preview. jaeger rifle to come

[jerrywh]

The shield is not copper it is 14K pink gold. It is not soft soldered on.
 This rifle will be at the Firearms engravers guild show in Vegas this coming January.
 

[JTR]

Are you going to be in Vegas with it?

John

[jerrywh]

 If I live that long I will be there. I never take life for granted.

[smart dog]

Hi Jerry,
That is unbelievable!!  The designs are elaborate but very attractive and tasteful, which combined with your exquisite workmanship, brings the whole package together with an incredible WOW factor.  Jerry, your work always has an authentic feel to me.  It could come right out of Piraube's, Gruche's, or Boutet's workshops.  There are several contemporary makers who do really elaborate sculpting and engraving but so much of it looks to me like contemporary design work placed on something trying to look old.  Yours is the only highly decorated work of which I am aware that really captures an authentic vintage feel  Is this for some Saudi prince or a Wall Street investment banker? 

dave

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Lord have mercy!!!

[Stuartg]

Wow, I'm afraid to post any pics of my work now. Anyone wanna follow that up?

Incredible work!

[SuperCracker]

As always, a level of work to aspire to.

[mr. no gold]

Jerry, we looked for you at the last Winter, LV show, but you couldn't make it. So, we all stood around and talked about you. If you show this time, we will apologize for the things that were said in your absence, (I speak of JTR here, of course). So we'll find you and most especially to see this diamond that you are bringing down. Beautiful work!!!
Dick

[Tom Currie]

Jerry. That's amazing. Can't wait to see your progress.

[tlallijr]

That is amazing.....I feel like a caveman when I look at what some of you here build.

[gunmaker]

jerrywh, is everybody able to get into that show in January ?   

[Acer Saccharum]

Jerry, this is just an incredible piece of workmanship and artistry. I do not recall seeing anyone tackling work of this complexity like this in the last two centuries. Not only did you do the work, but you had to discover HOW to do it. The teachers have been dead for 200 years.

I am astounded.

[kaintuck]

Pretty fancy, I would like to see that show, but I hear they make you wear shoes to enter.....and being from Kentucky....well, you can imagine my problems being around such fancy guns, and having to have shoes on...
Marc n tomtom

[jerrywh]

 Anybody can get into that show for $20.00. Also at that show is the Beinfield Antique gun show. It is One of the largest antique gun shows in the world. The FEGA exhibit is the largest gathering of firearms engravers in the world.  You must have on shoes and have $20.00 that's about it. It is at the Riviera Casino and hotel on January 23 through the 25th 2015.
  Part of the engraving on this barrel was inspired by a gun in the Jaeger book that Jim Chambers sells. It was a request by my client . I did alter the design some as I do not like exact copies. I was weary about using different colored gold but discovered that it was used in the 18th Century to some extent on German guns and maybe   Russian and French.

[Curtis]

Holy Toledo Jerry!  That is just over the top.  Must have a couple of hours invested there...  Very nice work!  I'm not sure I will live long enough to learn how to do that kind of work.

Curtis

[Scott Bumpus]

WOW  just  WOW

[WKevinD]

How can anyone learn to do that!
Beautiful!

[Captchee]

Out standing work as always .
 I need to get over   your way and see that first hand . out standing sir , simply outstanding
 January is a bad time , but I would sure like to go to the Guild show .

 Gunmaker ,  I should have a hand full of FEGA  show fliers around here somewhere  or you could go to our website  for more info

[Long John]

Jerry,

I have NEVER seen anything of that caliber of workmanship - ever!  I am gaberflasted!

Your work is such an inspiration!

Best Regards,

JMC

[Daryl]

Tom pretty much summed it up - perfectly!

[t.caster]

I can't imagine any finer gun work anywhere. I can't wait to see the rest of the Jaeger.

[JBJ]

Totally in a class by itself!!
J.B.

[Thawk]

I see some good work on here and I think..  With practice and experience I can get there, not on this one.  I thought "#@!! $#@*"  That is spectacular.   

[WadePatton]

Jerry,

I have NEVER seen anything of that caliber of workmanship - ever!  I am gaberflasted!

Your work is such an inspiration!

Best Regards,

JMC

took the words from my mouth.  

i "shared" on the FB, hope OP doesn't mind.


Now on to that front sight.  Is it still under construction?  I nearly expect to see jewels set in.  Is this work all by hand or is powered tooling also used?

pardon my ignorance, just beginning to learn about the actual actions of engraving...

[jerrywh]

 Wade Patton
  What is the FB ?  The front sight is all done as is the rear. I didn't have them installed at the time the photo was taken. They coincide  with the barrel decorations. At the time this photo was taken I had not yet figured out how to install the rear sight without scratching the heat blued barrel.  A top modern gun maker and long time friend of mine  named Steve Nelson told me how to do it.  You put regular photo film under the sight when installing. The engraving and chisel work was done with a gravermach and hand tools about 50/50. Lots of jewelers saw work also. 
 One of the hardest parts is doing the stepped moldings and panels. I would like to say that there was at least one engraver in Germany 250 years ago that was better than I am. Considering the tools he had it is unbelievable the work they did. I am positive they had real good magnification. Also he had some very fine tools. Some of the work they did was impossible with anything less. There was an engraver equal to them who was still alive 20 years ago and that was Frank Hendrix.