(.300 member)

02/02/15 09:12 AM

Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

There have been many changes in the last year or so. I decided to start my own business and I no longer work along side Bailey Bradshaw. We still talk and visit often so no hard feelings on either end. I acquired my own shop many months back and have been doing renovations to get ready. There are still many small things left to do, but the shop is at a point I can begin gun work.

Behind my work bench I still plan on doing overhead cabinets with a small lean-on gun rack. Hopes are to also be able to hang stocks below the cabinets for finish work.

The bench by the mill that is untopped will be topped with a steel sheet. Plans are to put the furnace on it and do welding on it. Anyone care to help lift the furnace?

Not pictured is the front office/gun room.

Aaron_Little

(.300 member)

02/02/15 09:12 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Now on to the important stuff. I don't do many bolt guns having been dabbling with the double rifles at Bradshaws. This customer is a member here and a young wiper snapper at that. In fact some of the reasoning behind him going with me was the age correlation; him being two or three years older than me(24). I hope this gun sees a lot of use in the field as he works in Tanzania.

He bought the metal work from another fellow member, then sent it to me. Im not sure who has done the metal work until this point. We decided to go with a English style stock, very open grip, short forend, and trim for .404 standards.

Here I am drilling the holes and roughing the inletting on the mill:

Metal hand inletted the rest of the way:

Plans are to fill the inclusion on the barrel channel with matching wood:

Did some 2-dimensional work today:

Aaron_Little

(.300 member)

02/02/15 09:13 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

I did a bit of rough shaping yesterday. I don't have the floorplate so I cant finish the shaping of the magazine area which is why it looks bulky still. I will get the floorplate in and finish the shaping and refining. Ammo is on the way, plans are to shoot the irons in before doing finish work.

DarylS

(.700 member)

02/02/15 10:30 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Really nice work, Aaron. Splendid choice of walnut.

Ripp

(.577 member)

02/02/15 10:34 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Quote:

Really nice work, Aaron. Splendid choice of walnut.

AGREED..

Looks like you are well on your way..congrats..
Ripp

Rockdoc

(.400 member)

02/02/15 11:07 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

That's looking lovely Aaron. Looks like it will be fairly lightweight and handy.

I love seeing work like this, from the blank and all hand inletted. Simply amazing.

Is that a RUM model 70 to start with?

Cheers,

Chris

Gen_Hicks

(.300 member)

03/02/15 03:41 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

WOW I am a little-overwhelmed :-D

Nice shop! And I like the classic shape of the stock. Thanks for sharing

Good luck with the future mate!

Norman4

(.300 member)

03/02/15 10:25 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Quote:

WOW I am a little-overwhelmed :-D

Nice shop! And I like the classic shape of the stock. Thanks for sharing

Good luck with the future mate!

Yes. I am very envious of your shop as well. Nice rifle. Norman4

GPJ12345

(.300 member)

03/02/15 09:33 PM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Aaron, well done it looks good, being a 404 Jeffery means it is a perfect all round rifle being extremely well build as well..the client will have one of a kind rifle....in our gunsmith shop( South Africa, Witbank) the 404 Jeffery became the most sought after hunting rifle..we already have seven orders in the process of being completed...the last order came in yesterday from a client based in Iceland...another two orders are in the pipeline...so the 404 Jeffery caliber is starting to get even more popular than the .416 Rigby with it`s magnum case and action....thank you for sharing .....

Birdhunter50

(.375 member)

04/02/15 12:27 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Very Nice Work Aaron! Good luck with your new business and that is a great looking shop! Bob

Homer

(.416 member)

18/05/15 08:33 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

G'Day Fella's,

Nice lookin "Funshop" you have there Aaron!
Nice lookin rifle, coming together there also!!!

Best Wishes also, on the success of your business!

Regards
Homer

Viking338

(.333 member)

18/05/15 02:10 PM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Great work Aaron

I look forward to see the finished job.

Rule303

(.416 member)

18/05/15 08:21 PM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Congrats on starting your own business Aaron. Good loking work too. Hope all goes from strenght to strength for you.

