Anything from the base up that is sleek interests me at my age. The barrel, being the "heart" of a gun, is of paramount concern. Give me a slender barrel and I will give you a svelte product.
My personal opinion...the pieces of some noted makers are too bulky. They look like logs on the wall, are well made, by people much more adept than me at carving, but too big. I would judge them, if I were the judgmental sort, as "needs to see original guns and lighten up, overall," but, in some cases the builders of these logs are the judges of special events. Just had to retort to Brooks' entirely appropriate comments; that's another thing, the judges at "events" often disagree with "what is best." So, how do they evaluate your gun? That's why cartel gunsmiths congregate at Fogelsville Hotel and drink beer and laugh and enjoy life. That's the highlight of the "convention." All welcome, next year. We keep selling guns, regardless of what they say.
Another thing. There are two distinct kinds of gunsmiths in these parts...always have been. There are the masters who can crank out jewelery-quality work, consistent with proper history, and do it well. Then there the are the rest of us, including the Gonzo shop. I have never had to advertise but never competed against the artists, as there are enough shooters/hunters in PA to keep an average bloke busy without making pieces that present as a Parisian paramour. My happiness comes from knowing that there ain't nobody out there having any more fun building guns than we are.
Prospective customers need to accept that I am now retired and only hired here as a consultant, and the girls are tied up for 3 months on orders. I am my own consultant and getting paid for it. The dumber I get, the more I charge myself. And let me further add, if the IRS complains, I plan to represent myself in a court of law; then I will appeal on the base of "misrepresentation of counsel." Ms. Vicki says it is "unfigurableoout" a term she also uses at the mall when I ask about the bottom line on the charge. All the best.
