Author Topic: Stealth Virginia Smooth Rifle  (Read 9849 times)

Offline Bill of the 45th

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1436
  • Gaylord, Michigan
Stealth Virginia Smooth Rifle
« on: May 10, 2011, 11:34:49 PM »
Bought this in the white from Dennis G.  last year.  He listed it as having been built with a brain @$#% oops, which is that it had a 15 1/2" length of pull.  So I got it and wacked off almost an inch and a half.  At .60 cal., and smooth bore, it would make the perfect all around gun.  Deer, Turkey, and even squirrel.  Then I tried some new stuff for me, rust blueing the iron, and antiqueing the barrel, cold blue, and brown rubbed back, and working back two coats of A/F by scraping. then Tung oil finish.







Butt, and trigger guard are hand forged.  Patterns well with 80 gr. of FFG, and 90 Gr. measure of #5 shot over two over shot cards, no wad. 15 pellets in the head, and neck area of a standard turkey target, at 25 yards.  Holds two inches with a denim patched .575 ball over 80 gr. of FFg at 30 yards.  So what do you think Dennis.

Bill
Bill Knapp
Over the Hill, What Hill, and when did I go over it?

Offline Dennis Glazener

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 19487
    • GillespieRifles
Re: Stealth Virginia Smooth Rifle
« Reply #1 on: May 11, 2011, 12:46:57 AM »
Looks good and it sounds like you have it shooting good. Love the color.

I built a 16 ga American fowler with English hardware. Its a 44 inch barrel and I will probably sell it later on and build a 16 ga smooth rifle with 38 inch oct to round bbl. I like that style better than the English.
Dennis
"I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend" - Thomas Jefferson

Offline JDK

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 692
Re: Stealth Virginia Smooth Rifle
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2011, 03:56:32 AM »
Very nice.  I like the proportions....nice and slender.  You should be proud.  J.D.K.
J.D. Kerstetter

Offline Telgan

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 569
Re: Stealth Virginia Smooth Rifle
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2011, 06:38:35 PM »
Dennis, Who's barrel did you use ? Colerain? Would like to know how it handles, if a Colerain. Always wondered if that barrel would be nose heavy. Are you shooting round ball in it. Thanks, Tom

Offline t.caster

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3732
Re: Stealth Virginia Smooth Rifle
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2011, 07:44:53 PM »
Hey fellow Michigander! That's a beauty! You did a great job finishing & shortening it! Should serve you well on them monster Mich. whitetails & turkies!
Tom C.

Offline Bill of the 45th

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1436
  • Gaylord, Michigan
Re: Stealth Virginia Smooth Rifle
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2011, 12:48:43 AM »
Tom, thanks,  it was fun trying new things with the finish, but the big problemup here in Otsego county is that Bucks are pretty slim, because of the winter snows, Turkey's are ok, but what we do have is Elk if I can get a tag.  Telgan, it's not nose heavy at all with it;s Colrain 38" barrel, and at 7 pound weight, and wide butt plate it's fun to shoot.

Bill
Bill Knapp
Over the Hill, What Hill, and when did I go over it?

Rasch Chronicles

  • Guest
Re: Stealth Virginia Smooth Rifle
« Reply #6 on: May 12, 2011, 11:00:00 AM »
Note to self: Tag as a favorite.... done.

I really like the look, I'll have to keep it in mind as I build mine.

Best Regards,
Albert “Afghanus” Rasch
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles™
Handmade Custom Traditional Bows

roamer

  • Guest
Re: Stealth Virginia Smooth Rifle
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2011, 01:06:48 PM »
Wonderful job,great eye appeal. One of the main reasons I love this forum is I learn something different every day,for instance did not know their was elk in Mich,exciting

THANKS

Offline Old Ford2

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1102
Re: Stealth Virginia Smooth Rifle
« Reply #8 on: May 13, 2011, 04:05:10 PM »
Great Job!

I took note of the butt plate, would like to know more about the trigger guard & butt plate.
Cast ones are nice, but forged ones really catch my eye.
Best regards
Old Ford
Never surrender, always take a few with you.
Let the Lord pick the good from the bad!

Offline heinz

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1158
Re: Stealth Virginia Smooth Rifle
« Reply #9 on: May 13, 2011, 04:37:38 PM »
Bill, very nice and amazingly similar to my rifle posted on Art Riser's blog.

Good work. Start another one.
kind regards, heinz

Offline Dennis Glazener

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Posts: 19487
    • GillespieRifles
Re: Stealth Virginia Smooth Rifle
« Reply #10 on: May 13, 2011, 05:00:12 PM »
Quote
Great Job!

I took note of the butt plate, would like to know more about the trigger guard & butt plate.
Cast ones are nice, but forged ones really catch my eye.
Best regards
Old Ford
Bill probably doesn't know this but the trigger guard and butt plate were forged by ALR member Kent Smith.

Quote
Dennis, Who's barrel did you use ? Colerain? Would like to know how it handles, if a Colerain. Always wondered if that barrel would be nose heavy. Are you shooting round ball in it. Thanks, Tom
Its a 38 inch Colerain. I thought it balanced well, certainly not nose heavy.
Dennis
« Last Edit: May 13, 2011, 06:57:30 PM by Dennis Glazener »
"I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend" - Thomas Jefferson

Offline bgf

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1403
Re: Stealth Virginia Smooth Rifle
« Reply #11 on: May 15, 2011, 12:56:08 AM »
I like it.  The rust blue looks good, and the stock shaping is right on.  I like what you did with the barrel, also.  It doesn't look aged so much as gently used.

Offline Tom Currie

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1294
Re: Stealth Virginia Smooth Rifle
« Reply #12 on: May 15, 2011, 06:12:30 PM »
Nice looking smoothy Bill. Those hand forged blackened parts sure give it a southern rustic look.

Good luck with that Elk tag lottery, they havent called my number in 13 years.




Offline Telgan

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 569
Re: Stealth Virginia Smooth Rifle
« Reply #13 on: May 15, 2011, 08:50:41 PM »
Thanks for he reply Dennis. Think I'll try to locate a 38" barrel in 16 gauge.

Offline PIKELAKE

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 285
Re: Stealth Virginia Smooth Rifle
« Reply #14 on: May 15, 2011, 10:12:01 PM »
Very nice rifle Bill. It sorta looks like a good elk gun. If you get that tag , pop the bull that was on the shoulder of SB.75 near Wolverine. He had his rack in my lane.
JOHN ZUREKI

athiker

  • Guest
Re: Stealth Virginia Smooth Rifle
« Reply #15 on: May 16, 2011, 11:59:43 PM »
I have a question on the rear sight...is it backwards?

Offline Curtis

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2341
  • Missouri
Re: Stealth Virginia Smooth Rifle
« Reply #16 on: May 17, 2011, 12:21:45 AM »
Very sweet, Bill.  I especially like the look you achieved with the barrel finish.  Thanks for sharing it with us.
Curtis Allinson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes, late at night when I am alone in the inner sanctum of my workshop and no one else can see, I sand things using only my fingers for backing