English Sporting Gun Photos

[Jerry]

Curtis, Fine piece of work. Excellent detail. Over the top workmanship. Jerry

[Phip]

I was so bummed to miss Ron's class that year in Bowlingreen I had to buy the prototype Staudemayer he had you guys working from.  Excellent rendition.  And as others have already observed, a true joy to shoot.  Your graphics aren't bad either.... 

[Curtis]

Wow guys, I guess I should have logged on sooner, so many nice comments!  Thanks for all the kind words, I put a lot into making that gun and it's very nice to hear that others appreciate the finished product!

There were a few questions among the comments, so I will try to answer them - and would be happy to try and answer any other questions you may have.

Very nice gun, how did you archive the damast coloring on the barrel

Thanks Hawkeye, and a detailed description of the process can be found here: https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=53287.0

did you use a similar wood finishing technique to the AH rifle?

Justin, looks like the rifle you are working on will be a great project.  I agree with Taylor that the gun might benefit by shortening the horn cap a bit, the original in your photo looks a bit shorter than yours.  When looking at photos you can get an idea of size by using a set of dividers and comparing with some feature such as barrel width etc.

Now to answer the question - I used a similar finishing technique to what I did on the Alexander Henry rifle, only I didn't have the Antique Oil Finish at that time and used an old can of Watkins Danish Oil finish I had instead (probably 20 years old) , made back when it had some polyurethane in it.  I put a few drops of LMF maple stain in a small dish of finish and applied that to the wood.  I had originally started with Chambers oil, but the finish was too soft, most likely as a result of me not waiting long enough between coats.  So I took that off and started over with the Danish oil.  Lesson learned - don't rush a finish job!

I was so bummed to miss Ron's class that year in Bowlingreen I had to buy the prototype Staudemayer he had you guys working from.  Excellent rendition.  And as others have already observed, a true joy to shoot.  Your graphics aren't bad either.... 

Phip, it's good to know where that gun ended up!  Sorry you couldn't be in the class!

Curtis

[Justin Urbantas]

I really like how well the finish turned out on it. I've got scraps from my stock that I'm going to try some different finishes out. I have Watco Danish oil to try, and tung oil, Tru oil,  Walnut stain. Experiments to come.
I have been hemming and hawing about that nose cap since Taylor mentioned it. It was a silly oversight on my part.  I will shorten it and get new under ribs for the barrels.  It's a matter of $60 and a few extra hours of my time to get it right.

[Curtis]

Nice Curtis!  The stub twist etching looks great and the case is perfect for the gun both in style and materials.  Did you buy baize from Hainesworth or from Dyson?  As far as shooting, anyone familiar with these guns knows the stock design is the best ever for a hunting gun.  Great project and really nice photos!

dave

Thanks for the comments Dave!  I forgot to answer your question - I was in a rush to get the materials and ended up ordering the wool baize from a billiards supply vendor on Amazon.  It arrived in just a couple of days after ordering and was quite economical.

Curtis

[kudu]

Curtis:
 I can't  tell you how much I like this gun its just spectacular!!!
 I would like to try to make one myself one day but Im cash poor and Time deprived. My skill level is also not as High as yours but I need to try Harder I guess.

[Ed Wenger]

Curtis..., I had forgotten about this one!  The photos show the exceptional quality, but I was in awe when I saw it in person.  Incredible attention to detail in all facets, even the box.  Great job, and thanks for finally posting some photos!  Best,


             Ed

[Curtis]

Thanks guys! Once again I am flattered.

Kudu, the secret to doing the best work your are capable is to set the bar to a significantly higher level that what you are comfortable with, then learn what it takes to achieve hitting that bar.  Anything that falls short is a valuable lesson learned, but you will be surprised at just how much you can accomplish.  I attempted a number of new things on this gun that were beyond anything I had done before.  There were a number of things I had to do over one or more times, and I still see lots of things that could have been better.  I learned a great deal in the process however, including many things that will be approached in a different manner in the future.  Persistence usually pays in the end, so push yourself and ask lots of questions along the way!

