Jacob Grove sideplate

[nchunter]

While looking through some back issues of Muzzle Blast magazine I came across an article about a Maryland gunmaker named Jacob Grove.  I really liked the sideplate design that he put on his rifles!  It has a very slimming effect (see photos below). 

I'd like to put this sideplate design on the 45 cal rifle I'm building, but TOW doesn't carry this design.  Does anyone know a place that does? 

If not, what thickness and type of brass sheet would I need to get to make one myself - that would match the cast brass buttplate and trigger guard.  I wouldn't want a brass that "patined" a different hue than the rest of the furniture...

[bob in the woods]

Different strokes for folks I guess....looks out of balance on the panel to my eyes.  I would try to position it differently if on my gun.

[Chris Treichel]

Since you have the picture... you could take it to a copy machine and increase the size until its what you want, then cut out and use as a template for cutting out of brass or what have you.  I don't think I have ever seen a plate like that but doesn't look like it would be too hard to make.

[pushboater]

I had one very similar on a Wolfgang Haga rifle I built many years ago. It was inlet flush with the wood and was pretty thin. Knowing what I know now, it really doesn't look like any side plates that can actually be attributed to Wolfgang Haga. It was a kit rifle and may have just had some mixed parts on it. I didn't know any better back then.  I'll try and post a photo later.

Capt. David

[E.vonAschwege]

I'm with Chris - the local library copy machine is one of my best friends.  I can scale up to the exact size I want, then use the image as a template for making parts.  For a sideplate there's no need to go any heavier than .09.  A lot of cast sideplates are on the order of 1/8" thick, which is way heavier than any originals I've handled.  I use rolled brass from Ace Hardware, then use a jewelers saw to cut out the profile (or if I'm out of blades, use a small drill bit and drill out the profile).  I wouldn't worry too much about the color not matching perfectly - it will be less noticeable as it ages IMO.  Good luck!
-Eric

[Dennis Glazener]

Even better is to download a free photo editing tool such as "Gimp". It works great to cut photos of parts you need to make, set dimensions for what you need and then print out in exact size. Here is their website and the free download. http://www.gimp.org/

It will probably do all the photo editing that you will ever need.
Dennis

[pushboater]

Here's a couple of photo's of the Wolfgang Haga rifle I built back in the early 70's from a kit.  This was the first rifle I ever built.  I hated the carving I did on it so after about a year or so I restocked it and kept the old stock to have something to remind me of how far I've come through the years.  As you can see, the similarities between this side plate and the Jacob Grove side plate are dramatic.  I took this photo to show the stock architecture.



A little more of a closeup of the sideplate.



Like I said earlier, It was inlet flush with the wood and is quite thin.



An edge view showing the thickness of the brass.

[nchunter]

Thanks for those photos, pushboater.  I could definitely make a sideplate out of a sheet of brass that thin. 

I didn't know sideplates could be that thin; the cast sideplate that came with the kit is probably 2-3X thicker than that.

[pushboater]

You're welcome nchunter.  Have fun with your project!  By the way, such a thin sideplate also has the added advantage of leaving more wood in an area of the stock that has already been throughly excavated resulting in a slightly stronger lock area.

Capt. David