Got new wood, how about sights for the 45-120?

[AtlLaw]

After long consideration and much soul searching, I have decided on what "look" I want for my 450 Sharps Express!     The old girl will become a serious hunting rifle as my BPCR quandary has been resolved to my satisfaction. 

So I bought a set of wood from our sponsor, GSI.  A walnut Target Varmint Forend and, from the odds & ends page, a non-cataloged butt stock.  Monte-carlo with cheak piece; also walnut.  I had GSI mount a Limbsaver pad on the stock with my specified LOP.  Although I could just do a final sanding and finish the wood just as I recieved it, there is enough extra wood on the stock for me to do a little reshaping.  You know, little things like adjust the comb height for open and scope sight use, make the cheek piece a shadow line, maybe fit a grip cap, highlight the stock lines, things like that.   

While I first thought I'd shorten and trim down the forend, I think I'll leave it as is.  With that rifle a little more weight is a good thing!     Now, if we could just get those steel spacers and trigger guards!  And maybe I should try my hand at checkering!   
 
And let me tell you, I am very happy with GSI.  Even though the butt and fore pieces were cut from different blanks, they matched very well in color and grain.  And the shipping time was fantastic!     I'm gonna buy more wood from them!   

Anyway, I'm going to cut the barrel length back to 28 inches.  That should move the center of gravity to the rear a bit and, along with the 7 inch long lead slug in the buttstock, may put the balance point closer to the front of the receiver, thus making the rifle a bit... Handi'er!   

That brings me to open sights.  No reciever sights, I'll want to mount a low power scope on it if necessay.  So, taking into consideration my 65 year old eyes, I'm thinking a large ivory bead front sight and an express rifle shallow V rear sight mounted as far as esthetically possible down the barrel.  Or maybe a ramp with one standing and 2 folding sights!     How cool would that be!   

Whatcha think?

[quickdtoo]

Sounds to me like ya got all your ducks in a row, can't wait to see the finished products, good plannin and thinkin Richard!! 

Tim

[AtlLaw]

Ahhhh I tell ya Timmy me boy, I can see her in me mind's eye now!     What a beauty!!  I'm even thinking of putting an ebony tip on the forend...    Never done that before, great oportunity to try it! 

[gcrank1]

Sounds good to me (and will kinda look like one of mine ).
I guess I should have known youd have a 'checkered' past..........
NECG has (IIRC) some express sights, and a barrel band ramp front. They will need to be pretty high to be visible with the scope rail on, and you dont want to have to remove it.
A for balance, a fine double gun has its weight 'between the hands'. On a typical one, at the hinge pin; so maybe wait on cutting that barrel until all else is done (except the front sight) and then cut back bit by bit until it balances for you.
For me, I think the balance would be better where I would grasp it to carry than the hinge pin. Ruger No.1 light sporters balance correctly; see if you can handle one of those to sort it out.

[AtlLaw]

I guess I should have known youd have a 'checkered' past..........

ha ha...    Well actually... I was intemperate in my youth...    but I think the statute of limitations has run on most of those... um, intemperances!

NECG has (IIRC) some express sights, and a barrel band ramp front.

I was trying to think of their name!  They make nice stuff!  Have some on other rifles.

'between the hands'.

That's what I was going to say but was getting tired of typing.     I like the balance between the hands which, for me, means just a tad in front of the hinge pin.  Or the floorplate on a magazine rifle.  If I were to err, I would have it slightly, very slightly, butt heavy rather then muzzle heavy.

I tell ya, I'm as giddy as a schoolgirl just thinking about it!  A new look and spitting out Hornady 350 gr. RNFP's @ 2500 fps!   

[gcrank1]

You know what you like, and for a lively sporting rifle it should fit and behave much like a shotgun (one you hit regularly with!), and for me that means a bit muzzle heavy, or the barrel wants to 'float' away off target on me.
Kiss the girl ya like and dance with who ya brung, Hopefully they are the same!
I eagarly await pictures......how about a 'how to' as you go?
New rule (per Demented), ya cant talk about stuff like this and not end up with pics for us.

[gcrank1]

And I forgot........
Yeah, do that ebony tip, it will add even more class!

[Smokin Joe]

You know, a 450 Sharps Express just begs for a buffalo horn grip cap.


http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/product_info.php?products_id=1247

[bikerbeans]

 ,  can't wait for the pics!

[AtlLaw]

Okay...    Y'all get me goin here... I'll just have to document the work with pics.  Starting with the before all the way through the after.   

You know, a 450 Sharps Express just begs for a buffalo horn grip cap.

And YOU know Joe, you can be as sadistic as Tim on occasion...    Hi ebber, and day always be a hi ebber,    I was thinking that if I put an ebony tip on, the grip cap would have to be ebony as well...    But talk about class!  Horn is it!  The scale will do fine for the grip cap but now I gotta look see if I can find a 2x3 block of horn for the tip!  Maybe I can epoxy some scales together if I can't find a block...

I can't think about that now!  I'm goin to pick up my 500 S&W at the gun show tomorrow!  The stock from my 450 SE will go on it and the stock on the 500 will go on my 223 and I'll be finish...    wait...    I'll have an extra stock...    and I still don't have a receiver for the 30-30 barrel...    which is what I was looking for when I somehow ended up with the 500 and 223!   I STILL don't know how that happened!    I didn't even want a 500 or 223!     All I wanted was a receiver for the 30-30 barrel... 

Oh well, I can't worry about that now... I'll worry about that tomorrow... Wonder if they'll have any horn scales at the show... 

[gcrank1]

Do a search for the places that cater to the knife building crowd; they have stock for knife scales in all kinds of material.
You might as well just send me the 30-30 barrel, it doesnt want to get done at your house, cant you tell......

[Smokin Joe]

Here's some larger sizes:

http://ajh-knives.com/bone-bh.html

http://www.natural-horn-craft.com/knife-handles-supply.html

http://www.highlandhorn.com/buffalo-horn/1.htm

http://www.chichesterinc.com/WaterBuffaloHorn.htm

[mechanic]

This I gotta' see.............makes me salivate just thinkin' about it.  Gun porn.

Ben

[AtlLaw]

All righty then!     Here's the first pic; the wood!  Protected by my attack cat!

[tykempster]

Oh man how I want new wood for my 45-120!

Your gun is gonna look great...I wish i could keep up with you, I'm gonna be awful envious.

[AtlLaw]

Shoot Ty, I'm coming to the end of my rope!  You got the whole line ahead of you!  I'm the one that's envious!      But I spent some time in the man cave tonight just studying the buttstock whilst watching True Grit on TV and sipping on a 12 pack of American Ale.

While my original thought was to trim this stock down a bunch, I love slim stocks, after carefull study I reconsidered.  For a rifle of this nature I think I'll just "sharpen" the lines and leave the heft as is.     The idea is that the wood will have some "meat" to it, but it won't be "clubby."

As any true master, I can look at the subject of my endevor and see the finished work of art therein... 

And I decided I'm gonna come back on the forend about 4 inches and add about 2 inches of horn tip.   

Now, should the tip be rounded or schnauble?

[mechanic]

Shoot Ty, I'm coming to the end of my rope!  You got the whole line ahead of you!  I'm the one that's envious!      But I spent some time in the man cave tonight just studying the buttstock whilst watching True Grit on TV and sipping on a 12 pack of American Ale.

While my original thought was to trim this stock down a bunch, I love slim stocks, after carefull study I reconsidered.  For a rifle of this nature I think I'll just "sharpen" the lines and leave the heft as is.     The idea is that the wood will have some "meat" to it, but it won't be "clubby."

As any true master, I can look at the subject of my endevor and see the finished work of art therein... 

Is this before or after the ale?


And I decided I'm gonna come back on the forend about 4 inches and add about 2 inches of horn tip.   

Now, should the tip be rounded or schnauble?

Whatever you choose, it will be great....after all, you are the master of your craft....right?  More pics please.

[gcrank1]

Richard, Study out the lines and proportions on some guns that handle well for you and fit your grip, etc. If you are not familiar with the 'Golden Mean', please do check it out. This timeless method of proportioning is invaluable, and explains much of why some 'art' works and some doesnt.
Old Gun Digests are good to check the pages on the custom built and to find the lines and forearm lengths and styles that work for your. Keep in mind that the pictured rifle barrel length needs to be close to yours to really 'see' it. If it doesnt, scale it out and pencil in a longer barrel or use a folded page (thus the same background color) to shorten one.
Big British styled sporting rifles tend to have forearms I like; the schnable I like too, and they tend to be on Germanic guns, and the more delicate schnable is well represented on the American Win. '85 and the early Savage 99s.
To me, a heavier buttstock style with a large or high cheekpiece, is better balanced in front with a 'bullnose' forearm that is bit bit on the heavy side for line. The schnable then needs a more delicate wrist and finer lined buttstock.
But, thats just me......

[AtlLaw]

the 'Golden Mean', please do check it out. This timeless method of proportioning is invaluable, and explains much of why some 'art' works and some doesnt.

Naw, not me... I tried that when I was just playin around with whittling on wood for long rifles and thinkin about carvin pretty little designs on them.     All that "a" bein to "who" and "what" bein a "b" "who" gave me a headache.     So I came up with what I call the "Real Mean."  I Just steal other people's designs and dimentions.   

the lines and forearm lengths and styles that work for your.  Big British styled sporting rifles tend to have forearms I like;

Me to!  But GSI's Varmint/Target is more like a long Beavertail...    And my minds eye keeps seeing double gun dimentions and darn near splinter fore ends.     I need to study the classic single shots more... 

To me, a heavier buttstock style with a large or high cheekpiece, is better balanced in front with a 'bullnose' forearm that is bit bit on the heavy side for line. The schnable then needs a more delicate wrist and finer lined buttstock.  But, thats just me......

And me to 2!     It's good to have other people validate your likes and dislikes!  'course, constructive criticism never hurt either.     I just thru the schnabel tip out there to generate input!     So with you and me the vote is 2/0, the schnable is out!   

And speaking of wrists... I need to see if I can open up that grip some...   

I'll take the "Before" pics this afternoon!