A Crying Time
 

About a month ago I bought a really nice Contemporary Pennsylvania Long Spoon by a man named Larry B......... from a dealer down in Florida. He got it from a Contractor who did some worker for the Widow of the guy who commissioned it, and as payment for the work he got the rifle. On this one I had a bad feeling that it would be damaged in shipping, and sure enuff it came broken right in front of the Flintlock. Luckly I was able to contact the man who made the rifle and arranged for him to restock the rifle once the claim with Fed Ex was OKed. I was lucky that the man who made the rifle was still alive, he is 75. Well that took a couple of weeks to get squared away with an inspection and all. After I got the OK that Fed Ex would pay, I called the man to send it to him so that I could get the estimate and get the work underway. After a coupla of calls and a message left, his wife called me telling me that he had an accident on his tractor and was in ICU for the past 10 days with multiple broken ribs which they had to use metal strips to bind them together. She told me that it would be at least 4 or 5 months before he would be able to get back to work. So that is where I stand as of now. I am woried that the man may never work again???

Asd ou all can see it is a very nicely done rifle and is such a shame that it was damaged in transit. I asked the man what he would charge to build this rifle today and his answer was 5K. This rifle was built some 35 to 40 years ago and the mans carving has improved substantially from his more contemporary work that I have seen.

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Was it adequately packaged or did the apes really have to work it?

Both...I would never have shipped it that way...the box was bent right where the break occured.

Yer lucky it was covered. I once had FedEx try to tell me the damage was done due to inappropriate packing. I pointed out that the FedEx/Kinko store packed it.....

Thats a shame, hope the old guy gets better quick and can re-do it for ya, nice looking rife.

Tabs, I'm not a gun smith, although I have worked on some. I have done woodwork on teak pieces on boats and on furniture that has been damaged. A good epoxy can bind the break and a re-do of the finish can hide the break. I believe I saw where David did a great job on a .410 shot gun. Look him up. fritz

Damn shame. Beautiful weapon.

That was my thought also. Lots of good clean matching grain in the area of the break and good surface area to glue together. Should be repairable, if the builder can't make a new one for you.


That is a shame Tabs. Nice wood used in that stock.

Richard

My .02 is that the rifle would be worth more with a repaired original stock versus one that the original builder would make for it at a later date. Just because the original stock is a representation of his abilities at that given time, not later. That being said, I bet Dave could do wonders with that thing when he is back on his feet.

Shame. Hope it works out Ted, beautiful gun.

Would a heavy poster tube be a shipping option? Seems like this kind of breakage happens a lot.