"The Genesis Rifle" 358 Winchester with a touch of class.

[MBTcustom]

It's been a long haul boys.
Many an hour has passed sweating cussing and bleeding over this rifle. I have worked on it in the heat of summer, and in the freezing cold of winter. It was delayed by getting a bad piece of wood. It waited while I built the bluing shed. It sat while I learned to use the checkering tools. My sweat is laminated into the wood of this rifle.
Is it perfect? Not by a long shot, but it is definitely the way I want my company to go.
It is called "The Genesis Rifle" Because the client asked me to stamp "Genesis 9:2-3" right on top of the barrel.
That passage of scripture reads:
"The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands.
Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything."
I built this rifle for one of our own: Milkman, and it fits him like a glove.
Milkman drove 1.5 hours in a Dodge duely truck to help me build the bluing shed. His blood is on the floor joists (he didn't come to watch), and he worked till he was give out two Saturdays in a row.
He is of excellent character, and deserves every last shred of work that I put into this, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

So, without further ado, I give you "The Genesis Rifle":

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[MBTcustom]

This rifle is based on a Remington 700ADL parkerized walmart special, and was rechambered by myself to 358 Winchester and it is a sub MOA gun.
It is bedded with MIL-SPEC bedding compound, has 1/2" steel pillars, Kwik-klip magazine conversion, Adams & Bennett barrel, Leupold rings and bases (reblued to match), a Pachmyer recoil pad, and a Timney trigger set to 2lb 3oz.
The stock is a Richards microfit blank, heavily modified to fit the client like a glove, and is inlayed with genuine mother of pearl.
The reamer came from the good folks at PTG, as did the headspace gauge.
My checkering tools are made by Dem-Bart (special thanks to the proprietor of that fine company for all his advice, help and friendship.) but the patterns are of my own design.
Special thanks to Steve Bowers (OK) for his patience and occasional guidance.
Also to Bill Tammorro (Wa) for no BS advice and late nights.
Denis White (AR) for teaching me to be an uncompromising machinist
Charlie Goforth (AR) for teaching me how to run a business and employing me for 6 years, and never letting me get stuck in a rut, and allowing me to build guns on the same bench as his parts were being made.
Lynn Collins (Oh)
Mike Carter (AR)
Dan the gunman (NC)
To all my mentors: This rifle is dedicated to you.

[felix]

Most excellent, Tim! Nothing more needs to be said. ... felix

[shredder]

That is wonderful checkering and the grip cap is a very unique treatment. You should be very proud of that rifle.

[exile]

Wonderful rifle, I appreciate the reverence for Scripture too, as well as your willingness to humbly give credit to others where it is due. God bless!

[Lefty SRH]

VERY nice Tim, beautiful job!

[MBTcustom]

I think it'll kill a deer.

[Sweetpea]

Amazing craftsmanship!!!

That rifle should be enjoyed for generations to come.

Brandon

[Love Life]

Wow. That is a spectacular rifle Tim. Truely spectacular.

[MBTcustom]

Amazing craftsmanship!!!

That rifle should be enjoyed for generations to come.

Brandon

That's the idea. I tell my clients that I'm building the rifle's for their great grandsons.

[waksupi]

Good job! I know what it takes to do that.

[MBTcustom]

Well, Milkman just left with his brand spanking new custom rifle.

Feels like a girlfriend just left me.

However, he left me a tip of 75 pounds of COWW, a stock blank for a 721, and $100. Excellent person.
He deserved this rifle more than any shooter I have ever met, and his parting gift underlined that fact succinctly. What a feller!

[pressonregardless]

Tim, that is a beautiful rifle !!

[MBTcustom]

Thanks! It shoots good too. As long as the barrel is cool, it'll cover a junebug at 100 yards.

[JeffinNZ]

Good Lord! That is spectacular!!!

[nekshot]

awesome, simply awesome. You trully found your niche! Looking forward to your next project report.
nekshot

[quack1]

Nice job. Those ribbons through the checkering ain't easy to do, and sure make you pay attention while you are doing it.

