A little color for a few rifles

[magnumwheelman]

I picked up a couple pre-made rifle butt cuffs, off of Amazon… they were pretty crudely laced with same color leather lacing… I didn’t know at the time these were Chinese, but I chose them, because the butt end was molded with rounded edges, like nothing else I could find… I chose black ( black and brown are available ) I was wanting something to help my 500 JRH Encore shoulder faster…. The factory recoil pad is a bit sticky, and it was slowing my shot speed on the single shot… it has 6 cartridge loops , so I can fill my BFR, with one in the chamber of my Encore… I really didn’t like the crude same color leather lacing, holding everything together, so I bought a few different colored nylon cords to re-lace everything with… turns out 2mm cord, allows me to criss cross the lacing, which I thought looked much better… I had bought. 2 of the butt cuffs in black, I did one for my 45-70 single shot Martini, using some blaze orange 2mm cord… I wanted to try blue, or silver, for the Encore… I really liked how the blue cord contrasted, but I only initially bought 1/8” blue cord, so I have some 2mm blue ordered… I’m putting these rifles together in combination with same caliber revolvers ( I have both a 500 JRH, and 45-70 BFRS ), so those are the 1st 2 I’m starting with… will post a couple pictures tomorrow… a little work, and a few bucks, and I think these look great… the 500 JRH Encore, is getting a little more embellishment, the original logo is circle shaped and stamped into the leather, I have a silver quarter ( logo is about that size ) that has a bear carved out of the middle of it, that’s going over the logo, and will appear black, under the cut out… I have had this Martini, for probably over 20 years, so she’s getting a little embellishment, may try to get something like the bear coin, with another big game animal on it, or something similar

[magnumwheelman]

This is the 500 JRH butt cuff... while still working on it... the black leather lacing is what came with it... cartridge loops easily fit the 500 JRH as originally laced... you can see some of the 1/8" blue nylon lacing... I quit working on this one, until the 2mm blue nylon cord gets here... you can see the round molded leather butt on these...



this is the 45-70 butt cuff, with the 2mm blaze orange nylon cord... it's laced, but not finished ( you won't see a knot when finished )



this is the 500 JRH combo... with unfinished butt cuff... a little more blue on it... still waiting for the 2mm blue cord



the 45-70 combo... I still haven't finished off the orange cord here, but everything is laced... I did have to notch the laced joint, to allow the long lever of the "tropical" Martini action to freely seat home... ( this is Martini is a custom 45-70 single shot, with a strong action, light weight octagon barrel & 3 leaf rear sights )

[magnumwheelman]

I bought a couple silver coins, copies of the state quarters... perfect size to cover up the stamped original logos... ( as seen in this picture )



The 1st to show up is a North Dakota coin, with 2 buffalo on the back of it... an Alaska coin is on it's way, with a bear on it's back... these are silver, not copper clad copies of the state quarters, & are the perfect size... I have some Duall 88 leather glue, that glues leather to metals... thinking this will be great for attaching them... anyone that has glues metal & leather, & knows of something better, I'll take all hints...

The Coin... ( this is going on the 45-70 Martini )

[bearskinner]

I have used coins as well, but look into Silver Rounds and decorative silver bullion. You will have many varieties of Bison, animals of every type as well as locations, events etc, memorialized on silver. I really like the patina from silver.

[magnumwheelman]

The coin laid on the butt cuff... with the glue, I need to apply it to both the leather & the coin, let it get tacky, then stick them together... it'll be pressed in more, than this picture, once glued, as I'll be covering the coin, & using a clamp to stick them together tightly

[bearskinner]

It’s easy to silver solder a Chicago screw or snap to the back of a coin to use as a snap enclosure, or adjustable strap as well.

[jeffh]

That lacing looks nice. It would be a good way to differentiate between two or three TCs that all look the same unless peering down the bore, and even then, a 357 mag and 357 max look the same when you're in a hurry.

Speaking of soldering coins - I got a wood-burning tool for Christmas when I was a kid. When I ran out of wood plaques, I started "welding" plastic model car parts with it and soldering loops on coins for classmates to wear as hillbilly jewelry.

I got this idea once, to solder a nickle to a roofing nail and I pounded it into a wooden floor, expecting some grand entertainment, watching drunk relatives try to pick it up. My "grand entertainment" came in the form of a thorough thrashing from either my mother or grandmother. Seein' how I lived, I'm thinking it wasn't my grandmother, as it was HER floor and it left a permanent mar on the linoleum. For some reason, I had a heck of a time getting solder to stick to the nickle, but once it did - it DID. It held onto the nail when it was pulled from the floor, just before my beating. I learned a few new cuss-words that day, so it wasn't a complete loss.

[magnumwheelman]

Worked on these this morning… 1st attempt at gluing the silver proof quarters… the one going on the butt cuff for the Encore is a silver Alaska coin, with a Grizzly bear on the side showing… I sanded the leather spot the coin was going, and rubbed both the butt cuff and coin with an alcohol wipe and followed the directions the bottle of Duall - 88 glue I’m using, applied the glue and waited until it was tacky on both surfaces, I placed a small board under the leather, and a small square on leather on the coin, to keep the clamp from marring the coin, I used an extended reach 4” C clamp to put good pressure on the coin… a couple Q tips with some lacquer thinner cleaned up any excess that was pressed out between the coin and the leather… I’m using 2 mm royal blue nylon cord to lace this one… I have the bullet loops laced but figured the coin is easier to glue on, before this gets the rest laced

[magnumwheelman]

glueing the silver Bear coin onto the butt cuff for the 500 JRH Magnum



500 JRH Magnum butt cuff completed in royal blue ( still needs maybe a few beads on the longer laces )



butt cuff on my 500 JRH Magnum Encore...



Close up of the siver bear coin, on the 500 butt cuff

[magnumwheelman]

got a few more butt cuffs coming, & picked up several other silver coins... also have the Elk coin, & one with a mountain goat, & one with a mountain sheep...