Jim has a big two story house, sets up on a hill. It has a big basement, and the entire basement is a gun shop.
When I went in the door Jim was working on the right with another guy, they were heat treating a frizzen. His wife showed me around.
About half of the shop is the lock manufacturing area.
Then you have the stock room. He has about a hundred stocks lined up against the walls, beautiful of course.
In the back is the gun room. It is actually a vault, like for a bank. It has a huge heavy sliding door with a combination. This is in the part of the basement that is completely underground, so this vault would be quite fireproof.
He had his one pistol on a shelf and the rest long guns. Really, I felt like this man was a saint, or an angel, to be able to create something so beautiful from so long ago. I was reluctant to pick up a gun, but she urged me to pick one up. Then Jim came in and handed me that 250 year old fowler. It was made in England. He had me cock it and pull the trigger, that was really amazing. I was just about speechless.
One thing that stood out, was how well these long rifles handle. With the swamped barrel, even a 42 inch and longer barrel handled light as a feather. Also the slender wrists. The more expensive guns had beautiful inlay work, but you know, I could take or leave that, I just love the rifle.
Also lots of his guns have the sliding wooden patchbox. I had never seen that before, it is pretty cool. Looks very solid.
