Leatherbelly's new rifle

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I just finished Leatherbelly's JP Beck rifle, just in time for the big rendezvous at Heffley Creek, BC.  I ran out of time - intended to rust blue the barrel, and polish the lock bright - perhaps after the shoot.
The rifle has a hard piece of sugar maple, a Rice gunmaker's .50 cal. x 44" B Weight barrel, Dave Keck's wonderful castings, Allan Sandy's stock finish over Ļiebing's leather dye for stain.  Roy wanted a red undertone, so here's what I got.

[flintman-tx]

A work of art !!!

[smylee grouch]

Hi Taylor, that shur looks nice in all respects. Thanks for posting and for the pics of the patchbox catch. Did you fasten the outside lug on seperatly?         Gary

[Ben I. Voss]

Taylor, beautiful job! Clean carving, nice engraving, good stain color and those great Beck lines. Old J.P. would be proud! Thanks for the inspiration.

[sz]

Outstanding work.

My sincere complaments.
Work doesn't get any better then that.

[smylee grouch]

Taylor, just noticed what appers to be a hole in the front of the box cavity, I wil feel silly but dont know what the reason for it is.         Gary

[JohnnyM]

In a word, superb!

[Joe Stein]

Hi Taylor, that shur looks nice in all respects. Thanks for posting and for the pics of the patchbox catch. Did you fasten the outside lug on seperatly?         Gary

Gary, go to the top of the page and use the search function: search for "Prayer Hole" in gun building and antique collecting.  Here is one of the threads you'll find:
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=9335.0

[Bill of the 45th]

Too dang purdy for the likes of Leatherbelly.  Wonderful piece.

Bill

[Dphariss]

Nice job Taylor.
I am a sucker to JP Becks work.
Patchbox cavity is a ringer for that in the smooth rifle in Cody but its got on prayer hole.
Dan

[bgf]

Beautiful work.  The wood finish is really spectacular, along with everything else, of course .

[Leatherbelly]

   Pop,sizzle...wow!

[Pvt. Lon Grifle]

Very, very nice. 

Lon

[Rolf]

That is beautiful!!!! What did you stain the wood with? Could you post a close up picture of carving behind the cheek piece?

Best regards

Rolfkt

[Acer Saccharum]

@!*%, Taylor. That's fine. Great job on the cavity for the Patchbox.

Tom

[Curt Larsen]

HOLY MOLY Taylor!!  That is one fine piece of work.  I agree with Acer and others on the patchbox cavity.  It is really nice.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Thanks fellows.  I really like it too.  Beck had a great stock architecture...very shootable rifles.
Regarding the use of leather dye...I've been using the stuff for about forty years...ever since I read Bivens extolling the virtues of NGR stains (non-grain raising - alcohol) I've been able to get the tints and shades I wanted far more consistently than with Laurel Mountain
Forges products.  Also, I find the moisture and heat of my hand leaches LMF stains right out of the would through the finish, whereas Fiebings does not.  Live and learn.  I still would like to acquire a bottle of ferric nitrate crystals and give it a try.  But it is next to impossible to get here in the Great White North.  Dangerous stuff I guess.
Yes, it's a "Prayer hole" and it was a last minute addition.  Thanks Dan for the images of the Cody rifle, 'cause that is where I got the goods on that.  I can't imagine what Leatherbelly will put in there...something deep and philosophical I know.

I'd like to get out to the range and shoot it today.

[whitebear]

God has surely given you a talent that I can only dream of possessing.  Very, very nice work.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

The spring for the patch box is forged from a solid piece of steel cut from a big circular saw blade.  It's tricky to get the right angle to the head.  It has to tip in two directions off square to accommodate the angle of the butt plate.  I did not harden or temper the spring...it doesn't need it.  The lid kicker, though, is of hack saw blade steel, and it is hardened and tempered after forging.  The patch box is of .062" thick soft brass from the K & S display at Windsor Plywood.  That gives 1/8" thick material around the hinge, and that's plenty to get that little filed bar on either side of the hinge.

[Daryl]

Pretty rifle - Holds nicely too - perfect shape, weight and architecture for a long hunting rifle - bit light for a trail-walk gun, though. I know LB will shoot it well, unfortunately.

[Cody Tetachuk]

Very nice as usual Taylor. I see alot of praise for the patch box cavity, I understand that Bill Shipman does great work on cavities also

[FG1]

Taylor, which Fiebing red did you use ? They have 4 or so different shades . I also saw that they offer a yellow .

[California Kid]

Taylor, nice Beck rendition as always.
Off topic, but what did you use to cut the cross- hatch pattern in the carving of your Kunz rifle?

[Tim Crosby]

 Taylor, That Is One Beautiful rifle. WOW!

 Tim C.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

For the chequering on the wrist I used Dem Bart's cutters - 20 to the inch.  For the cross hatching on the cheek piece carving I used 18 to the inch.  I very carefully enlarged the photos I have of the original, to full size, and measured the lines per inch - then duplicated it.