Custom carved Marlin 30-30 is a gun everyone knows about. A sure fire and very accurate gun to shoot. This gun belonged to my late father-in-law, Bob. He was an avid hunter with a VERY deadly aim. He was known around the Basin for his marksmanship. I am very proud to be given the opportunity to carve this design onto Bob’s gun. Thanks Mom!

I found this picture of the elk on the back of a truck window. It struck me as something my father-in-law would have liked. As I was carving/sculpting this design my mind was wondering. I remember thinking the name of this piece will be “Whispers of time” In the foothills, the wind whispers through the trees, creating a mournful wail. The “King” answers with a warning “They’re mine now!” Then, the thought came to put and elk’s horns that had been shed on the forend of the gun stock. Giving the illusion of a King that once was.

This gun stock has been custom carved/sculpted with a bull elk protecting his herd. The gun has been hand painted and signed. It is a one of a kind master piece. I know this gun will never leave the family. It will be handed down from generation to generation. Many stories will be told around the campfire of how Grandpa was an exceptional marksman, and how he loved to hunt.

Thanks again Mom for allowing me to carve this story into this gun for our family. Deb

Gun History

I have included the history of the Marlin 30-30. I hope you enjoy reading about this gun.

The .30-30 Winchester/.30 Winchester Center Fire/7.62×51mmR cartridge was first marketed in early 1895 for the Winchester Model 1894 lever-action rifle.^[2] The .30-30 (thirty-thirty), as it is most commonly known, was the USA’s first small-bore, sporting rifle cartridge designed for smokeless powder. The .30-30 is one of the most common deer cartridges in North America. Popular in Mexico and Latin America, it is known there as the treinta-treinta.^[3]

[edit] Naming

Although the original name used by Winchester on their firearms and ammunition was .30 WCF, the designation .30-30 was used by both Marlin and Union Metallic Cartridge Co., who did not want to put the name of rival Winchester on their products.^[4] The added -30 stands for the standard load of 30 grains (1.9 g) of early smokeless powder, which was on par with current IMR/DuPont’s 4064. Over time Marlin’s variation on the name stuck, though “.30 WCF” is also used.

[edit] Characteristics and use

The .30-30 is considered to be the “entry-class” for modern deer cartridges. While it will take deer-sized and black bear-sized game, it is limited in effective range to approximately 200 yards (183 m) for that purpose. It is common to define the characteristics of similar cartridges as being in “.30-30 class” when describing their effectiveness. The .30-30 is typically loaded with bullets weighing between 150 and 170 grains (9.7–11.0 g), but lighter loads are possible. Bullets of up to 180 grains (11.7 g) can be used but the overall length restrictions of the lever action rifles used for this round limit their usefulness.

One of the primary reasons for the .30-30′s popularity amongst deer hunters is its light recoil. Average recoil from a typical 150-grain (9.7 g) load at 2,390 feet per second (730 m/s) in a 7.5-pound (3.4 kg) rifle is 10.6 pounds-force (47 N) of felt recoil at the shooter’s shoulder.^[5] This, combined with the cartridge’s ability to take the majority of large game in North America, as long as the game is within 200 yards (180 m) of the shooter, results in a highly effective hunting round.

Because the majority of rifles chambered in .30-30 are lever-action rifles with tubular magazines, most .30-30 cartridges are loaded with round-nose or flat-nose bullets. This is to prevent a spitzer-point bullet (the shape seen on the .308 Winchester above) from setting off the primer of the cartridge ahead of it in the magazine during recoil. Were that to happen, the gun would probably be damaged or destroyed and the shooter seriously injured. The Savage Model 99 was introduced in 1899 with a rotary magazine, in part to avoid that issue. When used in single-shot rifles or handguns, such as the Thompson Center Arms Contender or Encore series, it is common for shooters to handload the cartridge with spire-point bullets for improved ballistics.

