Now it starts!

[Charles]

0ops! This should be on the general discussion forum. I redid it there.

[Hobie]

I can't wait to see the finished project. Those classic sporters are wonderuful.

[Charles]

[Charles]

The brown truck delivered to me a package from E.R. Shaw yesterday. It contained a good double heat treated 1903 Springfield action (1921) with a spanking new 24 inch 1-12 twist, 30-06 barrel.

Now I have to marry it, to a very nice piece of feather crotch black walnut that is twenty five years off the stump. It is sitting looking at me in a huge slab that looks nothing like rifle stock.

When it is all done, it should look something like a classic Bob Owen Springfield sporter with a 15 1/4 lop for my very tall son. I suspect this will be my last project and hope God gives me the time to get it done. I expect it will take a year or more if my past work ethic is any measure of such things.

I will clean off some space on the bench and take a pic of the metal perched on top of the wood to remind me where it all started.

If anybody is interested I send the action to Shaw on 5/11/09 and received it back 2/16/2010

[Blaine]

I sincerely hope you have reason to believe you have much more than a year left...

[deerwhacker444]

Neat, be sure to take plenty of pics for posting so some of us Hacks can see the correct way to put a rifle together.

[Charles]

I don't know about the correct way and that term "hack" comes to close to be comfortable . I will cobble it together, and after 50 years of piddling with rifles, stocks and the like, it should bear a reasonable resemblance to a rifle when it is done. It sure won't be on the next cover of Gun Digest.

[Griff]

Methinks do yourself a disservice, Sir. I have every confidence in yer abilities!

[KCSO]

Don't sweat the inletting and such, just cut off everything that doesn't look like a gun stock! I use to have Alvin Linden's book on stockmaking and it had pictures of him shaping a blank from the plank with a carpenter's hatchet. He claimed it only took him 20 minutes to rough out a stock. I tried it ONCE!

[Borregos]

Definitely looking forward to the progress reports on this one

[Charles]

I have the Linden book and that pic with him going at a blank with a hatched still makes me queasy. But these old maters could do things mere mortals couldn't.

There was a pistolsmith in El Paso named Peters that used to build Charlies Askins match pistols and was the first person to convert a 1911 38 Super into a 38 Special. One day about 1983, I stoped by his shop with a DA Smith and Wesson auto with an awful trigger.

He had never worked on one of these before, but the figured out how to take it apart and steped over to the bench grinder with the hammer and sear. He touched them on the grinder, gave them a few swipes with a stone to take off the burrs and put it all back together. I nearly lost my breakfast when he used a wheel grinder on my precious gun parts.

When it was together, he used some old trigger pull weights and it broke at a crisp 3.5 pounds. He charged me $15.00 and I went on my way.

I have enough confidence these days, to go after a hammer notch with a fine file and stones, but the grinder remains unplugged. No siree..not none of me!

[oldguy]

CHARLES, thank you for the information and picture ! i am a fan of the springfield action and
e.r. shaw. please keep us updated with pictures and progress.

[awp101]

If anybody is interested I send the action to Shaw on 5/11/09 and received it back 2/16/2010

I was thinking of having them rebarrel an 03A3 action I have on the way. Yikes...

And I suspect you'll still be done ahead of me!

[Charles]

Blaine... Some pretty significant health issues have surfaced in the past two months. I am undergoing a bunch of tests now. So far, things are looking good, but I am not home free yet. Long and short of it is, I don't take time for granted.

I have officiated at well over 400 funeral services and have stayed behind to try and help to families. I never take tomorrow as a given, even on the best of days. Each day is a gift to be savored and used to it's fullest.

[Charles]

Many other barrel makers and gunsmiths have a much longer time. I had a new 03A3 barrel shortened at the breech, rethread, chambered and fitted to a Krag action. That took two years!

I am happy with E.R. Shaw's work and would not let the time lag deter me from using them again.

[Blaine]

Blaine... Some pretty significant health issues have surfaced in the past two months. I am undergoing a bunch of tests now. So far, things are looking good, but I am not home free yet. Long and short of it is, I don't take time for granted.

I have officiated at well over 400 funeral services and have stayed behind to try and help to families. I never take tomorrow as a given, even on the best of days. Each day is a gift to be savored and used to it's fullest.

Glad to here you're being realistic.....I'll have some good thoughts coming your way.

[mescalero1]

I hope all is well with you,
I have stood in places that you have stood,
for both of us ,
in better times,
Looh forward to seeing the rifle.

[Doc Hudson]

It sure won't be on the next cover of Gun Digest.

If it's going to take you about a year to finish, it ought to be ready for the 2013 cover. I suspect the 2011 cover is already locked in and ready for the printers.

[Blaine]

Where was that walnut stump at? I hope you ain't gonna put no damnyankee wood on that puppy

[salvo]

Great project Charles, can't wait for your updates!

[Hobie]

Don't sweat the inletting and such, just cut off everything that doesn't look like a gun stock! I use to have Alvin Linden's book on stockmaking and it had pictures of him shaping a blank from the plank with a carpenter's hatchet. He claimed it only took him 20 minutes to rough out a stock. I tried it ONCE!

I swear he must have had a magic hatchet! Certainly didn't work that way for me!!!