This rifle was made to represent a gun made by a skilled woodworker living in the Appalachians who needed a rifle "right now" to provide for his family. With a fine barrel, a quality lock and his carpenters tool kit in hand, this craftsman began the task of hewing out a stock of from a local piece of hard maple. The gun is stocked around a 44" long .50 caliber barrel from Ed Rayl. The lock is a Chambers late Ketland that has had the cock replaced. The stock is a hard piece of sugar maple from Wayne Dunlap.
The challenge was to duplicate building this rifle with minimal tools not specific to the gunbuilding trade all the while maintaining a workman like appearance. Since the owners life might depend upon this rifle someday, functionality was of the upmost priority. Though the outward appearance of this gun is primitive looking, there is nothing sloppy in the workings of this gun, trigger pull is light and crisp, ignition is lightning fast and the bore shiny and clean.
Sweet looking rifle Dave.
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