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1897 CHECKERING


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+1 for Tazz & Single Rose at Classic Laser Works

https://www.shootingbums.org/klassiclaserworks/contactus.html

 

You'll find them at many of the larger matches!

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 6/22/2024 at 2:50 PM, Blacksmith Jim #68489 L TG said:

Who does everyone use for extre checkering or laser work on 1897 forearm, need something with a lot of grip, thanks guy’s.

Having a lot of grip does make a big difference and I really wanted more on our '97s. I talked to Tazz (Klassic Laser Works) at a match where they were vending. He said that he didn't have the attachment with him that rotates the forearm while it cuts. It sounded like he doesn't take it to matches because it is a lot of work to set up. He said I could send it with him but it would take a quite a while. He said he could have it for me at the next match, which would be more than 4 months later. I got the impression that it was more work than it was worth for him unless he waited until he had enough to do several at a time. This was understandable but we didn't want to be without them for that long.

 

Later, I was talking with Coyote Cap. He had the grippiest forearm I had ever seen (although it was very worn), along with a fancy custom stock that his father had made him on his IAC '97 with serial number CB00001. His forearm was laser cut by his son, Mogollon Drifter. It had deep diamond checkering and the diameter of the forearm had been reduced as much as possible so he could hold it better while holding shells in the same hand. He said he would actually grab 6 shells at a time. He gave me his son's number and told me that he was sure if we ordered the minimum amount (I can't remember if it was 6 or 10) that he would make them for me even though he hadn't done it for a while and it wasn't set up. I liked his forearm so much I would figure out some way to make that work. I called, texted and left many messages but he never answered or got back to me.

 

I decided to try cutting a bunch of grooves in our forearms using a table saw. I bought a couple spares just in case I messed them up too bad. The only ones I could find anywhere are made by Boyds for about $75 each. Cutting them worked fine. It's a good thing because I later found that the Boyds forearms were too short to allow the gun to fully cycle. We used the original cut ones for a while. They were pretty ugly and the wood kept chipping out. 

 

I kept looking for other options. We wanted better and weren't happy with what was available. I started talking to some knowledgeable people in different manufacturing fields. We worked together, trying different materials and processes, to make forearms, grips and stocks. We also experimented with different designs and every type of texturing/checkering we could come up with. It needed to grip, but not hurt, and not lose it's effectiveness over time. With most materials, including wood, the edges wear down or chip off over time. We spent many years testing things. Eventually, we had stuff that we really liked. Many shooters have asked where they can buy these things. We've helped a few friends get them. After a while, we decided that we might as well make these available to the public. Forearms are now available here.

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19 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

Contact Slater aka Slater's in House Guns.  He may be able to do what you want.

You're right! I saw some nice stippling that Slater hade done on a couple of Widder's 97 forearms.

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On my personal 97's, I hired Slater to stipple my forearms using his very slow and unique method of using a particular

Dremel bit and Dremel to actually hand 'cut' little 'stipple like' pattern in the forearms.

 

Normally, he doesn't do the forearm in this manner because it is time consuming.   But considering the free time

in teaching him about the Marlin 1894 and Henry .22, he was glad to do a couple of my forearms with this unique

hand method.

 

Slater also has a laser machine and can do some mighty fine patterns, checkering and stippling.

 

..........Widder

 

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