Question for all you Gunbuilders

To all the gun builders out there who make their living at this. I don't think this has ever been asked this way, but if you were to build the ultimate rifle for you and you only, what would it be?
What components would you use?
And what makes this particular rifle the ultimate in your opinion?

What School of rifle
Barrel (straight, swamped, weight, length, caliber, ect.)
Barrel maker (Rice, Colerain, GM, other)
Stock (maple, walnut, other)
Lock maker (chambers, L&R, other)
Lock style,
Patch box (wood, metal, none)

 

[Roy]

Rifles right?

I like this one a lot.. Sort of a fantasy gun :haha: . .45 cal 44" Flintlock Const. INC. barrel, Deluxe siler lock..

I have a 29" .58 Rayl barrel with a Rifle shoppe lock kit for a Jaeger planned for me too... stocked in walnut.

I like them all LOL

 

[Stophel]

Oh, now I love the staple holding on the little piece of wood! That gun is very nicely shaped, especially in the wrist and around the lock, where so many people's guns are huge and klunky.

Not many of us make our living building guns. Mike does, and I don't think he owns one of his own guns!

 

Oh, now I love the staple holding on the little piece of wood! That gun is very nicely shaped, especially in the wrist and around the lock, where so many people's guns are huge and klunky.

Not many of us make our living building guns. Mike does, and I don't think he owns one of his own guns!

Good point Stophel, let's open this up to folks who make more than a couple of guns per year for customers.

Roy, you're a man after my own heart. That is a good looking Rifle. I love it's simplicity. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Roy]

Thanks guys. I can do fancier work.. but I do like a plain gun..

cheek piece side..

 

[Capt. Fred]

Very sweet gun. That is very close to what my dream full stock would look like too. I would take just a bit more carving on the butt stock and a hint of brown on the steel. I'm currently building a full stock percussion but as far as dream guns I think a flintlock is way sexier looking.

I don't know anywhere near enough to speculate on the best parts. Just what I've read on here: Siler lock and Rice barrel.

 

[Vaino]

These are some of the "attributes" or components of what is to me " an ideal LR". Bucks County style ala Shuler,.50 cal., 46" B weight swamped Rice bbl, slightly curly, very dense sugar maple {too much curl distracts from the carving}, Chambers deluxe Siler flintlock w/ modified lockplate tail. Brass, side opening patchbox ala Shuler or Weiker. Nice large, leafy silver cheekpiece star and an elongated "tail" on the entry pipe. Very slender profile w/ the curved comb and toeline. These Bucks County LRs are comfortable to shoot yet have the curved buttstock for beautiful esthetics. Hey....this is my next LR which will start shortly and I'm looking forward to many pleasureable months of building ahead. This one will be my "personal LR"...Fred

 

[Mike Brooks]

There are two guns I want to build. One is a Hudson Valley fowler with a 6' barrel The barrel is in the wood, and I have all the parts...all I need is time.
The second is a .69 rifle with a 44" swamped barrel I'll make it as a Germanic rifle and stock it in euro walnut. here again, I have all the parts, just no time. :v:

 

[BadHorse]

this is my next build! a little ambitous but what the heck!

 

[rich pierce]

That one ought to fetch a nice "Price".

 

[Jblk]

I think on of the most beautiful rifles that I have seen pictures of is attributed to Craft Jackson of the Jamestown school.You can see a picture of this rifle at Ameriicanlongrifles.com in their library and museum file.

 

[BadHorse]

That one ought to fetch a nice "Price".

yes i know those are pics of davids guns, but i said "next build" and it was gonna be ambitious

 

[rkmeyer]

It looks to me like just a weekend or two would do the trick and you'd be ready for test firing.
Dusty :hmm: