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Thread: Why do people do this? carve a stock

  1. #21
    Boolit Buddy
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    My father's Model 94 30-30 was a gift from my uncle back in the '50s. My uncle was a graphics artist and did a relief carving of a panther head on the stock, and oak leaves/acorns on the forestock. He then checkered the grip and the other side of the forestock. It was one of a kind, and the carvings were tasteful and very well done. No, it didn't add a nickel to the value of the gun, but it's a keepsake that keeps the memory of both men alive when it comes out of the closet.

    Sometimes personalizing a gun works, other times..... not so much.

  2. #22
    Boolit Grand Master

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    My guns are for my pleasure. I have no interest in what value they might bring to my estate.

    This is my Grampa's 1917 vintage commercial Colt. It would probably have some small collector value except Grampa soldered on a huge Patridge front sight, bobbed the hammer and installed a Micro Machine rear. Some howl at the outrage of it. My Grampa loved that gun. My Father cherished it as have I. And I will be passing it on to my daughter.

    Would $1,000 or even $10,000 be worth changing any bit of that history?

    ”We know they are lying, they know they are lying, they know we know they are lying, we know they know we know they are lying, yet they are still lying.” –Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn

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  3. #23
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    Have my father-in-law's Garand. He was on diesel subs back in the 50's. He had a Chief who liked doing stock work so one cruise the Garand stock was checkered. Beautiful job. Finish was as original. Don't know if the value was changed and never will cause it won't be sold until after I am gone.

  4. #24
    Boolit Master murf205's Avatar
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    I just bought a Marlin /Glenfield model 30 1/2 magazine 30-30 that would be a 98% gun--if-- some man hadn't scratched his name and SS# in the receiver. It is not all that deep but I've got $400 in the rifle and it would probably cost that to fix it and it shoots lights out. The man I bought it from said the guy whose name is on it was dead. I would post a pic but I'm afraid that the Democrats would put him on the voter rolls.
    IT AINT what ya shoot--its how ya shoot it. NONE of us are as smart as ALL of us!

  5. #25
    Boolit Master Wag's Avatar
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    Recently bought a 10 ga shotgun and discovered that some prior owner had etched his SSN under the fore end. Aside from that, it's a good shotgun.

    --Wag--
    "Great genius will always encounter fierce opposition from mediocre minds." --Albert Einstein.

  6. #26
    Boolit Master Rapier's Avatar
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    Actually bored GIs are fairly well known for such stupidity, like carving their name in a desk top in school. It goes over just about as well. I see such all the time come through my door and their story goes, "It won't shoot." So busy scratching on the gun they never clean it. I love the "Jack Smith his gun" stuff so artistically done with a dull hatchet.

    My welcome class for new guys was, I catch you scratching crap on one of my guns and I will have the mess sergeant serve fried cheeks and nuts for breakfast in the mess hall, your cheeks, your nuts.
    “There is a remedy for all things, save death.“
    Cervantes

    “Never give up, never quit.”
    Robert Rogers
    Roger’s Rangers

    There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.
    Will Rogers

  7. #27
    Boolit Master Baltimoreed's Avatar
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    I carved a lot and inlaid stars, a crescent moon and few other things on my first Kentucky longrifle that I built. Turned out nice. Sometimes it works.

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by imashooter2 View Post
    My guns are for my pleasure. I have no interest in what value they might bring to my estate.

    This is my Grampa's 1917 vintage commercial Colt. It would probably have some small collector value except Grampa soldered on a huge Patridge front sight, bobbed the hammer and installed a Micro Machine rear. Some howl at the outrage of it. My Grampa loved that gun. My Father cherished it as have I. And I will be passing it on to my daughter.

    Would $1,000 or even $10,000 be worth changing any bit of that history?

    That front sight may be an actual GI match front sight. If not it looks very close to me. They actually work with a Bomar sight and no machine work to the slide.

    We always had a few floating around the armory on every ship or shore command I was at when we still used 1911-A1's. No rear sights, but everybody had the front sights. And usually no staking tools.

    Robert

  9. #29
    Boolit Grand Master FergusonTO35's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bruntson View Post
    I have a 1942 Lithgow SMLE that has been sporterized. The stock has a very naked young lady carved into it. Yes I realize the monetary value of the rifle is low and it's politically incorrect and not even family friendly. Yet it holds some charm to me. I like to think that in the dark days of 42, some lonely Australian soldier fighting on the Kokoda trail in Papua New Guinea found a few moments to carve this image into his rifles stock. Perhaps after the war, he brought the rifle back home and cut it down for hunting. As a bonus, the rifle shoots fine and is accurate as military rifles goes.
    I bet that is how the nekkid lady got there. A real piece of history, I would leave it as is. I've often thought about decorating a beater lever action with brass tacks as was done in the Wild West, or having a Native American artisan carve something into it.
    Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.

  10. #30
    Boolit Grand Master FergusonTO35's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by murf205 View Post
    I just bought a Marlin /Glenfield model 30 1/2 magazine 30-30 that would be a 98% gun--if-- some man hadn't scratched his name and SS# in the receiver. It is not all that deep but I've got $400 in the rifle and it would probably cost that to fix it and it shoots lights out. The man I bought it from said the guy whose name is on it was dead. I would post a pic but I'm afraid that the Democrats would put him on the voter rolls.
    I was looking at my Glenfield 30 the other day and somebody scratched their SS onto mine too! It must have been common practice back in the day.
    Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.