[milkman]

If Tim ever tells you that he will build you a rifle "on the cheap" , don't even hesitate to shake his hand on it. I was wanting a cast friendly rifle on a budget, and didn't really care what it looked like as long as it shot well. Now I have to convince myself not to make this one a safe queen. Simply beautiful craftsmanship, with quality in every particle. THANKS TIM !!!!

Ahhh, uhhh, just to kinda clarify, In post 12 when Tim stated that when I left it was like he had lost a girlfriend...... He meant the rifle I was carrying with me. I like Tim and all that but I'm a married man.

Milkman

[Sweetpea]

Hey, Tim...

Can I put a custom build on layaway... So that when I can afford it, your prices won't have quadrupled when folks see what you are capable of doing...[smilie=l:

Brandon

[MBTcustom]

How about a prorated deposit? :kidding:

[EMC45]

Very nice.

[Artful]

Beautiful work, wood and weapon - truly a work of ART. Better be careful of those prorated deposits.

[swheeler]

Nice work Tim

[Balkandom]

Tim, exquisite.

'Nuff said.

[MBTcustom]

I take that as high praise coming from you Mike. You just made my day.

[MBTcustom]

Don't you just love the setup?
The photographer asked me what I was going for with the look of these pictures (so she could select the proper background)
I asked her "have you ever seen the opening scene in the movie Quigley Down Under?" :cool:
She smiled and 15 minutes later we had a set.
Lordy be, she nailed it!

[Gibbs44]

Beautiful rifle, good work.

[plus1hdcp]

Outstanding!

[Fishman]

I have none of your skills, but I can recognize craftsmanship when I see it. Beautiful!

[alrighty]

That is one sweet looking rifle Tim , it just looks right.Elegant and useful.

[felix]

Terrel, best you put that gun in the safe. ... felix

[Just Duke]

Did you do the checkering?

[MBTcustom]

Everything you see there was made by me, except the scope.
I stripped the action, bases and rings and blued them all together so that they match exactly.
I profiled the barrel.
I rendered the cheekpiece, sculpted, and fit the stock to Terrell's body.
I designed the checkering patterns and executed them myself.
I designed the pearl inlays and made them myself.
I jeweled the bolt the old way with a dowel. It feels like snakeskin, so I know I did it right.
I designed and installed the steel pillars.

It's hard to see, but there is a red line on the grip cap, and the recoil pad. Also, there is one more inlay that is diamond shaped on the forend tip.
I stamped the barrel with the caliber, scripture, company name, and date by hand, one letter at a time.

[Just Duke]

Everything you see there was made by me, except the scope.
I stripped the action, bases and rings and blued them all together so that they match exactly.
I profiled the barrel.
I rendered the cheekpiece, sculpted, and fit the stock to Terrell's body.
I designed the checkering patterns and executed them myself.
I designed the pearl inlays and made them myself.
I jeweled the bolt.
I designed and installed the steel pillars.

It's hard to see, but there is a red line on the grip cap, and the recoil pad. Also, there is one more inlay that is diamond shaped on the forend tip.
I stamped the barrel with the caliber, scripture, company name, and date.

That's is multiple talents invested in that rifle. What's your next plan?

[MBTcustom]

The plan now, is to grab the next rifle and do it again.
If I get famous someday, I might even be able to afford to build one for myself LOL!

[FLYCUTTER]

Goodsteel,my hat is off you sir. What a beautiful rifle you created. Just running my eyes over that (what was the name of you girlfriend) I can appreciate all the hours of sweat you put into your work of art.

[Just Duke]

The plan now, is to grab the next rifle and do it again.
If I get famous someday, I might even be able to afford to build one for myself LOL!

I might show up and have you do some blueing for me. $$$ ;) You still at the same place?

[MBTcustom]

You betcha!

[W.R.Buchanan]

Well if this is your first go round then I think you'll be fine.

