Building a Cherry .40 SMR (Kibler)

[PathfinderNC]

I got started a few days ago on a Kibler .40 Cherry stocked Southern Mountain Rifle. It took a good bit of effort for me to get the butt plate on the thing but I think I got it. (It is my first time using steel furniture and it sure is different than the brass I am more familiar with!)
I want to add a bit extra to a traditionally simple rifle. I decided to use a steel, Rupp style patch box, since it was rather simple and narrow enough to fit the stock without looking too massive and flashy. Positioning it to look right also took some fiddling around. The strong sweep of the butt plate would require a really pointy box lid if I positioned it lower on the butt stock as I would like. But having that strongly curved and dagger-pointed end which wouldn't seem right. So I decided to raise the end up a bit farther toward the heel so the box lid has less of a crescent shape on it's end. Inletting this thing took over two days/ten hours of work, This piece of Cherry ain't soft! I also got a simple toe plate on.
Next will be to inlay a steel Hunter's Star on the cheek piece, and then some simple incise carving behind the cheek piece. After the trigger guard is on I think I will carve a little molding line along the bottom of the butt.
I think after that I install the barrel.

 

[troy2000]

Looking good. If I ever put a patch box on mine, that's the direction I'll go.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Looking good. If I ever put a patch box on mine, that's the direction I'll go.

That Rupp style patch box is seen on some Lehigh rifles, which have somewhat similarly slim butt stocks, which led me to consider using it. The design seems to work well on this rifle (to me).

 

[COTNTOP]

All these Kibler rifle threads has been giving me the fever. Really have been enjoying and getting an education all in one.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Some more workbench time today and the rifle butt is about as done as I want it to be at this point. (I don't want to overwork it!) It will get some final detail work/smoothing and stuff when the whole thing is assembled.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Today I was able to spend most of the day at the workbench. One of my projects was to get more time into the Kibler rifle. (By the way, the pinning tools that Jim includes now makes the work of pinning the barrel, trigger guard and pipes a lot easier!)
I took a good bit of wood off the fore end, removing all the chatter marks. I slimmed it down a bit more as well, though it doesn't need much! It sure is dainty.
Tomorrow I hope to carve a groove along the lower edge of the butt stock, and then just some final detail work around the cheep rest, and final sanding. Maybe I can even get to stain the cherry stock!
I have to say that at this point, it sure looks like a pretty rifle. The first thing I said to myself when I picked up the gun with all the parts mounted- "Damn, it's a stick!"