a gunstocker's ethics question

The current build that I am working on was started by a friend that is no longer physically capable of building. The owner then did a bit of labor on it over a number of years, and finally asked me to finish the project. So I have finished inletting the lock, trigger and pipes, shaped and carved the stock, and will do a touch of engraving on the barrel.

Is it wrong to put the original smith's mark on the barrel along with the owner and my own?

The owner did " a bit of labor over a number of years".
An artist signs his work, not the owner of the work, who will probably be only one of a number of owners during the gun's "lifetime".
My call? You put your name and the previous builder's name or mark upon it.

Note the prior builder, and yourself. If the current owner wants his name on the gun, it can go on either the top flat, or a topside flat of the barrel, no? But ask him, first.

That is an interesting one, sounds like three peopl will have actualy worked on the gun, I guess this was not uncommon in the past as the barrel and lock and possibly the furniture could have been made by different people, I would probably sign the gun in order of who did the most work?

From the sound of your description, you started with what sounds like the the same amount of work done as if you bought a chambers kit of something. If that be the case, then, if you'ld feel comfortable signing a chambers kit that you finished then you should be fine signing this gun. As for the other contributers, well, Jim Chambers doesn't sign his kits even though he did the majority of the work. If the first two contributers wanted their name on it then I suppose they should have signed it before handing it off to someone else.

paulvallandigham said:

Note the prior builder, and yourself.

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I am also wondering if it is "forgery" to apply his mark for him. He has dropped out of communication since his health problems started, or I would ask.

You can't forge a man's name; only his signature. I am assuming that you are going to cut letters, or stamp your name somewhere, and are not signing the work, or trying to sign his name.

In a case where a someone else did some of the work, NOT giving his name would be passing his work off as your own, and that is fraud, and possibly forgery, depending on how a statute is written and interpreted.

I'd be proud to put his name on it and leave mine off out of respect for the friend.

If all the work is satisfactory to you and if the rifle must be signed, I think your name or sign should be on it.....Fred

Go ahead and put it on. I'd hide it underneath the barrel though.

Gary said:

Go ahead and put it on. I'd hide it underneath the barrel though.

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Actually that is where Forest usually marked his! So the solution to my quandry is to replicate his mark on the bottom flat of the barrel, and place mine on the left oblique. The top flat is getting a few words of Latin engraved isn it. And the owner/2nd builder is getting his initials on a thumbplate.

Back to the shop...got a thumbplate to make! :hatsoff: