Doug,

Few words have been typed more true than Lefevers being a real tough stock job for most pros or semi-pros and all beginers. I did two Lefever 20's last year and learned that they were two of the hardest guns that I have done. Right now I am in the middle of a 12 restock job and think that I might loose my mind before I am satisfied. Those trim Lefever wrist are very hard to get just right but they feel so good when done.

The first 50 gunstocks I did were a cake walk, mostly boxlocks with just a few LC Smiths in the mix. In that mix I bet that I scrapped five blanks and should have scrapped another five before I was done. Sometimes the job was done the hard way in hindsight. My first ejector splinter foreend was a real eye opener for details of fitting in three or more directions at one time.

You get one chance to inlet that top tang. Mess up and you do not just move everything back and do it again. If your mistake is noticable to you, then you might as well get another blank and start over. The stocker is his own worst critic.

That said, if you think about it, this might be the perfect job for a precision inletting machine to do most of the rough work. Have the head of the stock, top tang ect., and the sideplates inlet to within .010 on one of the CNC or Hoening machines. Then do the rest by hand. The back end of the stock would be left in the square state so custom deminsions could be done to suit the individual. If one good pattern was made one of the stock duplicators should be able to run a dozen blanks at a time to get us in the ball park. The labor savings and cost saving should be a decent amount.

I have three RBLs on order and if this gets to a real production and delivery state at least one and possible more of them will get cancelled for one or more of these. I am getting to the point in life where I suspect I have more desire than time and intend to enjoy what I can before my big after life garage sale that my family will have after I am gone. I may not spend all my kids inhertance but I intend to spend at least the interest.

Most people who have to farm out the work are going to be near $10,000.00 for a nicely finished gun that will be a real gun of a lifetime. Out of many peoples price range. But then again have they looked at having a "best/bespoken" gun made for them like we are. Go to any maker in England and $10,000.00 is the down payment not the total amount.

People need to think of this as a pay as you go, "bespoken" gun. So if the basic action and barrels cost $4-5-6,000.00 then the rest is done as you can afford to do it. Stock this year, engrave next year, finish the metal the third year. For many this is the only way that they will ever get a gun of their dreams. A few here can afford to drop whatever they wish into a project and to them I say great. To the others, I say Ken has given you a chance for a dream.