Stockmaking Services

The Term, "Best Gun" was coined by the British Gunmakers of the late 19th and early 20th century, to refer to the very ultimate in gun craftsmanship and art, and is the tradition I try to embody in all my guns. A "Best" grade gun must be a blend of utility and art, designed and crafted to fulfill it's function consummately, and yet shaped and finished to be a thing of beauty. Thus, for example, in the area of shaping, the grip must fit the hand perfectly, giving support and control to the trigger finger, yet be slim enough to aid in pointing the gun and strong enough to absorb recoil. It must at the same time have grace and beauty, blending and joining the flow of form and line in the forearm with that of the buttstock. This blending of utility and art in the shaping process of the stock applies to all other aspects of the gun as well. Inletting must be precise to blend metal and wood, and properly done to give good accuracy. Checkering must provide good grip and be designed and executed to understate and accent stock form and line, as well as wood grain and figure. Finish must be durable and waterproof while at the same time bring out the color and figure of the wood without being gaudy. All metal work must be sharp and precise with no polished off edges, buffed off screws or buffed out screw holes. Screws must be "timed", metal checkering sharp and precise, and metal shaping and contouring pleasing to the eye while being appropriate to the caliber and purpose of the gun. Of course accuracy and smooth functioning are of paramount importance. Such things as action facing, internal polishing, chambering, headspacing, muzzle crowning, sight installation and alignment must be perfect. To really be a "Best Gun", the last 10% of effort must be devoted to perfecting every detail of every aspect of the gun. Without this devotion to detail, it is just not a "Best Gun".

Each gun is, of course, a custom gun in that it is designed and built to the client's specifications. I may make suggestions which my experience has taught me may improve the utility and/or beauty of the gun, but in the end it will be the client who will dictate each aspect. Before work is begun, basic dimensions and styling will be discussed, with reference being given to fitting the physique and shooting style of the individual, as well as the basic use to which the gun will be put. Type and grade of wood, type of hardware, caliber, barrel length and rate of twist, type of sights, checkering pattern and coverage and shaping figures will be done at this time. Fitting of stock dimensions to the shooters physique and shooting style should of course be done in person for best effect. However, at least for a rifle, a very satisfactory job of dimension taking can be done by the client himself with proper direction.

While I am primarily a stockmaker and prefer to devote my time and effort to this aspect of gunmaking, I am also a competent metalsmith and will either find a top grade metal smith to do any necessary work, or will do the work myself. In any case, as a gunmaker I will oversee all aspects of the completed project to ensure that everything is properly done and that it all molds together. I keep a number of high quality blanks on hand for use on my client's guns. I will also work with the client's blank if it is suitable. Circassian walnut is of course, the wood of choice in any fine rifle or shotgun as it is harder, finer and smaller pored, works and checkers better, is frequently lighter and more stable than any other wood. It is, however, becoming increasingly scarce and expensive, particularly in the higher grades. I firmly believe, however, that a fine rifle or shotgun deserves a fine piece of wood and it just doesn't make sense to skimp in this area.

A top quality rifle or shotgun can easily require hundreds of hours of machining, meticulous hand fitting, polishing, shaping and finishing. As a result a fairly considerable monetary investment is required; however, from the standpoint of value, appreciation, practical utility and pride of ownership of a finely crafted firearm, it is a very excellent investment.

While delivery time varies, I am at present projecting delivery of completed works at six?? months from receipt of completed metal.

Basic stocking charge includes the cost to inlet, shape, finish, furnish, and fit standard recoil pad, furnish and fit standard grip cap such as Brownell, furnish and fit standard sling swivels, checker 24 LPI, multi-point pattern, 2 panel at grip and wrapping aroung the forearm. Items such as fine line checkering, full length stocks, octagon inletting, and other items not listed will be additional and priced individually.