Just my 2 cents worth,
Curtis

[Lori Ann]

That is one of the most beautiful guns I have ever seen. The engraving is amazing. I read the tutorial on how you did the barrels, they look really great. How did you blue the rest of the steel on the gun? I would be very interested in finding out, I am about to do all the steel on a turkey gun I am building. Please let me know.
Thanks, Gary

[Lori Ann]

Curtis, that is one of the most beautiful guns I have ever seen. The engraving is incredible and the barrels are awesome. I read the tutorial on how to do the finish, very involved. Could you tell me how you blued the rest of the steel. I am about ready to finish a turkey gun and think that would be a great way to blue it . Please let me know.
Thanks, Gary

[flatsguide]

Cutis, that is very lovely work on your English Sporter. Part of the discussion touched on forend/horn length. What really caught my eye on the photo that Justin used as a reference, was the wedding ring one the entry pipe was right below the wedding band on the barrel. See the photo Justin post in post number 23 on previous page.
Cheers Richard

[Curtis]

Thanks Gary!  I used Brownell's Oxpho blue as the primary blue on the balance of the steel parts, and a few drops of 44-40 blue here and there.  I did not just apply the blue as one normally would...  I did a normal coat of bluing as per the instructions, then applied splotches of bluing with a saturated cotton patch, then used an eye dropper to apply drops of acetone and/or water to give the metal a varied coloration, giving the metal more of a vaguely color cased appearance.  Let the bluing/water or acetone solution set on the metal a while before wiping off with a paper towel until desired color is achieved.  Then I oiled the metal with Break-Free gun oil and let it sit at least overnight.  When it works properly the process gives color variations of blues, purples and straw colors. 

The best thing to do is to polish up some steel and experiment until you get an effect you like.  The process works with most quality cold blues, I like the color and durablity of Oxpho and 44-40.

Curtis

[Curtis]

Cutis, that is very lovely work on your English Sporter. Part of the discussion touched on forend/horn length. What really caught my eye on the photo that Justin used as a reference, was the wedding ring one the entry pipe was right below the wedding band on the barrel. See the photo Justin post in post number 23 on previous page.
Cheers Richard

Thanks you Richard.  The forend/horn length I used on my sporting gun was very close to that of the original Staudenmayer gun. but not exactly the same, I shortened mine a smidgen or so.  The purpose for that was simple: The gun is fitted for two barrels, one swamped octagon, one octagon to round.  The barrels are profiled identically up to the point of the wedding band on the octagon to round barrel.  In order to make both barrels fit the forend perfectly, the forend cannot extend past the wedding band.  Hope that makes sense, but let me know if my explanation is clear as mud. 

Curtis

[flatsguide]

Curtis, my apologies if my post came across as a criticism, it was not meant to be. But thank you for the clarification, it does make sense.
Cheers Richard

[Curtis]

Richard - no worries, didn't take it as criticism!  It was a great question actually - and something I never even thought about before I took the class as I hadn't ever built a gun with interchangeable barrels.  Reading about it might save folks some grief if they ever build something similar. 

Curtis

[Lori Ann]

Curtis, thanks for the information I will have to experiment with that so I will be ready for my next build.
Thanks, Gary

[Daryl]

While this is a slightly older thread, I thought to resurrect it.
I did win a trap shoot with this "borrowed" gun, some years ago.
I'm thinking this old blister (owned by a close friend) might be nice with a replacement rifled barrel, made to the specs of it's smoothbore.
The current barrel is .75 cal. A rifle bl. in 16 bore would be about perfect, I think.

[smylee grouch]

It might be an older thread but its still a real treat to look over again. 

[HighUintas]

Yes, thank you. It's beautiful work! Maybe missing something though.... Like my fingerprints.