I don't quite know whaT to say ...

[jon_norstog]

From the Single Shot forum. How to make a really nice rifle out of that old, crappy trap door.

http://www.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1382719308/25#25

I used to "sporterize" milsurps when I was a kid. the dark side is calling ... calling ....

jn

[Dick Hosmer]

Sadly, you see a lot of rifles like that where the craftsmanship/fitting/finishing is absolutely exquisite but the lines and proportions don't flow. Things that are supposed to be parallel, or concentric, aren't, or the scale is off. I've seen very few that I would want to take home. Just my $.02.

[13Echo]

On the other had if you come across a bubba'd, non-restorable rifle it can always serve as a donor and some (not all) of those rifles are quite handsome. That's where I got actions for my midrange rolling block, Krag, '03, and 1936 Mauser sporters. You would cry if you had seen them. I look at it as rescuing the poor old soldiers from a life of misery rusting away in some closet.

Jerry Liles

[Dick Hosmer]

Well, that's why I said it was just my $.02. Salvaging a ruined item is always a good thing - and a tremendous source of pride to the person who does it.

The same thing can be seen in the myriad modern Kentuckies (both kit and from scratch) - not all artists are craftsmen, and vice versa. Some pieces are wonderful and some aren't. But then, some of the originals are better-looking than others, too!

Bottom line - it's an extremely subjective issue.

[13Echo]

Dick,
I guess, down deep, I agree with you. I'd rather have an original rifle and I would never sacrifice a complete original rifle. I also agree that most "customs" should probably be called something else. It's those "something else" rifles that supply the actions I send to Mr Durren.

Jerry Liles

[older than dirt]

From the Single Shot forum. How to make a really nice rifle out of that old, crappy trap door.

http://www.assra.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1382719308/25#25

I used to "sporterize" milsurps when I was a kid. the dark side is calling ... calling ....

jn

OK, here is my custom sporterized US Springfield Model 1873 45-70 TD, with double set triggers.

http://i781.photobucket.com/albums/yy99/argo289/100_1480_zpsab6d0c27.jpg (http://s781.photobucket.com/user/argo289/media/100_1480_zpsab6d0c27.jpg.html)

[13Echo]

Dare I say,"I don't quite know what to say?"

[JBinIll]

Sadly, you see a lot of rifles like that where the craftsmanship/fitting/finishing is absolutely exquisite but the lines and proportions don't flow. Things that are supposed to be parallel, or concentric, aren't, or the scale is off. I've seen very few that I would want to take home. Just my $.02.

This one "flows" IMHO-

http://lastoftheplainsmen.freeforums.org/piks-of-a-new-project-t3302-20.html

[Dick Hosmer]

I've seen (much) worse - it's an interesting, and IMHO, not ungraceful, blend of .45-70 and .50-70 parts, and using the original stock avoided some of the pitfalls of home design. Mannlicher stocks are a love-hate thing, there is no middle ground there. I'd prefer more "traditional" sights, especially at the front. It is not easy to blend the 1880s and the 1950s, and have it look like it was meant to be. I guess, in a nutshell, my personal taste in such rebuilds leans strongly towards those pieces that appear as though they might have been done 'back in the day'. Again it's a very subjective thing.

[Dick Hosmer]

This one "flows" IMHO-

http://lastoftheplainsmen.freeforums.org/piks-of-a-new-project-t3302-20.html

Absolutely, and exemplifies exactly my thoughts about looking "of the period". Now, that said, that is a rich man's rifle, far beyond the simple salvage of a clunker - BUT - the very same lines and grace could probably have been achieved at one-quarter of the cost! Lines and proportions don't cost anything, but, not everyone is capable of transferring ideas to wood and steel.

[JBinIll]

Absolutely, and exemplifies exactly my thoughts about looking "of the period". Now, that said, that is a rich man's rifle, far beyond the simple salvage of a clunker - BUT - the very same lines and grace could probably have been achieved at one-quarter of the cost! Lines and proportions don't cost anything, but, not everyone is capable of transferring ideas to wood and steel.

Absolutely true.Here's an original type sporterized TD that with the exception of being re-barreled uses the existing stock and parts.Myself I like this type of sportered trapdoor rather than the fancy one Scott Sibley had built,nice but as you point out,not everyone has the $s.

http://lastoftheplainsmen.freeforums.org/trapdoor-buffalo-rifle-t2200.html

[jon_norstog]

That's a pretty decent custom. My only argument would be with the over-the-top color case hardening, and the engraving on the lock. But I like the 40-82 as a custom caliber.

jn