JP Beck build - architecture advice please

[archer829]

I actually started working on this rifle over 15 years ago, put it away on the day my twins were born 14 years ago, and finally started working on it again about 3 months ago. 

I consider it a "custom" JP Beck, based on his style but made to fit me, so it is maybe a bit longer in the butt and skinnier than the real deals, and I am picking my favorite features from various existing Becks and fusing them into this rifle, so it is not supposed to be a copy of any one work of his. 

Building one of these without ever actually having held one is tough, but one nice part about my 14 year vacation from the build is that there are now a lot more pictures and angled shots of Beck rifles available compared to before, and that has really helped me with the shaping.

With that being said, I am finally nearing the point of carving and final cheekpiece shaping, and I wanted to get opinions on architecture changes or corrections before it is too late to make fixes.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
Jeff

[Ed Wenger]

Hi Jeff, and welcome “back” to the community!  Looks pretty dang good to me, nice crisp work, but I think it would be beneficial to have some profile photos.  For me, it’s kind of difficult to judge with the oblique photos.


          Ed

[archer829]

Thanks for the welcome!  Here are some different angles:

[Stophel]

Looks very good, but I think the buttplate looks too wide for the gun (which may just be a perspective thing...), and the cheekpiece protrudes out way too much at the rear.

Here's the real thing.  In the shot showing the toe plate, you can see how the butt isn't flared out that much, and you can also see the cheekpiece from the bottom, how low it is, and how "soft" the treatment of the underside.
https://www.morphyauctions.com/jamesdjulia/item/2274-391/

On this one you get a good view of the cheekpiece, but not a top down or bottom up.
https://www.morphyauctions.com/jamesdjulia/item/lot-2370-outstanding-relief-carved-jp-beck-rifle-49723/

Here's a thread here with pictures of the "Washington" Beck rifle.
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=5099.0

[archer829]

Thank you for the advice! 

The "underneath" photo I posted above was taken at too much of an angle and made the toe look fatter than it really is.  I've attached a better picture below.  It still shows a widening stock as you get out toward the buttplate, though.  (The buttplate on mine is 1-7/8" at its widest point.)

The other picture posted below has been my only view of the bottom of the butt end of an original Beck until now, and after looking at your links, I am wondering which is more typical for a Beck rifle...a triangle shaped butt like the photo of the original below or more parallel-sided like the photo in your link.

No matter which way I go, though, I can see that I need to lower the back of the cheek (but I'm afraid the stock won't fit me as well!), and I think I also need to make the bottom lines--running from the back of the trigger guard to the toe--more parallel to each other instead of diverging somewhat as they are on mine.

Thanks again!
Jeff



 

[Stophel]

Ah, the buttplate looks much more normal now!  It looked like it was 2 1/2" wide before!     As a general rule, the earlier the gun, the wider the buttplate, so some Beck guns have wider butts than others.

[archer829]

 

This will have a wood patchbox and is intended to be more like his earlier work, so is it ok for the bottom lines running from the rear of the trigger guard to the toe to diverge a little, or should they be perfectly parallel to each other? 

Thanks again!
Jeff

[Mike Brooks]

This will have a wood patchbox and is intended to be more like his earlier work, so is it ok for the bottom lines running from the rear of the trigger guard to the toe to diverge a little, or should they be perfectly parallel to each other? 

Thanks again!
Jeff

The toe is fine the way you have it, I would not change it. The cheek piece needs cut down some as you already know. I wouldn't leave the bottom along the stock rounded, I'd square that up. Other wise, you have done a super job.

[archer829]

Thanks for the help!   Jeff

[Cory Joe Stewart]

Beautiful work.  I think the comb could be rounded a little bit.  It seems "sharp" to my eyes.

Cory Joe Stewart

[archer829]

Thank you!

Your comment brings up one of the main things I've wondered about....how sharp (or not sharp) was that transition from top to side on the comb, when Beck first made them?  On some pictures, if the light is right, it looks like there is a definite demarcation between top and comb, and others are completely rounded over like a modern shotgun.

For now, I think I will take off just a small amount of sharpness and maybe a bit more later on.

Thanks again,
Jeff