2nd view

 



Antoinette is a good shot with this SP101 in 22LR..

My first engraved Ruger

 

This was my first engraving commission done by Steve Clouser "Sundance Engraving" Reading, Pa 1993

Remington southpaw custom shop engraved knife leo.bala

Leo confermed that he engraved my Remington pocket knife circa 1995. He further stated that the other engraver circa 1994 and 1995 was Don Talbot

9422 22 Winchester Magnum

This Winchester is special to me for a few reasons. I bought it in 2003 from Elmira Arms Company. Richard Hartman and I have sealed a few deals together since I moved to Elmira in 1994. The company relocated in 2007 to somewhere in Pennsylvania. Maybe we'll do business again sometime after I find the place. This gun was in almost new condition and I bought it as a future engraving project.

In November 2005 I had the chance to visit the Winchester Custom Shop in New Haven, CT. This was the year the decision to discontinue the 9422 was made. I mentioned to Leslee that I really like figured wood. During our walk around she led me to a box of left over miscellanious 9422 stocks. The box had years of dust on it and she told me if I found something I liked she could make me a good deal. Well it took a few minutes but I found wood to make a good matched set. I almost choked when she gave me a price. It was as much as I had paid for the gun in the first place. But to commorate my visit I bought the dream stock any way. Two months later the closing of the New Haven factory was announced. All the sudden the price I paid was bargain, funny how thing change over time and events.

If you notice the bolt, you will see my first attempt at engine turning the bolt. I'll explain more on this in some future post.

I was viewing The Firearms Engravers Guild website in 2006 and learned of one of their members James Wark located in Sayre,Pa. A couple of emails and nearly a year later I met Jim and dropped off my Winchester. I gave Jim a little deposit and Jim accepted my commission. He had just opened a part-time gun shop. Getting ready for retirement someday heh, heh.

When Jim was close to finished with the engraving work he suggested the reciever,hammer and lever be sent to Doug Turnbull for his trademark color case hardening. More on this sometime later, but I thought it was a great idea.
Now if I can just get the hang of photographing firearms. Suggestions welcome.

9410 scroll side

My Factory Winchester

In 2001 when I learned that Winchester was producing a new .410 shotgun lever action, I ordered one almost before the ink was dry on my American Rifleman magazine.
The order alone was a real test, I finally took delivery in 2002. The wood on my gun was really nice. Nothing beats Walnut with fiddleback markings. A factory engraved Winchester had been on my wish list for as long as I have been studying engraving, by now, for several years. After thinking about it for a few weeks I decided to contact the Custom Shop just to check what might be involved.
Leslee Dingler, the custom shop manager had me hooked before the phone call was over.I boxed up my new Winchester and sent it New Haven. In a few days Leslee called me to discuss my project and to price the job. I swallowed hard kept reminding myself that I had "always wanted a factory engraved Winchester" and sent her a check for half the cost.
As it turned out, the custom work took a little less time for them to finish than it took for my gun shop to recieve and deliver this Levergun. Sending a check for the balance due, I was notified that my gun would ship within the box. They shipped my gun back to me in a hard case, it was a good thing too! UPS handling that day was rough and the case was cracked, but the contents was not hurt.