rr2241tx
11-03-2017, 11:55 PM
The reference is to “One PieceAt A Time”, Googlable for anyone who doesn’t temper that far back. About ten years ago I came into possession of a “transitional” Shiloh Sharps with a pre-Bryant Big Timber receiver and a Farmingdale barrel chambered in 40-70 Shiloh Bottleneck with so much freebore that even paperpatched bullets could not be made to shoot small groups. It was unscrewed and left in the safe. A few years passed and my gunsmith offered to make me a hunting rifle using that barrel. So I ordered one of the last of the original run of Falling Block Works Model J receivers. By then I was shooting 40-65 Ballard in BPCR so it was an easy choice to use the same reamer to rechamber this barrel after lopping off the original chamber. I had a blade sight and a buckhorn so it should be easy. A good friend heard about the build and donated a partially fit buttstock and buttplate. Another friend donated a piece of straight grain walnut to make a forearm and all the pieces went to the gunsmiths shop. The receiver and barrel were joined, chamber cut and then the wheels came off. Headspace was 0.007” off from one side to the other. Fixtures were made to square the receiver, etc. , and eventually everything was true, square and tight but 3 years and some months had slipped away. Enthusiasm for stock work had gone. So, unfinished stocks were ordered from CPA. My stock finishing friend by Now had been given a very dire diagnosis by his oncologist and did not feel well enough to begin fitting the stocks. At long last and with obvious annoyance, a stockmaker consented to complete the stocks for me. I won’t say who he is since he really does not like to finish Stocks other than those he sells. Nice guy though. While my rifle was away, the donated buttstock and plate were repatriated and put onto another Model J. My rifle arrived completed last week, 4 years from the day we cut the chamber off the barrel to begin a build we hoped to have ready for the 2013 deer season. I can’t see irons well anymore so blocks were fitted and a 2” Unertl scope came out of retirement. Test rounds last weekend proved Wolfgang could really make a quality barrel, 5 of six into one hole and a called flyer cut the edge of the hole at 100 meters. Rifle season opens :30 before sunrise tomorrow and if I get a chance I believe when I pull out the knob all three of them will come on.