Another Don King Rifle

[Dphariss]

The rifle's owner asked me to post the photos.

[Dphariss]

[Mike Brooks]

Quite a gun for 1968!

[Bob Roller]

Is Mr.Burris still the owner? I remember meeting him at Friendship in the mid 60's.
The trigger guard looks like an hallucination as do the triggers.

Bob Roller

[realtorone]

Don built some beautiful guns.It was a pleasure to know him and have had the chance to watch him work, 69-71 in Wichita

[Jim Kibler]

I like your assesment Bob Roller.  And you too Mike Brooks.  It's clearly some nice careful work.  And it certainly took lots time.  Just gotta wonder why...

[realtorone]

Don's work was a thing of ART,that's why he did it.I think people still do not appreciate it,and most likely that contributed to his stopping building gun's.Don was so talented he could build you what ever you wanted from the very plain to the most elaborate.

[Dphariss]

Is Mr.Burris still the owner? I remember meeting him at Friendship in the mid 60's.
The trigger guard looks like an hallucination as do the triggers.

Bob Roller

The original is in Kindig's book I believe.
There have been an owner or two since it passed from the Burris family.

Dan

[Dphariss]

I like your assesment Bob Roller.  And you too Mike Brooks.  It's clearly some nice careful work.  And it certainly took lots time.  Just gotta wonder why...

Why?
Because Burris PAID  for a copy of  Kindig #145 so Don made it. Don tells me that he made a number of fancy rifles for Burris.
He was not doing it as a hobby. If you gave Don the money he would make it. I think he made more than one of these over the years.
Its not an exact copy in fact it may have more engraving on it. But much of it is very close including the triggers and TG which are virtually identical.

Dan

[Dphariss]

Quite a gun for 1968!

Here is a selection of Don King rifles. The upper most Bedford is "King's Ransom", Don told me he was laying the stock pattern out when his neighbor came by and told him Kennedy had been shot. This was Don's personal rifle for a number of years and has killed at least 150 squirrels and a number of other critters. He was offered 1500 for it in 1964 at Friendship and refused. A friend commented that 1500 was a King's ransom and Don cut it on the buttplate when he got home.



I think the swivel is late 60s or early 1970s and is very ornate.


The bottom rifle is patterned after an original Don had access to and dates to 1959.

The Armstrong is 1970s.

Don liked Bedfords, he made a number of them for Bill Large who resold most of them I understand. He also liked to make John Armstrongs. Don has been retired from making rifles for sometime and sadly I don't think we will get him talked into another though he still as all his tools and equipment.

This link is to a selection of photos from our 2010 guild fair where we had a good selection of DK rifles on display with other members work. Courtesy of Don and three other Guild Members.
http://s72.beta.photobucket.com/user/DPhariss/media/Guild%20Fair%202010/P1000502-1.jpg.html?sort=3&o=12
Dan

[Steve Bookout]

Brother Dan, you got a close up of that swivel rifle by any chance?
Cheers, Bookie

[Dphariss]

Brother Dan, you got a close up of that swivel rifle by any chance?
Cheers, Bookie

Should be some in the link at the bottom of the last post or I can email you some.
Its patterned off an original too.
I sent you an Email with 14 pics that should help.
Dan

[Steve Bookout]

Thanks, Dan.  Looking at buying a 60!

[Bob Roller]

Jim,
A few years ago I got behind an old Buick in traffic and the back bumper had a sticker
that said"Warning,I brake for hallucinations". I got beside of it to make a left turn and when I looked
briefly at the young woman driving it,I cold see that the bumper sticker might have been a real warning.
She  was totally wasted and glassy eyed.

Bob Roller

[Bob Roller]

I have a picture of Don King I took at Friendship in 1964. I also went
to an OGCA meeting with him and Bill Large in 1960.He had a Hawken half
stock with him that trip that he was delivering to an Ohio customer.

Bob Roller

[Majorjoel]

I had the opportunity to see a very similar (in Dan's original post)  rifle made by Don King this past weekend at the Lapeer MI gunshow. It received a LOT of attention!  The rifle's owner had brought it to show it to some friends and would not even consider selling. After getting a good look at it, I could fully understand the owners pride in ownership. I consider Don King to be one of the best contemporary makers around.

[Don Getz]

Talk about getting carried away in your work.   I believe that between Don King and Fred Riley, they could produce  one of
John Bivins fantasy rifles that he used to talk about..........solid silver stock with wood inlays.   Not sure one would take a Don
King gun to those weekly shooting matches........Don

[Grizhead]

Majorjoel

The rifle that Dan posted is the same one that I had at Lapeer. Thanks for the comments

[duca]

All I can say is WOW! Beautiful..

[Dphariss]

Talk about getting carried away in your work.   I believe that between Don King and Fred Riley, they could produce  one of
John Bivins fantasy rifles that he used to talk about..........solid silver stock with wood inlays.   Not sure one would take a Don
King gun to those weekly shooting matches........Don

We don't shoot every week but the shooter on the right is holding one of Don's J. Armstrong types. He has also shot a deer with the elaborately decorated swivel in a previous post.
But he more often shoots a Vincent target rifle stocked by a notorious purveyor of hate and discontent.

Dan

[Dphariss]

Thanks, Dan.  Looking at buying a 60!

Hmmm...


Dan

[Steve-In]

That rifle is a work of art.  Just making the trigger guard is a great accomplishment.  Post more please.

[Dphariss]

Don told me today that he sawed the guard from a solid.
He told me that the original rifle(s) two apparently first appeared in a gun magazine in the mid-50s
He stated that they were found in Birminghm AL  and does not agree with Kindig's attribution.
I would love to find whatever magazine they were in.
He also told me he made 2 of these and 2-3 other versions as swivel breeches. He said the later guards were made in pieces and silver soldered together.

So there should be some others out there somewhere.

Dan

[Shreckmeister]

Dan,  Thanks for letting us take a peek at that.  It's beautiful.  What a masterpiece.  Every time I look at it I see something more impressive.
Can't imagine trying to inlet that comb piece.

[realtorone]

Look at  page 448 of Flayderman's  9th  addition  for an almost identical rifle made in Georgia by Wiley Rover Higgins. This may be the one shown in Kindig's book. Fladerman says about 1830.