1967 rifle byE Thomas

[Dennis Glazener]

I thought this was a interesting rifle, I have no connections with it, only to call attention to others that might have an interest.
Dennis

http://www.antiqueguns.com/auction/item.cgi?robles/robles-49512 *corrected*

[T*O*F]

http://www.antiqueguns.com/auction/item.cgi?robles/robles-49512

[Molly]

"Interesting"...  Does that mean you like it?  I never met one I did not like but many have features that are less appealing than others and yet sometimes it's all in the photo.  I don't care for the gloss finish but the wood looks nice.  Some of the carving looks overdone but still it seems to "work" OK.  At the current price of about $1500 it is IMO, one that is worth the money...but then I did not read the description just looked at the photos.  I also have a tendency to look at the individual features and not how they all come together or IF they "fit" together in the proper style.  But in the end I agree it is interesting and that means I like it!

[Keb]

To have this gun built today would take up too 2 years and probably close to 10,000 dollars. I was told by a custom builder of these rifles, that such a gun could take 400 hours from start to finish. That is only if a person who could make such a gun exists today.

Just my luck. There are no builders capable of building something like this today. However, that will save me close to $10,000.00

[Bob Roller]

To have this gun built today would take up too 2 years and probably close to 10,000 dollars. I was told by a custom builder of these rifles, that such a gun could take 400 hours from start to finish. That is only if a person who could make such a gun exists today.

Just my luck. There are no builders capable of building something like this today. However, that will save me close to $10,000.00

There are builders on this forum that can not only duplicate this rifle but probably would surpass it.
A benefactor or patron that could keep the maker working ONLY for him or her would be needed.

Bob Roller

[T*O*F]

There are builders on this forum that can not only duplicate this rifle but probably would surpass it.

That gun was very advanced for its time, but by today's standards it's kinda crude looking if you get past all the bling and really look at the gun itself.

[sqrldog]

I agree in its day it was an impressive piece of work. It is possible today to get a better rifle for a lot less than $10,000.00 . Just have to shop around. One rifle in two years for 10,000 eguals $5000.00 a year. As my friend  the lateFrank Bartlett said he ain't very hungry.

[Molly]

The seller cannot think all that much about it with a reserve price already met at a $1500 bid.

[nosrettap1958]

I'll have to agree with the comments above. While a beautiful piece at first glance, I would rather put $1,500.00 down on a current contemporary builders work than buy this rifle.  

[Jim Chambers]

Having known Ed Thomas for many years I must take exception to the comment about his ambition exceeding his talent.  Ed was one of the most talented individuals I've ever met.  This rifle was made very shortly after Ed left his job working under Wallace Gusler in the Williamsburg gun shop.  If you look at the rifles being made by Gusler, me or any of the other top gunmakers in 1967 you will find they are very similar to this rifle in all respects.  I will agree that guns being made today are generally made to a much higher degree of perfection unlike many of the originals.  But, judging Ed's talent based on the acceptable standards of 1967 is not fair.  Ed was one of those rare individuals who could make just about anything starting with a piece of wood and a few pieces of scrap metal.  If he was still alive and had the desire to make another rifle I have no doubt it would equal anything being made by the top makers today.

[nosrettap1958]

I agree Jim, my comment was too hard. I will delete it.

[Jim Chambers]

Crawdad,
Many thanks, and, for what it's worth, I agree with you about spending $1,500 as a down payment on a rifle by one of today's makers.  In 1967 the Thomas rifle really was "state of the art".  But, we've come a long way since then, and the work being done by a lot of guys today is truly high art.
The Thomas rifle would be far more valuable to the friends who knew him than to everyone else.  To the general public it probably is worth less than $2,000.

[bob in the woods]

Judging the product of yesterday by today's standards is ofttimes a risky business.  For the time, Hacker Martin's guns were thought to be top notch. Today, I'd rather put my money down on a gun by Eric Kettenburg, or Mike Miller, etc etc.
We've come a long way.  Having said that, some pieces , like those made by Gary Brumfield,  as an example seem to be a product of the 1700's and are timeless.  The "high art" pieces are the ones that often seem dated to me.

[Molly]

I was not being critical of the maker but just wondering how strong the seller felt by having such a low reserve.

[Dphariss]

The 1960s.
There were a number of high end makers in the 60s but some are largely unknown in the east by the younger people of today. The rifle pictured above (in the link below actually) is by Don King in the 1960s. With a photo of it being cleaned by Don 5 years ago at our Gunmakers Fair.

http://s72.photobucket.com/user/DPhariss/library/More%20ML%20guns/Don%20King%20Swivel?sort=3&page=1

  He did Kings Ransom, his personal rifle for years in 1963 and was laying out the stock on a blank when his neighbor came and told him Kennedy had been shot.  But I have no really good photos of it. Its a fancy Bedford.

Then there is this from 1968 done for the Burris of Burris Scopes. Don said he did this rifle several times. The current owner wrote that he can find no inletting flaws in all those piercings.
http://s72.photobucket.com/user/DPhariss/library/Don%20King%20Rifles/Don%20King%20Burris%20rifle?sort=3&page=1


I think this is his last swivel breech from sometime in the 1980s

http://s72.photobucket.com/user/DPhariss/library/Don%20King%20Rifles/Don%20King%20last%20Swivel?sort=3&page=1

Dan