Got a nice surprise at our monthly OAC collector gun show this morning! Last month I gave the stocks from my very first Hepburn to my gunsmith friend so his checkerer could checker them. I built this rifle up from a project I bought from a friend over 20 years ago, but never got around to checkering the wood when I finished. Always put it off, until my gunsmith friend kept showing me checkering his friend did for guns he built!
The checkerer is a retired logger whose mid 80's and still doing great work. And at prices half of what professionals charge too! I'm really happy to finally get this very old project finally finished. This is a .45-70 and Dave Crossno carved my blanks for me, and I put 16 coats of Wipe On Poly on after fitting and finishing. Then hand rubbed the finish with rottenstone and buffed the stocks.
stanforth wrote: ↑Mon Dec 18, 2023 5:42 am
That is a beautiful rifle. We don't see many (if any) Hepburn's over here in the UK.
Thanks!
I don't see a lot here, or very often either. But I've always loved them. This one was one I could initially afford since it was somebody's project started and for whatever reason later dropped. It began as a barreled action in .45-70 that had been polished out, ready for color case and bluing. Along with that were two blanks to carve out a buttstock and forearm.
So I had Dave Crossno do the rough stock shaping, and I fitted and finished the stocks. Then had the late Dale Woody engrave the gun, and got color case and rust bluing done. Once I assembled it all I just shot it a lot, and never got around to the checkering until now. It always looked not quite done before.
stanforth wrote: ↑Tue Dec 19, 2023 4:12 am
It is a credit to you.As a collector a Hepburn is on my 'Bucket list' but due to my age (80) the bucket is quite close.
Geoff .
I'm not far behind you at 73 now. I've been fortunate to be able to purchase 3 other Hepburns since I built this one back when I couldn't find one I could afford. I'd own more if they didn't keep increasing in value so rapidly!
Any I see in recent years that aren't junk are always over $3,000 and up, depending on which model of Hepburn they are. Some very rare variations are beyond my budget when I see them. I was lucky enough to find a Hepburn Match B with 34" half octagon barrel in .32-40 B&M, set triggers, Swiss buttplate, some years back; which is one of my favorites!