The gun looks real nice and as you said it shoots well to so what more could one ask for?

You have successfully made the transition from working for someone else to being self employed.

Welcome to the Jungle!

Randy

[milkman]

Felix,
I told Tim that I was scared to take the gun out because of my tendency to scratch and dent things. Tim's reply was that if I didn't hunt with it, I would have to answer to him, and if anything did happen to it it got the same warranty as his other builds---If you scratch it- he fixes it. How do you beat a warranty or a person such as that. Both are first class, gold plated, diamond encrusted examples of quality !!
Milkman

[Just Duke]

I'm drawn back here.......

[Love Life]

I am drawn back here as well. Just a very clean and stunning job.

[Bzcraig]

WOW, BEAUTIFUL! You should rightly feel the pride, not of arrogance, but of accomplishment. You have a level of skill and competence many can only wish for. Your humility and demeanor will serve you well as you become a custom gun maker and smith.

[MBTcustom]

Felix,
I told Tim that I was scared to take the gun out because of my tendency to scratch and dent things. Tim's reply was that if I didn't hunt with it, I would have to answer to him, and if anything did happen to it it got the same warranty as his other builds---If you scratch it- he fixes it. How do you beat a warranty or a person such as that. Both are first class, gold plated, diamond encrusted examples of quality !!
Milkman

The way I see it, if you pay several hundred dollars for a rifle, you are paying for function, and it should be warranted. If you pay several thousand for a rifle, you are paying for beauty and function. If they are not both warranted then the rifle will not be used, and if my work is not used for the purpose it was intended, then I just wont build rifles!
With every stroke of the file, I'm visualizing you on a mountain, gripping your rifle with sweaty palms as you take a bead for the shot of a lifetime. I built this rifle for that shot. Magnificent animals deserve to be taken by magnificent men with magnificent rifles.
Now, you do all that, and your rifle gets scarred in the process? I'll get it ready for the next go-round. Unless you drive over it with your truck, most dings are not hard to repair, and the whole point behind a rifle like this is that you cry once, period!

[Just Duke]

:bigsmyl2:

[Love Life]

Does that warranty cover spray paint? :bigsmyl2:

[lmcollins]

That is a great job. I am glad to have had just a little input. Make the next one better, and look at what the guys in Custom Gunmakers Guild are doing for your next project.

Make each job a growing experience.

Lynn Collins
Ohio

[MBTcustom]

I intend to sir!
Once again, thank you for valuable information! I had never heard of the Custom Gunmakers Guild. I think I'll look into joining. That's right where I want to be.

[Circuit Rider]

Tim, Looking at that masterpiece makes me ashamed of what I sent you. Truly beautiful! James

[NewbieDave007]

I think it'll kill a deer.

I was wondering why all the deer were running the other day. Now I know.

I saw this rifle in the middle of Tim building it and to see the pictures now...WOW!!!

VERY nice job Tim!

[Simple Man]

Tim, This is Rick. One of your clients and my first post here on CB. This is absolutely beautiful sir!

[MBTcustom]

Thanks Rick!

[Just Duke]

This should be a sticky.

[smoked turkey]

Tim I want to chime in here and say that this thread is inspirational in lots of ways. Any time you pour your heart and soul into something it shows. You have every reason to be proud of your creation. I would be honored for you to do a project for me. Maybe some day. Until then keep inspired and keep your sights set high. When you demand the best from yourself you have to stretch to reach your goal. You and your clients will always be the better for it. Thank you for your inspiration.

[milkman]

bump
milkman

[dverna]

What a great accomplishment.

I could never hunt with a gun that looked that good so it would sit in the safe and get shot only at the range. If it were mine, I would order another stock that can get beat up with no regrets, and keep the work of art in a padded box or hard case.

I cannot think of a better caliber than the .358 Winchester for my next gun. It was an excellent choice.

