I met Les in 1975, in his shop in Kalispel and spent the better part of a day with him in the shop, watching the planing of flats on ML barrels and I spent a few hours straightening a number of barrels on the multi-pegged barrel staightening machine - what a day that was too.

I also bought a dozen ML barrels from him. While there, I talked with old John on the phone - John B. had a stroke and had just fallen. Nice gentleman - and good friend of Les B. and Les H. The fall was to be his demise - talked briefly with his wife as well, who was concerned about Irene Hawkes living so far North.

That brings us that we all had a mutual friend in Lester H. Hawkes, formerly of Kalispel who moved to Northern BC with is most charming wife, Irene, in the 60's. They lived in the house that Les built on Walcott road, between Houston and Telkwa, B.C. I was posted at Smithers Detachemnt when I met and became friends with the Hawkes.

At one time, Les B. built scaled up Ruger #1 actions and barreled them up in .600 Nitro. I do not know how many were built - mid 1970's?

That .416 Rigby is a great find and nicely priced. Thanks for bringing back those special memories.
The stock should be very stable. I wonder if they used Resorsinal for the epoxy? The almost black glue lines would indicate this.