A notable exception to the “no-spire point” guidelines for tubular magazines is the new Hornady LEVERevolution line of flexible memory elastomer tipped ammunition.^[6] By allowing a more efficient bullet shape, it allows a lighter bullet, higher muzzle velocity, and flatter trajectory. Given the popularity of the .30-30 cartridge and the lever action rifle, the potential market for the new ammunition is huge. Early reports indicate substantially improved accuracy with the round and at good terminal ballistic performance.^[7][8]

.30 WINCHESTER SMOKELESS first appeared in Winchester’s catalog No. 55, dated August, 1895. As chambered in the Winchester Model 1894 carbine and rifle, it was also known as .30 Winchester Centerfire or .30 WCF. When the cartridge was chambered in the Marlin Model 1893 rifle, rival gunmaker Marlin used the designation .30-30 or .30-30 Smokeless.^[9]

As originally produced by Winchester Repeating Arms (WRA) and Union Metallic Cartridge Company (UMC, who dubbed the cartridge .30-30), it was manufactured with a metal patched lead bullet weighing 160 gr. However, one year later UMC produced a 170 gr. bullet offering. 150 gr. and 170 gr. bullets continue to be very popular, as seen in the number of these weights offered by current manufacturers, although the 160 gr. bullet weight has reappeared in the Hornady cartridge noted above. Jacketed bullets for the .30-30 are .308 inches nominal diameter. Cast lead bullets for the .30-30 are also popular, and usually are dimensioned to .309 inches in diameter for use in the .30-30.

The .30-30 is one of the relatively few currently popular centerfire rifle cartridges that have a rimmed case. The .30-30, like most other rimmed case examples, such as the 7.62x54mmR, the .303 British, the 9.3x74mmR, the .45-70, and the Nitro Express cartridges, were all old cartridges in wide use before rimless designs were introduced for bolt action rifles. The modern .307 Winchester, .308 Marlin Express, and the .444 Marlin are exceptions to the trend toward rimless but all of these are cartridges designed specifically for lever action rifles.

[edit] Rifles and handguns chambered in .30-30

.30 WCF ammunition

The .30-30 is by far the most common chambering in lever action rifles^[10] such as the Winchester Model 1894, the Savage Model 99, and the Marlin Model 336. Mossberg also came out with quite a few lever action rifles in the chambering, the Mossberg model 472,479 and the newer 464 .You can also find these Mossberg rifles under the brands of Western Field[sold through Montgomery Wards as the M72]and through Sears and Roebuck under the name Revelation[model 200]The 472 was only produced from 1970 to 1979 and the 479 until 1983 both of which are rare and are often confused as the marlin 336.The best way to tell is on the lever,if the trigger stays with the lever [like a browning BLR] you then have a Mossberg 472 or 479 if it stays with the receiver then you have a marlin 336.There is even a sought after Roy Rogers edition with a gold trigger,butt plate and Roy Rogers signature on the stock. Rossi of Brazil has recently started offering what is essentially a clone of the Marlin 336 series in .30-30 as well. The cartridge’s rimmed design, medium length, and moderate pressure work well for the typical lever action design. The rimmed design is also well suited for various single-shot actions, so it is commonly found there as well. Rimmed cartridges are chambered in bolt action rifles, but .30-30 bolt actions are uncommon today, despite being quite effective in the field. “At one time Winchester turned out the Model 54 bolt-action repeater in this caliber [.30 WCF], but it was a decided failure, chiefly because the man desiring a bolt action preferred to take one of the better and more powerful cartridges. However, in this particular caliber, the .30 WCF cartridge proved to be decidedly accurate.”^[11] In addition, rimmed cartridges typically don’t feed well with the box magazines normally found on bolt-action rifles.^{[12][13][14][15]} Other examples of bolt action rifles offered in .30-30 Winchester are the Savage Models 340 and 840 and the Remington 788.

