Hello Gentlemen- Longhunters of Old- this rifle that Mr. Shipman built is absolutely fine, everything about it. I doubt that many of us will ever build such a rifle.I would love to own it. On the other hand they have been turning out rifles like this since 1963 at Colonial Williamsburg. Mr. Gusler down there raised the bar years ago and is not finished yet, I also read that this rifle put Mr. Shipman on the same plane as John Bivins, Monte Madirino, and Jack Haugh very kind comliment. If you look at the work in Three Centuries of Tradition of Super Star Carving- Engraving- High Refief Chiseling that these people did- such as the french Guns Monte built, the average longrifle builder has alot to prove. In Bivins own words Monte is the best Gunsmith in the last 300 years. My statemnet here is not to insult the work of Mr. Shipman at all but I would like to see something like Bivins and Monte did above standard longrifle building with the hand forged mounts, gold work, chiseling. After 38 years of building rifles my hat of off to the best!
