FREE Custom Engraved Lock Plate

[CowboyCS]

In an effort to encourage others to try their hand at gun making and promote the sport I am offering a FREE custom engraved lock plate.

Here's what you will get:



This is a Lock Plate off of a Left Handed L&R Back action lock(only the plate, NOT A COMPLETE LOCK), that I custom engraved. There is only one of these....so here's how you can win it;

EVERYBODY IS ELIGIBLE, from never touched a gun to full-time Professional Gunsmiths, your chances of getting this lock are all the same.

In 50 words or less describe what type of firearm you would build if you had this lock to put in it. There is no set criteria for this, it can be any type of firearm you can think of. I'll let this run until JUNE 30th, 2010, that's over a month to send me your idea. I won't be judging the responses, my wife is going to read them and decide which she likes best. And don't be fooled, my wife has very fine taste in firearms. You can enter more than once with multiple different ideas if you like, Just send separate emails for each idea.  Which ever description my wife picks will be notified by email(so use a valid email) that they get the lock plate, at that time I will request their shipping information(nobody but the winner will need to provide me with any personal information this way), and I will ship it via flat rate USPS.

There are no obligations or strings attached, you don't have to do anything with the lock if you win it.

This is just a way that I am trying to encourage others.

Send your responses to: stolzerandsons@gmail.com, please put "Free Lock Plate" in the subject line. Please include your Screen name, and what forum you saw this on, as I will be posting this same opportunity on multiple gun forums that I am a member of.

I wish you all the best of luck, and I will bump this back to top over the next couple weeks so hopefully everybody gets an opportunity to try for it.

Colin

[Mike Brooks]

Better offer an engraved hammer to go with it, otherwise it will look  a little odd....

[CowboyCS]

BTT, because I said I would in case anyone missed it.
 
To further encourage the winner to use the lock in a build....There's no point in engraving the hammer before it is actually fitted to strike the nipple properly(it may have to be bent), but once it is set and polished if the winner send it back to me I will engrave the hammer to match the lock and ship it back to you, no charge.

Colin

[CowboyCS]

Last bump, opportunity to get your email to me ends June 30th.

Colin

[CowboyCS]

The Winner is Nevadblue(Ken), I know him from several different Gun related Forums. He is a creative builder and a practicing engraver(Lindsay Palmcontrol IIRC). Just as a quick example of his creativeness...I believe it was last year or maybe the year before(he can correct me if I get this wrong) he was in Nicaragua with his job, and in his spare time with little more than hand tools and scraps put together a nifty little single shot pistol.

As stated in the original post my wife made the choice of winner and she didn't have the inside information on any of the builders who submitted entries, so her decision was based solely on what she read. Here's what he submitted:

Thanks for the chance at the lock plate.
What I would build:
 
My son is a Disabled Veteran and loves to shoot. I have an octagonal muzzle loader barrel that I would love to build into a rifle for him. Mike is left handed, so this would work out great. I have a piece of walnut that I intend to make the stock from.

I know a little of the back story of what happened to his son from when it happened and Nevadblue posted some of it on one of the forums, so I'll try to give the brief version.

His son was deployed to one of our current conflicts(can't remember if it was Iraq or Afghanistan), but he wasn't there long, the inoculations that the military gives our deploying troops can have some serious side effects, and Mike had a very bad reaction to the Anthrax inoculation, IIRC. He was shipped home, but the damage was already done, the VA doctors and the VA in general was nearly useless as far as the way they treated him and Ken's family. Due to this Mike is permanently disabled. That's the short version, at the time as Ken posted updates and the trials they went through with the VA and trying to get proper treatment, I remember thinking how horrible our Gov't treats our returning Veterans, it was very hard on their whole family.

Like I said, my wife didn't know their story, but I am glad she chose Ken, and ultimately Mike to get this Lockplate, it's an honor to give this to a Veteran.

Colin

[Acer Saccharum]

Great use for the plate, Cowboy. I also like your free engraved plate program. You could do a lot with that. Fund raisers for clubs, prizes at shoots.

Thanks for the rest of the story.

Tom

[Steve Bookout]

Great choice, Colin!  Being a disabled Vietnam veteran myself, when that gun starts to get built, I'll donate some stuff, too.  Cheers, Bookie

[NevadaBlue]

Colin,
Thank you so much for choosing Mike as the winner! He is a winner and I'll have to work hard to produce a rifle to match the beauty of the plate. I have a piece of walnut from my wife's grandfather who ran a tie mill in the Missouri Ozarks. I've hauled around a walnut railroad tie for the last 30 years or so, now I have a suitable project for part of it. I also have a barrel. I'll probably buy a complete lock and trigger from L&R so those parts work properly. Oh, and practice my engraving so I can do the hammer. 
Anyone who has ideas or parts they want to include would be welcome to contact me. I'll work with Mike to design the gun and include any parts we get from others.
I will also have to do some research into cavalry arms. Mike served with the 2nd ACR for a time in Iraq and has his spurs... that got me thinking about cavalry. Maybe too new for that? hmmm...