In the sport of handgun metallic silhouette shooting, the .30-30 has had some success. The Thompson Center Arms Contender pistol, with its compact frame and break-open action, is ideally suited for cartridges of the .30-30′s size. With proper loading, the .30-30 will produce velocities of nearly 2000 f/s (610 m/s) out of the short 10 inch (25 cm) Contender barrel, though recoil and muzzle blast are strong from the short barrel. The longer 14-inch (36 cm) barrel results in significant reductions in felt recoil (due to increased weight) and muzzle blast, with higher velocities, especially if factory loaded rifle ammunition is used. Magnum Research offers their five-shot BFR revolver in .30-30.^[16]

[edit] Derivative cartridges

In addition to the most common factory derivations, the .25-35 Winchester, 6.5x52R and the less well known .219 Zipper, the .30-30 has also spawned many wildcat cartridges over the years. One of the more successful was the 7-30 Waters, made by necking the .30-30 case down to 7 mm (.284 inch). The 7-30 Waters eventually moved from a wildcat design to a factory chambering, with rifles being made by Winchester, and barrels made by T/C for their Contender pistol. Other .30-30 based wildcats are used almost exclusively in the Contender pistol. One of the more notable examples is the .30 Herrett, a .30-30 case necked back to reduce case capacity for more efficient loading with fast burning powders. The .30 Herrett produces higher velocities with less powder than the larger .30-30 case in the short 10 and 14 inch (25 and 35 cm) Contender barrels. Other examples are the .357 Herrett, developed to handle heavier bullets and larger game than the .30 Herrett, and the 7mm International Rimmed, a popular metallic silhouette cartridge. Bullberry, a maker of custom Contender barrels, offers proprietary .30-30 wildcats in 6 mm, .25 caliber, and 6.5 mm diameters.^{[17][18][19][20][21]} In addition, P.O. Ackley used the cartridge as the basis for the .30-30 Ackley Improved.

[edit] See also

• 7 mm caliber
• List of rifle cartridges

[edit] Notes

As you can see the Winchester 7MM Mag I started a month ago is finally finished. The fighting elk has been custom carved on the Winchester 7mm MAG. You may remember the past posts of how I have develope this carving from start to finish. I hope you have enjoyed the process. I’m sure you can tell it is not an easy process. Still, to me it is very enjoyable.

I refinished this gun by sanding down the gun stock then resealing it. This took the majority of the scratches out of the gun. Then I carved the scene onto the gun stock. This gun has the basket weave on both sides of the grip as well as on both sides forend as well as the bottom of the forend. T0 finish the gun, I have custom painted the scene onto the gun using oil paints. It truly is a work of art. Then I have applied a coat of finish to seal everything.

I have also checked to see what year this gun was manufactured, 1970. The gun still have many years of use left. It has given me great pleasure to carve and paint this scene on this gun. Your comments are appreciated. Please feel free to leave them below.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope to see you in person at the Cross Roads of the West Gun Show this coming September 25 & 26, 2010. The show will be held at the South Towne Expo in Salt Lake City, UT. Deb L

I have been asked many time why I chose to carve or engrave gun stocks? Instead of carving eggs, gourds, engrave on glass, etc. Well, my husband is an avid hunter. He loves guns and has aquired quite a collection. We usually go to the gun shows that are in the Salt Lake valley. One time, as we where getting out of our truck, he said to me: “Its your turn to buy something. What do you want? What kind of gun do you want to buy?” I told him, “I didn’t know.” I would look for something while where in the gun show. When we entered the gun show, I heard the wine of a dental drill. At least that is what I thought I heard. We went to that booth to see what it was. Sure enough it was a high speed pen that used dental bits. Called the Paragrave. I was allowed to try the tool. I  immediately fell in love with it. We wondered around the show for about another two hours. Came back to that same booth and purchased the tool.

Since that time I have tried my hand at engraving rocks, tile, eggs, glass, mirrors, metal and everything else I could get my hands on. In February 2009, I went to my first carving class with Dr. Lew Jensen, inventor of the Paragrave high speed pen. Again, we carved all kinds of differnet materials. Out of them all I have found I enjoy carving or sculpting wood. It is the medium I have found gives me the more enjoyment and the most challengs.

Then I asked Allen to allow me to carve on one of his guns. You can imagine what he said to that. He believed I could carve the guns. He just didn’t want me to begin on one of his guns. His collectors guns!!! NO WAY! So, he went to the local pawn shop and purchased me a Marlin 30-30 with a stainless steel barrel. The first carving I ever completed was a grizzle bear. After finishing the grizzle bear he wanted it. I told him NO. He purchased it for me and I was going to sell the gun. Now he wished he would have allowed me to carve on one of his guns. Reason being, I am quite busy now and of course his guns are the last ones on my list…

I enjoy creating custom gun stocks. Carving beautiful works of art to be handed down from generations to generations. Watching the expression of a gun owner see their prize possession again for the first time, is a real treat to me. They can not quit looking at the gun. You see, I not only carve the gun stock, I paint the sceen too. If it is necessary I will also sand the stock down and refinish it. Making the gun almost brand new again. The sky’s the limit almost.

