Hand Carved Hunting Rifle

[Jigstick]

I have a pretty cool project going on. Approximately 2-3yrs in length. That’s finally getting close to completion. I think you guys may find interesting.

It started with a Claro Walnut blank that was gifted to me by a good friend of mine. I previously built a wood gun on another walnut blank that turned out excellent. I built that first rifle for my oldest son. So I decided to build another classic hunting rifle from this blank as well.

I started with all the metal work with the following components:

BAT Machine long action
Bartlein 24in 1:10 twist barrel # 4 contour
Sunny Hill BDL bottom metal
Jewell trigger
Custom Vias style muzzle brake
300 win mag

Next came carving the blank. I’m fortunate enough to be close friends with two very talented local gunsmiths…Dave Bruno from Bruno Precision Rifles…and Brian Swintowsky. Dave did all the metal work. Brian is one of the few guys left in the US that will hand carve a blank. So he got to work on it about 2 weeks ago.

Started with some rough shaping the blank into a Monte Carlo style stock.

I decided to have Brian put in 1/4in of cast off into the stock. I had this done on my first wood gun and it makes the rifle incredibly easy and comfortable to get behind quickly. You can see the cast off here.

Next Brian rubbed the stock a bit with some oil to see what kind of color and grain was popping out.

Here’s a little better picture of the rough shaping and the color potential.

Here Brian put in the comb and a dark walnut 45* end cap. As well as a dark walnut cap on the bottom of the grip.

Rifle was glass and pillar bedded. Then had the first coat sprayed on.

Can really see the grain and color coming out now.

Another coat of spray.

Final coat of spray is on. And the stock is polished now.

Next Brian will do all of the hand checkering, install the sling studs, and decelerator pad.

Once the rifle is completed the plan is to put a few shots down the pipe. Then send all the metal out for Melonite treatment.

More updates to follow as the checkering is being done. Hope you guys can appreciate a carved stock. Not many guys left doing it all by hand like this. It’s a dying art.

 

[sodakhunter]

Wow that is a fantastic walnut specimen! Nice work as well.

 

[FN15]

Excellent work.

 

[Buzzinga]

Amazing! Thanks for sharing

 

[acudaowner]

thanks those pics had me drooling lol beautiful stocks great work

 

[pmclaine]

Very nice!

 

[Moose]

That wood is something special to look at well done.

 

[308pirate]

Stunning work.

Why the spray finish? Why not oil in the wood, which is much easier to repair if the stock gets a ding or scratch?

 

[isofahunter]

Excellent.

 

[Jigstick]

Stunning work.

Why the spray finish? Why not oil in the wood, which is much easier to repair if the stock gets a ding or scratch?

Good question. I don’t know. I let Brian make those decisions. I’ll look into it

 

[308pirate]

Good question. I don’t know. I let Brian make those decisions. I’ll look into it

Interesting. Typically the customer gets a say.

 

[Jigstick]

Interesting. Typically the customer gets a say.

He would do whatever I told him. My first wood gun was done in a similiar fashion and I haven’t had an issue thus far. I will admit if I’m doing any type or hardcore pack in hunting or slugging through brush I tend to take my composite rifles. The wood one gets babied. And used typically from elevated tower blinds over large food plots.

 

[Jigstick]

308

Do you mean like a tongue oil or similiar product? I’ve used tongue oil on my Garand stocks. But they end up feeling slightly tacky

 

[ScarlettRed]

What spray finish are you using on this one? I'm currently working on a laminated stock myself.

 

[DetroitRearView]

I began with a Claro blank on my custom 280 rem 30 years ago and used

BIRCHWOOD CASEY TRU-OIL STOCK FINISH | Brownells

Easy-to-use Tru-Oil brings out the warm, natural beauty of a wood stock and gives it the look of a deep, rich, hand-rubbed finish without the hassle. It requires an average of only three coats and dries so fast - 90 to 120 minutes per coat - that ...

www.brownells.com

 

[Jigstick]

I believe Brian sprays 3M products I’ll ask him exactly what they are

 

[DIBBS]

What a beautiful piece of wood. Wait... can I say that here?

