Michael Hayes rifle.

[EC121]

Just got this one.  English style 31" .56cal. by Michael Hayes.  Shoots great.  It has a trick patchbox lid.  Took me a couple of days to figure it out.  The push/pull latch works like a fly in a tumbler.






















tous les symboles clavier

[HSmithTX]

That is super nicely done!

[rich pierce]

Great looking gun!

[Jim Kibler]

He isn’t widely known, but his work is super nice.

[Bob Gerard]

Stunning!
You must be so thrilled to own that rifle- it’s amazing.
It reminded me of something that I have noticed on many gorgeous guns- I am surprised how often a gun as beautiful carved and engraved so often has simple lock bolt “washers” rather than a sideplate. The guns are certainly just as beautiful and not lacking without them, but a sideplate done with equally masterful engulfing and sculpting might add such a handsome additional art feature. Perhaps sideplate gradually fell out of fashion? Maybe less is more? Just a curious observation I’ve had.

[EC121]

English style doesn’t always use a side plate.

[Daryl]

Now THAT is a nice hunting rifle.

[Jeff Murray]

Really like the wood in the stock.

[smart dog]

Hi,
It is very nicely done.  It looks like he was mostly inspired by the twin rifles by Twigg shown in Neal's "Great British Gunmakers 1740-1790".

dave

[BigSkyRambler]

That's a Daisy!

[B.Barker]

Very nice. Do you know if he made the lock or not? There was an article in one of the Buckskinning books that had his work in it.

[EC121]

Brian, I don't know.  I think it has an L&R mainspring.  Might be a modified L&R Twigg or some parts were used.  The bridle looks handmade. There is no stamp on the inside of the plate.  The frizzen is engraved so it had to be soft at some point.  It shoots fine.  Story is that back in the 80s(?) a man was going elk hunting and ordered the rifle then didn't go.  Edit: The lock is handmade. I reached out to Mr. Hayes.
 

[smart dog]

Hi,
That looks like a hand forged spring.  It is too robust for any L&R spring and the hook on the end rules out a Davis Twigg lock.  The lock looks mostly hand made.

dave

[Mike Brooks]

Nifty, he does great english work.

[bama]

A great rifle, congrats on getting it. His craftsmanship is top notch no doubt.

[bama]

Brice I just took another look and the patch box release. Do you push the box forward to release the lid? It looks like the two bars above and below the catch are spring loaded to keep backward tension on the lid. If that's the way it works, that quite ingenious.

[EC121]

Jim:  The piece on the lid is springy.  When you push it in it overrides the fixed notch in the standing latch.  To remove the lid you push it in a little farther, and the fly snaps toward the buttplate and stops the piece on the lid from dropping in the notch(like a sear and half-cock notch) and out she comes.  The spring puts a little back tension on the lid to hold it still and to give it a push  back toward the BP when pushed forward.

[smylee grouch]

Michael lived in Park Rapids, MN  IIRC. Not too far from me so I would on  occasion call him for advice and opinion. Always pleasant to talk to and willing to help.

[ScottH]

That's a Keeper!