http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2010/09/14/an-esqusit-beautiful-and-steampunk-esque-50-bmg-rifle/







 

I think I'm getting a boner.

Not bad considering the guy built it in his garage.

Nice rifle....hate the thread title!

You'd be amazed at what gets built in garages these days.

Better?



 

Stunning work of art.

Thanks.

My shoulder hurts just looking at that.

Yep. I already built a 10/22 pistol out of scrap tubing. Now I'm working on a rail system for my Marlin 336 and about to start another scrap 10/22. First of the year, I'm gonna build me a 7.62x25 bullpup.

Beautiful...Id watch people shoot it.

Nice rifle... love the thread title.

Shitty place for a watermark.



ETA: Better pics in the linked article

Sweet.

It did say "I'll just leave this here".

How the fuck are you supposed to shoot it with the vernier sight folded back like that?  You'd impale your fucking eye on that shit.

Tell me this guy has a web site and a price list.  This goes beyond "do want" and is damned near in the "must have" category.  Love the flip up tang sight too.

ETA: It's up for auction!  Somebody with a buttload of money needs to buy it for me.  I ain't got the kind of shooting budget for the anticipated price of 15-25K
http://jamesdjulia.com/auctions/div_catalog_296.asp?pageREQ=1

1350  *INCREDIBLE CUSTOM MADE MASSIVE SINGLE SHOT TARGET RIFLE WITH SCOPE, CUSTOM REST & ACCESSORIES. SN NONE VISIBLE. Cal. 50 BMG. Extraordinary example of the machinist's art built by the late J.T. (Jack) Smith of Sudbury, Mass., in his home machine shop 1993-1995. This massive long range target rifle incorporates an aircraft machine gun bbl that Mr. Smith reconfigured to about 38-1/4", turned oct to rnd like his favorite Schuetzen rifles. The round portion of the bbl is tapered with a heavy boss at the muzzle. Mounted with a custom built, offset, windage adjustable, spirit level, shielded front sight and a custom built vernier tang sight with windage and offset aperture to the left side to compensate for the offset front sight. The reason the sights are offset to the left for a right handed shooter, is that the rifle is so wide it would be nearly impossible to center one's eye over the receiver. Apparently Mr. Smith was a very practical person with considerable shooting experience. Top of bbl and top of receiver are mounted with custom built scope blocks containing a Unertl 15X target scope in incredible custom built aluminum target rings, all of which are also offset to the left. The bbl is inlaid in gold on left top side flat "J T SMITH - SUDBURY MA - 1995" and in gold on the right top flat ".50 CAL BMG". The massive receiver is absolutely incredible in its design and construction. It is machined from solid steel, 8" long x 2-3/4" wide x 3" deep and incorporates several features of a variety of arms including no less than a Howitzer's side swinging breech block which swings to the right and mortises into the back of the receiver in the loading slot, providing a backup for the falling block breech block. The floorplate & lever are 1-pc and incorporates a Ruger No. 1 style latch which locks into the bottom of the trigger guard. The entire floorplate & lever retract downward, as in the Ruger, and utilizes an unusual hinged linkage system engineered between the falling block & floorplate. Firing is accomplished by means of a striker mounted in the swinging breech block and is manually cocked with another lever on top of the breech block. Top right of the breech block is mounted with a rotating safety marked "S" and "F". Dropping the falling block also activates the extractor which removes the cartridge or empty case from the chamber. The 15-5/16" long forearm is made of cast bronze with French walnut side panels and the buttstock with large thumb hole grip is also of cast bronze with Cocobolo grip panels & side panels and has a heavy leather covered ribbed pad. The rifle is then engraved by master engraver, John Adams, with a deep relief flying bald eagle on left side of receiver as copied from an American flying eagle one cent piece and enlarged proportionally for the receiver. The right side has an equally large spread-winged American eagle with an American shield on its breast clutching arrows and olive branches in its talons copied from an 1858 silver half dollar. The balance of the receiver, swinging breech block, lever, scope blocks, front sight and the areas surrounding scope blocks are engraved in fine foliate arabesque patterns. Contact with Mr. Smith's son disclosed that the elder Mr. Smith had scratch-built several firearms over the years but this was his apex in gun making. Mr. Smith is reported to have required that his guns have form, function & beauty and these were the thoughts he apparently had in his mind when he created this magnificent piece. According to Mr. Smith's son, his father, a former Marine and CIA employee, along with 45 years work as an optical instrument designer and his unapologetic and unbending patriotism would allow no less than what is presented here. This rifle was built in Mr. Smith's home shop with a standard, non-digital, Bridgeport milling machine and an antique lathe along with much hand work. Some of the processes, such as bluing, heat treating, casting the bronze stock & forearm and applying the classic bronze patina were outsourced but all of the machine work was accomplished entirely by his father. He built the rifle to weigh under the 65 lb. limit so that it could compete in heavy bench rest rifle shoots and has been tested. In addition to the masterful workmanship in creating this rifle, Mr. Jack Smith also created an extraordinary micrometer adjustable bench rest. The rest has three tapered arms emanating from a ball shape with screw adjustable feet and a spirit level. An elevation adjusting wheel and screw are attached to the top of the ball and contain a dovetailed, micrometer adjustable, leather covered rest for the forestock of the rifle, another of Mr. Smith's spectacular inventions. Accompanying this fine rifle & rest is a magnificent set of tools in a wonderful hand made dovetailed walnut case, all created especially for this magnificent rifle. This set of tools includes four rosewood handled items including Spanner wrenches, a compact hammer with Spanner wrench, a universal drive with Spanner wrench and a magnetic hex head drive for the six hex shaft turn screws & Allen wrenches, an aluminum Spanner for the universal drive, a set of go/no-go gauges, a ratcheting chamber brush, three hand made screws of indeterminate use and seven Allen wrenches. The case has a hand made brass handle & dbl swinging latches. This truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity as there will not be another like it ever created. So, if you have something that you want to reach out and touch far, far away, or just simply want to own a magnificent piece of gun art, this is your golden opportunity!! CONDITION: Exceptionally fine. Bbl retains about all of its strong, bright custom blue & bright metal finish on the receiver, breech blocks, lever & floorplate. Stock & forearm metal retain all of their dark bronze patina. The wood panels are sound and retain about all of their fine custom finish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore. Optics are crisp. The rest retains about all of its orig bright metal finish. Wood case & tools are extremely fine. 4-40865 JR281 (15,000-25,000)

Meh.



No dings, scratches or rust and ZERO cosomline smell.

Nice shoulder fired howitzer.