Gun for my Wife

[KLMoors]

Bev has been after me for a while to build her a gun. She gave me a few ground rules:

1) The customer is always right
2) It has to have an oct to round barrel (I think it is the term "wedding band" that sold her on that)
3) It has to shoot the same size "bullets" I use so she can go deer hunting with me
4) Don't make it "all old looking" like your other guns
5) she wanted it lighter and shorter than my other guns since several of my deer stands are quite a hike from the road
6) See rule number one

So, with those parameters this is what I came up with. I tarnished up the brass a little bit, cold blued the barrel and polished the lock.

I started with Dave Keck's small Lancaster. It was shaped a little differently than I expected but since I was shortening it down to 12 7/8 pull length I was able to adjust it some to fit what I wanted.

This has a 38 inch Colerain .54 cal oct to round barrel and a large Siler lock. The stock that came from Dave Keck was the only part I needed to buy as I had all the other stuff laying around.

All critiques welcome!  Thanks.

[Eric Smith]

That's a nice gun. Hope the wife likes it too.

[4ster]

How could she complain about that?  I think that is a very beautiful gun. 

[Dennis Glazener]

Ken,
Very well done, I am sure she will love it.
Dennis

[rich pierce]

Heck, you'll probably get some marriage proposals if you keep that up.  Really nice carving and engraving.

[bob in the woods]

That is a nice gun. I'd file the edge of the toe of the buttplate down...but that's just my eye .  Your wife should be really happy .  I'm thinking of doing something similar for mine 

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Mr.Moors, I like the new rifle a lot.  I applaud the slimness of the forearm by reducing the wood along the channel.  The proportions look great, especially difficult with such a short LOP.
I'd like to see the border treatment along the top of the lock plate as well as along the bottom.
Do you realize how lucky you are to have a spouse who wants to hunt with you?

[Acer Saccharum]

I love a gun with a story.... and this one has a great intro. I didn't know where you were going with it, and I must admit, you had me going. Great work on the rifle, really nice and crisp, well done.

and really great story.......

Tom

[Ed Wenger]

Nice looking rifle!

I like the patch box design, overall engraving and carving looks very well done, especially like the engraving on top of the breech, and the carving above the rear ram rod thimble.  Maybe could have taken some brass off the toe of the butt piece, looks a little thick where it meets the toe plate.  Again, very nicely done.  I really like the color as well.  Thanks for posting!


                  Ed

[Vomitus]

 What a sweet little rifle!
My last wife got so she hated hunting with me.Every time we hunted together,I shot a moose. Seeing all the blood and guts( there is a lot in a big moose) and all that packing,lol,,made her stay home. Fare enough! I got to go hunting with the boyz for a couple weeks without much whining. For me,she was a good luck thing(hunting only). I admire a gal that likes hunting.You are a fortunate man to have a spouse that does.
  Bev's a very lucky gal too. Great to see a gal who likes to hunt with her man! Good one Ken.

[KLMoors]

Thanks folks.

Leatherbelly, that cracked me up about the moose parts!


Taylor, when you say the border treatment, do you mean the engraving? That would be easy to add.


I don't know about you guys, but I always find it amazing that I can work on one of these for all those hours and not see something until I take pictures of it. When I looked at the picture that shows the toe of the butt plate i thought "   man, that thing is still 1/4 inch thick!"

I'll slim it down some more. I don't recall where I got the butt plate, but it is made of some god awful alloy that didn't anneal well and was a bear to engrave. It weighed about 4 lbs and was full of tiny bubbles and very inconsistent density.

Beverly generally hunts a few times a year with me and I'm hoping that now that she has a personal gun she might want to come a few more times!

Thanks again for the feedback.

[smylee grouch]

Very nice. I like what you have done and it gives me ideas for a granddaughters rifle. Your workmanship looks great and engraving and carving patterns look great as well. Congrats to the new owner and you.  Smylee

[Daryl]

Lucky man - lucky Gal.

[Shreckmeister]

Beautiful, especially like the tang area carving and tang/breech engraving.
Your probably in better graces than Flinter.  

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Great Gun!! I just like everything about it and I bet she will feel special!!!

[Tim Crosby]

 Very well done all around.

   Tim C.

[volatpluvia]

If she's not pleased with that...there is no pleasing her!
volatpluvia

[Tom Currie]

It's been said already but you're a lucky man and she married a heck of a fine builder. Lots to like on that gun.