[MBTcustom]

The stock was made to last. I built it like a tank.
Terrel is going to bring it back every now and then to be refinished, so that it's kept in tip-top shape through the years. If nobody uses the things that I make, then I'm going to quit and make toaster ovens.
I like to think of it like a fine sword. Very beautiful, and very useful.
I sealed the wood inside and out, and bedded it like a sniper rifle. I built it sturdy first, and once I was sure it was a tank of a gun, I beautified it.
I learned to do most of this type of work from the American Bladesmith Society, and that is the thrust of everything that they teach.
Make it solid and useful, and then put on the flash, but at no point can the flash diminish it's usefulness, or you failed.

[JesterGrin_1]

Tim Very Nice Work Indeed.

But I just have to ask lol. The barrel that you used what was it originally chambered?

[MBTcustom]

It was a 358 1-14 barrel blank that I recontoured, threaded, chambered, crowned, stamped, and blued for this rifle.
I didn't cut the rifling if that's what you are asking.

[izzyjoe]

Well, this one slipped by me. that is an amazing job you did Tim, i really love the checkering pattern with the rounded borders. Awsome!!! I was thinking about using a plastic stock for my '93 mauser build, so it would be lightweight. No sir, walnut for me! and again you are a craftsman that came make you're tool's talk, my hat's off to you sir!

[375RUGER]

The way I see it, if you pay several hundred dollars for a rifle, you are paying for function, and it should be warranted. If you pay several thousand for a rifle, you are paying for beauty and function. If they are not both warranted then the rifle will not be used, and if my work is not used for the purpose it was intended, then I just wont build rifles!
With every stroke of the file, I'm visualizing you on a mountain, gripping your rifle with sweaty palms as you take a bead for the shot of a lifetime. I built this rifle for that shot. Magnificent animals deserve to be taken by magnificent men with magnificent rifles.
Now, you do all that, and your rifle gets scarred in the process? I'll get it ready for the next go-round. Unless you drive over it with your truck, most dings are not hard to repair, and the whole point behind a rifle like this is that you cry once, period!

I resemble this. I was thinking about my beautiful No.1 7mm RM as I was hunting, sweating and my arm was rubbing against the side of the action, the pack was rubbing the finish off of the forearm. Then the rain comes down an soaks everything, surface rust growing on the action now. Doesn't bother me a bit. A bit of oil and some rubbing with a cloth that evening and rust is gone. This winter I'll put a little shine on the forearm too. I bought this rifle to hunt with.
The "Genesis Rifle" is beautiful. A most excellent photographic presentation also.

[kenyerian]

Guns are made to be used, with respect and proper care. Don't set them in a safe. Enjoy them.

[Bad Water Bill]

It's been a long haul boys. I had to dig deep and find skills I didn't know I had to build this rifle. What you see here represents the best I could do 6 months ago. I could do better if I could start from scratch knowing what I know now, but still, I'm pleased with the way it came out.
Many an hour has passed sweating cussing and bleeding over this rifle. I have worked on it in the heat of summer, and in the freezing cold of winter. It was delayed by getting a bad piece of wood. It waited while I built the bluing shed. It sat while I learned to use the checkering tools. My sweat is laminated into the wood of this rifle.
Is it perfect? Not by a long shot, but it is definitely the way I want my company to go.
It is called "The Genesis Rifle" Because the client asked me to stamp "Genesis 9:2-3" right on top of the barrel.
That passage of scripture reads:
"The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands.
Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything."
I built this rifle for one of our own: Milkman, and it fits him like a glove.
Milkman drove 1.5 hours in a Dodge duely truck to help me build the bluing shed. His blood is on the floor joists (he didn't come to watch), and he worked till he was give out two Saturdays in a row.
He is of excellent character, and deserves every last shred of work that I put into this, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

So, without further ado, I give you "The Genesis Rifle":

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76569
76570
76571
76572
76573

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DS70-3M8xE

[lead-1]

Totally great looking rifle, do you happen to have a picture of the scripture stamping on the barrel?