It is becoming a lost art.

Please update the post as you have more details... pictures.

 

[mr45acp2u]

Not something I’ve said to a guy before, but, You’ve got nice wood there.

 

[Bigfatcock]

Very nice. Looks like the pores are nicely filled for a glass smooth finish.

 

[Bigfatcock]

308

Do you mean like a tongue oil or similiar product? I’ve used tongue oil on my Garand stocks. But they end up feeling slightly tacky

They shouldn’t be tacky. What product did you use?

 

[Baron23]

Beautiful stock and I'm very happy for you. As a long time shotgunner, I've been pretty crazy about wood from time to time! haha

This stock was all done by hand.....well, it had a rough machine semi-inlet but looking at your pics, it looks like inletting was done on a mill also, right? And yes, it has a hand rubbed, in the wood, oil finish which is time consuming PIA to do. This gun was a modest project that got utterly out of hand! haha

My competition shotguns...well, really really pretty much every other shotgun except this and a one other, def have polyurethane as it is fairly unassailable and yes, they can be fixed up...... but perhaps not as easily as an oil finish.

A lot of stock smiths seem to be using polymerized oil like Permalyn or Pro Custom as they are a more resilient to wear and weather.

https://laurelmountainforge.com/finish_instruction.htm

But back to your stock...its beautiful and I wish you many years of happy shooting with it.

 

[Californio]

Absolutely beautiful, outstanding craftsmanship.

 

[Bigfatcock]

Beautiful stock and I'm very happy for you. As a long time shotgunner, I've been pretty crazy about wood from time to time! haha

This stock was all done by hand.....well, it had a rough machine semi-inlet but looking at your pics, it looks like inletting was done on a mill also, right? And yes, it has a hand rubbed, in the wood, oil finish which is time consuming PIA to do. This gun was a modest project that got utterly out of hand! haha

View attachment 7790696

My competition shotguns...well, really really pretty much every other shotgun except this and a one other, def have polyurethane as it is fairly unassailable and yes, they can be fixed up...... but perhaps not as easily as an oil finish.

A lot of stock smiths seem to be using polymerized oil like Permalyn or Pro Custom as they are a more resilient to wear and weather.

https://laurelmountainforge.com/finish_instruction.htm

But back to your stock...its beautiful and I wish you many years of happy shooting with it.

Even standard polyurethane is quite durable. Especially if you build the finish into/ onto the wood. Heck, you can even finish a rifle very nice with bar top finish thinned with acetone.

Hand rubbed oil finishes are very nice, but as you said, time consuming and a lot of work.

Beautiful shotgun!

And to echo your sentiment, I hope the OP enjoys a lot of years with his rifle!

 

[Baron23]

Even standard polyurethane is quite durable.

Ah, yes...I see my writing was not that clear. IMO, poly is the most durable. I was referencing polymerized oils as being more durable that just traditional oils and supposedly a bit easier to work with so it seems to me that the polymerized oils is very popular now for use where an in the wood oil finish is called for.

Thanks!!

 

[Bigfatcock]

Ah, yes...I see my writing was not that clear. IMO, poly is the most durable. I was referencing polymerized oils as being more durable that just traditional oils and supposedly a bit easier to work with so it seems to me that the polymerized oils is very popular now for use where an in the wood oil finish is called for.

Thanks!!

I agree 100%.

 

[Jigstick]

He said he sprays a sealer on the wood. No oil or stains. Then it gets a protective harder top coat that he polishes and buffs.

I need some recommendations for a classy optic for this rifle. Nothing too big or obnoxious. Like a 3-12x44 or 3-15x50. I was considering the following one

 

[Bigfatcock]

I’d try to find an older Leupold Gold ring with gloss finish.

