Rice barrel - next build options

[stuartg]

I was going to write this on the Lancaster Chambers thread, but worried it might have high jacked it, so here we are. Even though I'm working on a rifle, I'm already thinking about my next build...tell me I'm not alone, gents. Anyway, I've got a Rice 54 cal 38" c weight barrel, and have been pondering the thought of completing it with a Chambers kit. However, after reading about some of the issues with the sloppy inletting from Chambers, I'm now rethinking the whole thing. I'm a lefty and thinking to do another Lancaster, but I'd like to hear your thoughts and/ideas.

-Chambers kit?
-Chambers hardware, stock from somewhere else?
-Someone else's hardware and stock?

No rush, just looking for another set of eyes on this next build.

 

[Lock Nut]

I'm in the middle of building 2 Isaac Haines (38" Lancaster) component sets from chambers that I just received last month. The inletting is slightly under but not by much. I know some have complained about it being sloppy or over inletted in the past. I assume they fixed that problem or maybe it was a wood shrinkage issue? :idunno: So far I have no real issues to speak of. They are going together quite nicely. Also they are very nice folks to deal with. If you for by chance got a bad or sloppy inlet stock, Or any problem with the parts, I'm sure they would take care of you and replace it no problem. I think they are very good quality sets and would not hesitate to order a few more in the future.

By the way, If you change your mind I'll be happy to take that 54 cal barrel off your hands :grin: :grin: :grin:

 

[kaintuck]

38" is a short kinda in my thoughts~ but, hey...this IS a hobby!
as for parts, chambers or dave keck, or someone you trust to do a great wax cast set....
wood?...send you barrel to dave...and tell him what type #6 or better...(or dunlops can send it to him)he can 'profle her and do the RR and barrel inletting....that'll give you a 'kick start'......
marc

 

[Birddog6]

Just keep in mind that most of the Venders selling stocks have specific trim in mind. Nutherwords the Isaac Haines trim from Chambers & the Isaac Haines from Dunlaps Was... different trim entirely. One would not interchange with the other, as they were shaped different. That is unless they have changed all the trim in the past couple years. Dunlap used to use a small Bivins buttplate & triggerguard. Chambers had his own pattern for them.

Chambers may very well have the stock issues fixed now, I don't know. I never ordered another stock from them. I buy allot of locks from them & several other things. I buy at least 10 locks a year from them & sometimes more. I love their locks. :thumbsup:

All i know is from that time forward, anytime I ordered a stock from ANYONE, I made sure they understood & agreed that if it was Over-Inlet, it was being returned for a Full Refund including shipping..... I would do the same thing with Dunlap, TOW, Tip Curtis, Pecatonica, Chambers, etc....... makes no dif who the vender is.

Keith Lisle

 

[galamb]

I would second the vote for Knob Mountain.

Pick a stock profile from one of the dozens and send him your barrel to inlet it.

If it wasn't cost prohibitive I would use his service (but from Canada you are looking at upwards of 300 bucks in shipping/duty/inlet costs even if you have your own stock/barrel) - a couple builders up my way who get 5K+ for their finished rifles use Dave for their barrel inlet - that's a solid vote in my books.

Since you have the barrel you may as well use it, but as has been noted I wouldn't buy a 38" myself.

(but any Rice barrel is something you want to shoot)

It is quite unfortunate that the one contemporary built Haines rifle that started the "craze" was so atypical. You would think that a 38" barrel was common and in fact it was an extreme rarity.

P.S. thinking about your next build IS ABNORMAL - I have the next 3 or 4 planned :rotf:

 

[stuartg]

I sure do appreciate everyone's feedback. I'm liking the idea of sending a nice piece of curly maple over to Knob Mountain. In your opinions, to what extent would you have Dave pre-shape and inlet?

I think for the brass I see what Tip has, but also open to ideas there as well...

 

[Bill Knapp]

Stuart, when you're ready, just call Dave and talk. Besides the profiles shown, he has probably two to three times more , that he hasn't listed yet. As for your wood, have it shipped direct, Dunlaps, Tiger-Hunt, and some of the others have Dave's address in there label maker. It will save you some bucks on shipping. If you want to do some research on what you really want, plan on going to the CLA show in August in Lexington. There you can stop and get your barrel from Rice, or Getz, or Charlie Burton, or you could pre order and get it there. You could then walk over to a number of wood suppliers and hand pick your blank, and hand it to Dave. You can then get a lock direct from Jim Chambers, or Davis, or L & R. There is also halls full of originals, plus all of the best builders to talk to, and get advise.

Bill

 

[Supercracker]

If you want to do some research on what you really want, plan on going to the CLA show in August in Lexington. There you can stop and get your barrel from Rice, or Getz, or Charlie Burton, or you could pre order and get it there. You could then walk over to a number of wood suppliers and hand pick your blank, and hand it to Dave.

Or Dixons.

 

[Vaino]

Seeing you already have the bbl, don't know if Chambers precarve would fit. I definitely would use the Chambers LH large Siler.

Having the bbl and RR work done opens many options asre the choice of hardware. If Keck does the butt profiling, then your choice of a buttplate should be his recommendation. The other hardware could be generic Lancaster. Listed below is what I would do....but opinions can vary.

Buy a red maple blank from Dunlaps and have it shipped to you for inspection and then ship it along w/ the bbl to Keck.

Buy a LH, large Siler from Chambers along w/ a 1/4" "White Lightning" TH liner and also the drill and tap.

Have Keck do the bbl, RR and butt profiling work and have him recommend a buttplate and offer suggestions as to the other parts.eg...trigger guard., etc. After all this is done, you're well on your way to completing the LR.

