The Isaac Haines kit was the first kit of it's kind, with a fully shaped forend. It was done while Bob Lepley had his first Don Allen machine which was set up and running
in a corner of our barrel shop. At the time, there were very few parts available in an investment cast form. Pete Allen did these parts which we referred to as the small
Bivins hardware, and, at the time were not done in brass, but were cast in bronze,
slightly different color and harder. Most of these parts looked real good, but I never
liked the thick buttplate. You had to FIT it, and could not tap the edges like you can do
with a nice, soft brass plate. I have no idea of how many of these Isaac Haines kits I
built. I am now working on gun number 99. I know this is probably low since I had to
go back and try to remember guns that I built. Back in the early 80's, we were going
thru some major bad times. Wayne Dunlap asked if he could sell the kits if he would
buy the barrels from us, and we agreed to that. Back in the early 80's we developed
another little hunting rifle, we called it the SPORTER. It was a small half stock, pistol
grip, had a 28" tapered barrel, using a large siler lock. We rounded the tail of the lock
to give it more of an english look. The buttstock was rather straight and high, and we
had to make a rear quarter rib, and a ramp front sight. Finished ones were usually
checkered. I have no Idea of how many kits were sold, nor how many finished rifles
we did. They are rather common in this part of Pa. Got to stop here, you guys will
start thinking that I must be very wealthy by now. Maybe I should write a book...Don
