Chambers Silver Mounted English Sporting Rifle

[Ed Wenger]

I guess I’m jumping on the Curtis and Dave English gun band wagon!  This is a Chambers English Sporting Rifle that Barbie tempted me with a couple years ago..., thanks Barbie!  It was especially tempting since she had the silver butt piece, guard, and side plate.  At any rate, I’ve been working on it here and there for the last several months, and here are the results.  It’s probably a little more decorative than most English Sporting Rifles, so my apologies to the more “traditionalists”.  The ram rod pipes were fashioned from sheet silver.  The stock was finished with a combination of checkering oil and Alkanet Root varnish.  I also scrubbed the stock with rotten stone and paraffin oil to cut the gloss.  The barrel was heat blued.  I was going for an effect that I saw in a photo (included), which I didn’t quite achieve, but decided not to alter, or “fix”.  Anyway, here it is...   I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have, or comments.  Best,

      Ed






This is the effect I was going for with the fire blue.  I’ll live with what I got.

[tallbear]

Beautiful work Ed,Love it!!!!

Mitch

[Kingsburyarms]

Wonderful work Ed - Wow - Thank you for posting - the inlay and designs are spectacular -

Jon 

[rich pierce]

Stunner! If I call you Monte by mistake take it as a compliment (Mandarino).

[FALout]

Nothing to be ashamed of there, that is one fine rifle. 

[P.Bigham]

Superb artistic workmanship. Thanks for posting.

[smylee grouch]

Presentation grade plus! Is that side plate inlet only at the bolts and surface mounted otherwise?

[smart dog]

Hi Ed,
Fantastic.  The engraving, inlay, and wire work are superb.  I love mythical creatures and monsters.  They add such a classic touch.  Your rococo shell is the same design I intend to use on the officer's fusil.  I like the ones that roll in from a side.  Ed, one trick that I found worked for the heat bluing is letting the barrel cool a bit so you can handle it and then polish it with rottenstone and raw linsed oil.  The oil will darken the blue if the barrel is warm.  Clean it off and degrease, and then heat blue again and repeat the polish.  I think you will find that the color deepens and evens if you do that.  Great gun by one of the best!!

dave

[TommyG]

Ed, what can one say, that is just over the top!!!

[J. Talbert]

Excellent piece.  Love the wire, inlays and engraving, not to mention that tasty little tang carving.
Just gorgeous, not gaudy.

Jeff

[James Rogers]

Super nice work Ed!
I had the same issues as you did on the barrel.
Definitely easier to do smaller pieces ; )

[Ed Wenger]

Thanks!

Smylee..., the side plate is inlet into the wood.

Dave, thanks...., and thanks for the tip!

James..., I like your barrel better!  That’s kind of what I was shooting for, a lighter blue with some more colors thrown in.  Nice!

Thanks again all,

       Ed

[acorn20]

Never tire of looking at your work Ed.  Simply beautiful.  Thanks for posting.
Dan

[flatsguide]

Very very nice! I like your engraving, both execution and design; it gives me some ideas for my English Sporter.
Cheers Richard

[Pukka Bundook]

Immaculate work Ed.  Beautifully done!

So Clean, Silver wire is beatiful. 
Congrats on such fine work!

[Curtis]

Wonderful gun Ed!  She sure is a beauty.  Your engraving and wire inlay are over the top - your engraving gets better and better with each gun you do!  Are you still chasing with hammer and chisel? I have some alkanet oil and am looking forward to trying it, love the results you got from it.

What caliber is the rifle?

Curtis

[Lucky R A]

Hi Ed,  What can I say that has not been already said.  I have watched you develop into one of the very best.  God blessed you with exceptional skill---a much less stressful life  right.

Ron

[alex e.]

Amazingly beautiful!!

[bama]

Ed great job all around, I always enjoy seeing your work and this one is definitely a work of art.

[Rolf]

Fantasic work of art!!! Love the wire and engraving.

Best regards
Rolf

[WKevinD]

Stunning.


Kevin

[Ed Wenger]

Thanks!

Curtis..., who do you think I am, Mitch Yates !😂.   A lot of the shading was done with hand (push) engraving, but the vast majority was done with a Lindsay palm engraver...

Ron..., thanks, I’m certainly very thankful for whatever skills the good Lord has blessed me with, along with so many other things.

Thanks again!


           Ed

[guido]

Amazing Ed, I'm fortunate to see this in progress and then the final. Incredible!

[davec2]

Edward,

Another triumph !!!  I have only built one kit gun and it was the same Chambers English rifle......lovely lines and just a nice gun to carry.  Yours is magnificent with the silver hardware and your precise work.  Bravo Zulu !!!!!

I understand the heat bluing you were looking for.  That kind of blue is generated by a reaction between the steel and the oxygen in the air at about 550 degrees F.  To control that more precisely, and to try to make that kind of heat bluing more durable, I am building a long copper tube heat chamber that a barrel can be placed in.  The tube is heated electrically and the temperature over the full length can be controlled fairly precisely.  At the same time, pure oxygen (100%) can be bled through the tube rather than just relying on atmospheric oxygen (~20% of the air).  I'll let you know how it works when I get it done.

Again, congratulations on a beautiful rifle !

[Jim Chambers]

Ed,
I knew you could do justice with that nice piece of wood, and you certainly lived up to my expectations.
I have one of these already assembled with all silver mounts and an even better piece of wood.  I only hope I can do as good a job with the artwork as you did. Congrats!