Aaron_Little

(.300 member)

10/01/16 11:57 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Time for an update. The customer hasn't put a rush on anything and slowly pays as he is allowed. He has the same problem as I; young, broke, and both starting new businesses!

Since my last post the gun has grown extended top and bottom tangs, scope mounts for Talley QD rings, some checkering, and a preliminary quick polish to get ready for engraving. The rifle was dropped off with fairly new but very capable engraver John Todd while at the DSC show.

I was able to find an up and coming freelance model to hold the rifle while I took some pics(not really).

Aaron_Little

(.300 member)

10/01/16 12:00 PM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

I didn't take a picture of the top tang polished up, but here it is in a raw state. I learned adding extended tangs after shaping a stock is a royal PITA...I plan to tidy things up on the top tang with a laser welder upon getting it back from the engraver. Please ignore the screw, I like to hold off on making nice screws until just before going to engraving. This picture was taken a while ago and doesn't show the new proper screw.

Waidmannsheil

(.400 member)

10/01/16 04:32 PM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Very nice work, will be great to see when it is finished. Well done.

Waidmannsheil.

gryphon

(.450 member)

10/01/16 04:46 PM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

That is a really nice looking rifle.

DORLEAC

(.333 member)

11/01/16 07:00 PM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Nice work, Aaron.
Having built a big game rifle on the same action, I know it is not too easy to end with such a classic English line.

Best.

DORLEAC
www.dorleac-dorleac.com

Aaron_Little

(.300 member)

12/01/16 01:23 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Thanks you for the kind words. Your work has been an inspiration to me since I graduated gunsmithing school almost five years ago. This gun was loosely styled after one of yours. A lively fast handling rifle it is.

VonGruff

(.400 member)

12/01/16 10:24 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

You have certainly fulfilled the lively fast handling vision you had for this rifle, if looks are anything to go by. Great to see this grand old cartridge regaining it well deserved and respected place in the hunting fields.

Rule303

(.416 member)

12/01/16 05:35 PM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Aaron that is one model 70 I would have in my gun safe.

Aaron_Little

(.300 member)

03/10/18 01:34 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Dogfish858

(.300 member)

03/10/18 05:47 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Gee eh?

93x64mm

(.416 member)

03/10/18 06:03 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Certainly did a grand job there mate - she's a corker!
To me the engraving is also very tastefully done, subtle yet good coverage over the action & rings.
One hell of a lot of work went into this venture to say the least - all a bit jealous here.
Very well thought out & executed project, keep turning rifles out like this & you will certainly be making more than a name for yourself.
93x64mm

Homer

(.416 member)

03/10/18 08:37 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

G'Day Fella's,

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Donuts!

Regards
Homer

tinker

(.416 member)

03/10/18 10:23 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Very nice!

eagle27

(.400 member)

03/10/18 10:27 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Very cool, what's the LOP, looks long but maybe just impression with thick pad. Obviously you do to customer wishes but wonder why the need for magazine capacity to be engraved on the floorplate. Seen it before somewhere too. The dark wood is exceptional.

Ripp

(.577 member)

03/10/18 11:02 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Quote:

Certainly did a grand job there mate - she's a corker!
To me the engraving is also very tastefully done, subtle yet good coverage over the action & rings.
One hell of a lot of work went into this venture to say the least - all a bit jealous here.
Very well thought out & executed project, keep turning rifles out like this & you will certainly be making more than a name for yourself.
93x64mm

Agree with all of the above--very beautiful rifle..your work is awesome..

Ripp

Ash

(.400 member)

03/10/18 11:42 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Eagle27 - I think I�ve seen capacity engraved in a H&H or some other Brit maker before.

Aaron_Little

(.300 member)

03/10/18 12:25 PM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

The 1.5� recoil pad is due to needing to cut away an inclusion in the toe of the stock and still obtain the 15.25� LOP the customer desired.

Dogfish858

(.300 member)

04/10/18 02:17 AM

Re: Aaron Little: .404 M70 Build

Where did you find the bottom metal? I have an M70 that I'm not terribly impressed with; everything about it screams cheap shortcuts. Makes an Axis seem like haute couture.

DarylS

(.700 member)

04/10/18 02:37 AM