Possibly the lock inletting could be done by Keck, but I prefer to do it myself.

Good luck w/ your venture.....Fred

 

[stuartg]

Thanks, Fred! Any reason why you prefer red maple? Just curious.

 

[Vaino]

Have built LRs w/ both red and sugar maple and the red maple from Dunlap is nearly as hard as the sugar....anyways the last 3 blanks were. Red maple gives more figure per the dollar than sugar which usually carves better. Either one will do......Fred

 

[Birddog6]

I think if Dunlap has what you want, you will get better quality of wood for the $ spent getting it precarved from him.
By the time you buy an excellent grade Blank, ship it to a guy to cut it & pay him, ship it back to you, the end result will be more $ than if you had just bought a nice precarved stock from Dunlap. Now that is IF.... Dunlap has what you want.... The way to find out is call Wayne Dunlap or Daniel & talk to them.

Keith Lisle

 

[galamb]

I'm with Fred on the Red Maple.

The only thing "soft" about it is the designation - it's plenty hard.

Also, it's a little more reasonable than Sugar Maple.

A "wood guy" told me that curly maple occurs in about 1% of Sugar Maples and about 10% of Red Maples - more common = cheaper.

When it's finished nobody I know can say "well that's Red/Sugar/Silver etc.

In fact, without looking at a microscopic level most wood dealers (and I mean specialty shops, not the Lowe's of the world) can't even tell the difference between the two.

And yes to the "buy the blank and have them shape it" - that's what I was getting at in my above post. 40-60 bucks to send it to him, maybe $100 for the work, another 40-60 to get it back, plus border fees in my case/currency conversion etc etc.

A "one way" trip is always the way to go especially when you are dealing with someone who can supply you with superior wood, superior inletting and all round excellent service.

 

[stuartg]

That's some really good info on the red maple. Thanks for sharing! Sugar maple gets some pretty good publicity, so I guess I always overlooked the red maple!

 

[kaintuck]

I sure do appreciate everyone's feedback. I'm liking the idea of sending a nice piece of curly maple over to Knob Mountain. In your opinions, to what extent would you have Dave pre-shape and inlet?

I think for the brass I see what Tip has, but also open to ideas there as well...

Take a look down the thread to one started by me titled Dave Keck
It has the #4 red maple from dunlaps and the BBL inletted, RR hole done and the butt profiled......all that a shipped/insured back to me here in TN for 220.00!
I was following Fred's advise as to grade of wood...and I am pleased....it does have some tiger in it, but I will be putting a brass PB on her....so a lot would be covered anyhow...
I know I might save a few $ if I just used the folks at dunlaps for the same work....but I have known Dave for years, and like his brass sets.....
I'm to old to "changes horses in mid-stream" :haha:

The CLA shows always make me cry.....the stuff makes me feel all thumbs......and poor! :surrender:
But I keep going to them........ :idunno:

 

[stuartg]

After looking and researching I'm liking the idea of a Dunlap Isaac Haines transitional minus the barrel as I already have it. It looks like Dunlap already inlets the barrels to a Rice 38" transitional and in my case a C weight 54. Seems like a no brainer! Might give him a call in the morning.

 

[Blackbruin]

Just because it's a rice c weight 38 doesn't necessarily mean what they inlet for and your barrel are a perfect match. Only war for perfect inlet is for them to make the bondo mold with your barrel!

 

[Birddog6]

My experience with them from Dunlaps & other venders with preinlet stocks, the barrel fit is Close...., but it will not fall into the inlet. You still have to finish fitting it in. If it fell into the inlet, I would send it back as that would indicate to me a loose fit & the stock was over-inlet.

And as with most pre-inlet stocks, you will do the lock first, then inlet the barrel back to the appropriate place to insure your vent liner/flashpan alignment is correct.

Keith Lisle

 

[stuartg]

When speaking with Daniel from Dunlap today, he said it is not necessary for me to send him my barrel. He uses standard Rice dimensions, and Keith indicated you have to do some fine tuning to seat the barrel anyhow.

Also, for those who seem to dislike my choice for a 38 in barrel, I'm planning on making this my deer hunting rifle. I personally feel the this barrel combo gives me a great handling rifle for the deer woods. I'm at the point where my builds are intended to hunt with, not hang on the wall or philosophize over its "HC or PCness." Maybe I'll get to that point a few years down the road (and there's nothing wrong with that), but right now the two I'm building/planning are to put meat on the table :grin:

 

[galamb]

My current build is to replace my "Bambi Rifle".

I hunt from an elevated stand in dense hardwoods (serves dual duty for bow and rifle).

Despite that, I'm still going with a 42" barrel. In the style I'm building, with my length of pull, the overall length of the rifle is going to be 61".

If I (personally) thought the length of any given rifle would be a burden in the woods I would be opting for a later period percussion with a barrel somewhere in the lower 30" length - like the Carson Hawken, 31" barrel, I got rid of because at 10 1/2 pounds I found it too heavy to carry getting to/from the stand.

I wouldn't go as far to say I "dislike" the 38" barrel, I just think that it has evolved to be "seen/taken" as "very representative" of Haines work, when in fact it was pretty much a "one off" abnormality on his rifles - but given how prolific that pattern is now it is "skewing" the history.

And I'm not a HC/PC guy but just see this specific barrel as an "abused" profile for those wanting a shorter barrel but still wanting to trot out "well it's HC/PC because it existed on this one rifle".

And not singling you out here at all, since you have clearly stated that is not your intention...

(sorry, vented enough)