’64 Model 70 barreled action, chambered for the .270 Winchester cartridge. The factory barrel was so accurate that it was retained. He picked up a very nice stick of California English walnut from Steve Heilmann, and added a McFarland steel skeleton buttplate, a Leupold VX-3 2.5-8 scope, and Leupold double dovetail mounts. He stocked the rifle, adding an ebony forend tip, and checkered the stock in a 24 LPI fleur de lis pattern with ribbons.
Lindke pre-’64 M70 in .270 Winchester. Photo by Tom Alexander.
Bob Strosin
What’s the old saw about the shoemaker’s kid’s shoes never getting done? When engraver Bob