Thanks for asking this question. I have enjoyed answering it. If you have a question about sculpting wood. Please ask your question below. I enjoy hearing from you. Deb L

I am asking this question of my readers. What animal would you like to see me carve next? I have custom carved, or engraved, many animals on different gun stocks over the year. I have enjoyed carving each and every one. Some of them are more challenging then others. Still, I get a tremendous satisfaction from completing each carving or engraving I do. Now, I am wondering if there is a certain animal you would like to see carved? To date I have carved elk, moose, mule deer, a mountain lion, grizzly bear, and mountain goats to mention a few.

There are lots more animals out there to be carved. Which one should it be? Help me decide by commenting below. You will be the one making this decision for me this time. So hurry and leave your choice below in the comment section. I will be adding the basket weave and something else to the forend and/or grip of the gun.

Here are a few ideas. Please do not limit your decision on just these pictures. Antelope, Black Bear, Big Horn Sheep to name a few.

I will keep a tally of requests. The highest number will decide the next carving. The decision date will be August 15th. I will post the results here on my blog. The gun will be for sell and on display at the Cross Roads of the West Gun Show in Salt Lake City, Utah, this coming September 25 & 26, 2010. I’m sure this gun will make any gun collector proud. Will that person be you?

Thanks for participating in this decision! Deb L

It has come to my attention I have never explained what relief carving is or the different types. So, I thought I would do my best to explain this to you. Here goes…

There are actually several types of carvings. The type of carving I use is called full relief carving. This means I have a smooth piece of wood, like a gun stock, that I carve part of the wood away. The end result is the place where the picture is and there is no part of the original gun stock left in the area of the picture. In other words, the front side of a picture in 3D. There is 2D carving, or semi relief carving, which is a carving you would get if you left part of the original wood in the picture. You usually will see this from carving which has been completed by a laser. You do not get much shaping, (deminsion) to your picture/carving. There is also full round carving. This would be when you take a block of wood (say 4 inch by 4 inch) and carve the entire animal or object out of the wood. Like carving the complete elk, legs and all. Like the status of animals, etc. Here are a few of examples.

(Full Relief Carving)

As you can see this gun stock of a moose. I have used the full relief carving method to carve this gun stock. There is nothing left of the original gun stock in the picture. There is, however, the original gunstock outside the design.

(Semi Relief Carving)

Yet on the wood carving of the horses head, (shown above), there is still part of the original plate left in the main picture design. This is knows as semi relief carving.

(Full Round Carving) – ( This carving is a Craig Hone original)

With full round carving, (shown in the picture above) there is nothing left of the original outside portion of wood. The difference is you have all sides carved with the full round carving, only one half of a carving is left with the full relieve carving method, and with the semi relief method you still have part of the original wood in the picture.

After I have carved my design, I sand the project. Then I hand paint each carving. To me this helps to define the carving even more and it helps to bring the carving to life.

I hope this helps you to understand the types of carvings as well as just how unique each type of carving is. If you have any questions about this or have a question about something I have talked about on one of my posts. Please feel free to ask me in the comments below. I would be happy to explain it to you. If I don’t know something I will find out for you and let you know.

Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your comments and feed back. Have a wonderful summer! Deb L

The pictures show are of the finished custom gunstock repairs. This gun had several large nicks in the stock. After fixing the nicks carved this beautiful elk scene over the repairs. You can not see where the repairs have been made. The gunstock art shows the grain of the wood and makes the old gun come to life once again. The smaller nicks and scratches are also fixed. You can not tell where the repairs have been made on the gunstock. Yes, it is more time consuming to repair a gun. Still the end results are well worth the time.

Here is a close up, as well as the full view, of the refinished gun along with the owner Dallas Jensen.