  11. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by rockrat View Post
    Was at the LGS and there was a Ruger 77 heavy barrel in 25-06, tang safety. Looked in good shape and I was interested, so had them unlock the thing so I could take a look. Left side showed a nice looking stock and the gun in pretty good shape, turned it over and someone had carved a deer in the buttstock, about 4" in size. Not that great a job either.
    Handed it back. Figured I could find another stock, maybe, but then it would put it in the class of paying way too much for the gun.
    Oh, they took a scribe and wrote their name on the action!!

    Guess I shouldn't complain, it was their rifle, they could do with it as they wished.
    Maybe it was supposed to be buried with the old boy.....somebody dropped the ball.
    “You should tell someone what you know. There should be a history, so that men can learn from it.

    He smiled. “Men do not learn from history. Each generation believes itself brighter than the last, each believes it can survive the mistakes of the older ones. Each discovers each old thing and they throw up their hands and say ‘See! Look what I have found! Look upon what I know!’ And each believes it is something new.

    Louis L’Amour

    The Californios

  12. #32
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    50 years ago, it was recommended by the police to etch your driver's license number in anything of value, tools stereo equipment, camera's, guns, anything that could be pawned. The theory was that the pawn shop would not take it, drying up one way to raise cash on stolen property.

    I had a buddy's girlfriend ask me to carve a lightening bolt into the stock of a nice Winchester Model 42. I politely refused.

    On engraving, some of the English high end rifles could legitimately be called works of art. A buddy who passed away last night had a couple of dozen Rigby's plus a bunch other lesser known English doubles. Every one would fit in a museum exhibit of the finest metal working art.

  13. #33
    Boolit Grand Master uscra112's Avatar
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    Ditto some of the late 19th century Schuetzen rifles.
    Cognitive Dissident

  14. #34
    Boolit Master
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    Ancient traditions, spear, sword, atlatl, knife, gun - marking your weapons has a very long history and tradition. My firearms (and knives) get used on the range and in the field, sometimes conditions can be harsh, ,blueing goes silver, original stock finishes flake, stuff happens. I don't know if some of my Savage or Marlin rifles are the third variation of the second model made on Tuesdays with only 8 3/4 produced in 1842, and don't really care. Ornamentation may be good or bad, maybe his son or daughter did the work? Remember when law enforcement advised everybody to put your social security number where it would be obvious on your stuff?

  15. #35
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by MostlyLeverGuns View Post
    ...Remember when law enforcement advised everybody to put your social security number where it would be obvious on your stuff?
    Yep, my dad did do that too. Early 1960's. My first .22 rifle was engraved with his DL number.

  16. #36
    Boolit Master murf205's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FergusonTO35 View Post
    I was looking at my Glenfield 30 the other day and somebody scratched their SS onto mine too! It must have been common practice back in the day.
    I'm afraid you're right. I had a 94 Winchester Classic with the most drop dead beautifut wood I ever saw on a production gun but under the leaver some guy scratched his name with an electric pencil and it was deep too. I have a friend who had to have it and I sold it to him for what I had in it and he doesn't give a whit about the scratching.
    I have had serious thoughts about sanding the name off my latest gun but the bluing is just about perfect and I hate to fall into the trap of "Bubba-ing" an otherwise great little rifle. The darned thing shoots great groups and that is more important to me.
    IT AINT what ya shoot--its how ya shoot it. NONE of us are as smart as ALL of us!

  17. #37
    Boolit Mold
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    Bruntson
    Why is a naked statue fine and proper by most?
    But not on your gun. Cow pucky
    I think if that is done in good taste than it would be a work of art.

  18. #38
    Boolit Grand Master Harter66's Avatar
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    I don't understand guys that buy $5,6,7,8,900 rifles and then replace everything but the bolt body and receiver .

    I do get guys marking permanently an arm that they reasonably expect to keep their whole life and to stay in the family . If I could count the times I've heard of read " if it could talk , the stories it could tell " . Here you have an old beater rifle with a storey attached . Seriously how many Mausers, Arisakas , 1917 , 03s , Carcanos etc have been sanded , lapped polished , draw filed , checkered , inlayed , carved , jewled , etc etc ?

    My Dad bought a brand new M700 in 1972 . It would be a very valuable gun but it has stock dings , it looks like the muzzle (it's .790) looks like it was finished with a wood rasp . It has that dangerous wide shoe factory trigger . There's a gouge in the ebony tip . The poly is lifting around the deep dings all of the hard corners have the bluing rubbed off . Maybe one of my grands will fix all of that it's just a 50 yr old factory rifle . Just like the sporterized 1916 DWM Gew 98 was in 1965 when that guy bought it out of a barrel down at Moe's bait and tackle .

    My Dad's Dad bought a brand new M70 06' in 1958 , it's 65 yr old all the bluing is worn off dings gouges most of the OM oil has been gone for 20 years and I probably destroyed it's value by adding tung oil and fixing that blood letting ding in the steel butt plate . If it weren't for its status as a pre 64' Win it would just be another old rifle .

    Y'all are wiggin' out about a Ruger 77 that's probably not even 40 yet because it's got a little graffiti on it . Half of its siblings are called boat paddles .

    You guys are weird .
    In the time of darkest defeat,our victory may be nearest. Wm. McKinley.

    I was young and stupid then I'm older now. Me 1992 .

    Richard Lee Hart 6/29/39-7/25/18


    Without trial we cannot learn and grow . It is through our stuggles that we become stronger .
    Brother I'm going to be Pythagerus , DiVinci , and Atlas all rolled into one soon .

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check