doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Carved Stocks Not For Everyone!

Here is a recent stock carving job by Steve Nelson,Corvallis,Oregon on a D M Lefever cross bolt gun.

Terry That one is beautiful

Jerry

Is that an original pattern on a restored gun?

I like the ones that are fairly simple with good design elements. Of course "good design" is always in the eye of the beholder.

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This photo is a Ballard I was able to obtain several years ago. I have never seen another like it. The stock and butt plate appears to be old, and are serial numbered to all the other Ballard parts. I always liked the elegance and the simplicity of the design.

As an Art Form carving the woodwork on a rifle may be impressive and the craftsman very skilled, but I have to concur with BrentD, less is more. I'll go as far as checkering with or without a border. I'd never buy a rifle with a carved stock I'd be too scared it got damaged. It's something you would never see on rifles made by the few remaining British gunmakers unless it was ordered by a foreign potentate, or, dare I say it, an American. I don't mean that as an insult, it's just we Brits don't really go in for that sort of thing, perhaps we're too reserved. A little engraving on the metalwork Yes, but carving on the woodwork sadly no JMPO others will differ. I'm so conservative that I don't much favour cheek pieces on a rifles butt stock.

Harry

The Lefever was a restocked, rusty gun. The cross bolt guns were made in Qualities 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 0. I decided to make what I thought a 2 might have been, and this is the result.

Total production of the cross bolts was about 1250 guns from 1902 through 1906. Since this one was no longer close to a collectible, it seemed like a great foundation for a custom project.

Now there is my Ballard again. It is the finest Ballard ever in my opinion. How Roy sold that w/o telling me, I'll never know.

Brent

All-
While the thread title is "carved stocks not for everyone", clearly a study of pre-war sporting rifles must include them. While they are not contemporary, it seems that they were a carry over from earlier styles. We need to keep in mind that many of the early makers were immigrants to this country. What is the correlation from the work or style to the makers age and time in America? I like them. Particularly the G&H full stock and the Steve Munier (Ok all of them).

I really like the Ballard, do you feel the stock was done at Marlin or later?


I know the "China" stock is not most folks cup of tea (Pun intended) but it's very well done and looks a lot better in person.

The rife has been separated from the stock so if you happen to run across it let me know I would like to reunite them.


Picture from Art of Engraving: by James B. Meek