 

[Jigstick]

Decelerator pad installed today. Checkering next.

 

[Jigstick]

Started the hand checkering today. Tedious.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Stunning work!!!

Wow!

Sirhr

 

[Temper]

He said he sprays a sealer on the wood. No oil or stains. Then it gets a protective harder top coat that he polishes and buffs.

I need some recommendations for a classy optic for this rifle. Nothing too big or obnoxious. Like a 3-12x44 or 3-15x50. I was considering the following one

Schmidt & Bender Klassik 3-12 or 4-16.

 

[dzeke]

That is a stunning stock and impressive Craftsmanship! While I love black rifles and modern precision rifles, my roots are in traditional shotgun sports where wood and blued steel are still king. There is nothing better than a hand crafted stock with an exquisite wood blank such as this!

 

[Jim B in CO]

Fantastic work! That may be the nicest piece of walnut I've ever seen.

 

[Jigstick]

More checkering done. Going to start on the forend here soon.

 

[Bigfatcock]

Beautiful! I’d love to know what his first coat was that filled/sealed the pores that well.

 

[Jigstick]

He said a 3M sealer. I’ll ask for the specific product name. The closest thing I can describe it as would be the finish in a violin , cello, guitar, etc

 

[Bigfatcock]

It’d be great to know, but if it’s something he doesn’t want divulged then. I definitely understand. For me to get a glass finish like that I use a clear grain filler.

Thank you for the photos, it’s nice to see the work of a craftsman from the raw material to a finished product. You are going to have a very beautiful heirloom!

 

[greentick]

After that cracked scope thread this is a breath of fresh air...

Thanks for taking the time to put up the pics and description. All the wood in my safe is CMP GI Beatdown finish and I keep telling myself I need something like this. Fantastic.

 

[Boatninja]

Inspirational

 

[Jigstick]

Stock is done. All the checkering turned out phenomenal. I’m really happy with the grain pattern and color. Now I need to shoot some bullets through the pipe to break it in before I can send it out for melonite.

 

[spife7980]

Don’t smudge it with any finger prints! Artfully well done

 

[Bigfatcock]

Stunning! If you don’t already have some, order you a can of renaissance wax.

 

[M77]

That is a beautiful piece! Well done

 

[louu]

This might be the coolest thing I've seen on this forum

 

[louu]

When the melonite is all finished can you get some pictures out in the daylight?

 

[Jigstick]

When the melonite is all finished can you get some pictures out in the daylight?

Absolutely. I have to put my trigger, follower, and spring in yet. Fire some shots. Then I’m sending the barrel and bottom metal back to BAT to have them do the melonite. Probably a month turn around time for that. Once it’s all back together I’ll take some photos with my DSLR and post them. My youngest son is going to be ecstatic with this.

I can’t thank my buddys enough. They are real craftsman. Dave’s chamberings are just phenomenal. And Brian’s carving skills speak for themself. Very talented gunsmiths.

 

[sirhrmechanic]

View attachment 7805723

Stock is done. All the checkering turned out phenomenal. I’m really happy with the grain pattern and color. Now I need to shoot some bullets through the pipe to break it in before I can send it out for melonite.

Did you use aqua fortis on the stock to bring out the grain?

Your checkering work is stunning. Having tried it, I can say that it is a horribly difficult thing to learn and get right…. People spend years trying to get… decent. That is amazing, complicated and perfect checkering! Incredible.

Folks who can do compound curves… true artists. That rifle is stunning.

Sirhr

 

[629-4]

That is a work of art. I think it’s easy to forget these days that some guns are made by craftsman.

 

[Jigstick]

It really is a special thing. Having a stock hand fit for you…like a well tailored suit. You just can’t get that with the composite stocks. It’s a dying art. I really hope these old timers can find some younger guys to pass these skills on to.

 

[Bigfatcock]

Air dried walnut has such a beautiful color. Wonderful grain on that stock.