Single Shot Saturday - Show us your Single Shots!

[ftrovato]

Beautiful rifles in a great setting, the flying pig lamp is special.

My wife allows me the space I use as long as she has control over what it looks like.... ;-)

 

[ftrovato]

Yes it is a Gibbs. I have a few but only this one with the Selous plates.

Great Rifle. I never heard of or saw "Selous Plates".

Tell us more about the rifle and the reason behind the plates...

 

[Huvius]

The plates were offered on George Gibbs Farquharson rifles and it is believed that maybe 50 or so were sold with the plates. Some say as low as 20 but I have seen rifles fit with them enough to guess it's double or more than that many.
The metal (malleable iron I believe) is formed to the stock and secured with screws around the edges. It is roughly .010" thick - see the photos below.

The name comes from the famous hunter F.C. Selous whom is said to be the first to request them from Gibbs. IIRC Gibbs had Beesley make and fit the plates but I'd have to go back and research that again to be sure.

Here's the story on my Selous rifle:

Thread 'George Gibbs Farquharson'

Nov 17, 2023

My smith, Steve Bertram recently finished some work on this rife.
I bought it a few years ago. It had been rebarreled at some time to 7X57R and the forend had been replaced as well.
The action was blacked but the buttstock with the wonderful Selous plates was perfectly original!

I had a take-off barrel from another project - a Ron Snover Metford rifled barrel - which had plenty of length and diameter to turn to the correct Gibbs sporter profile.
So, we had all of the pieces to place together and resurrect a very rare and special Gibbs!
Since the barrel is a .450, I chose the 500/450 No.1...

• Huvius
• Replies: 6
• Forum: Muzzleloaders & black powder

• 

And a "regular" Gibbs Farquharson 461:

 

[BGHNTR416]

Those rifles are incredible!

 

[ftrovato]

The plates were offered on George Gibbs Farquharson rifles and it is believed that maybe 50 or so were sold with the plates. Some say as low as 20 but I have seen rifles fit with them enough to guess it's double or more than that many.
The metal (malleable iron I believe) is formed to the stock and secured with screws around the edges. It is roughly .010" thick - see the photos below.

The name comes from the famous hunter F.C. Selous whom is said to be the first to request them from Gibbs. IIRC Gibbs had Beesley make and fit the plates but I'd have to go back and research that again to be sure.

Here's the story on my Selous rifle:

Thread 'George Gibbs Farquharson'

Nov 17, 2023

My smith, Steve Bertram recently finished some work on this rife.
I bought it a few years ago. It had been rebarreled at some time to 7X57R and the forend had been replaced as well.
The action was blacked but the buttstock with the wonderful Selous plates was perfectly original!

I had a take-off barrel from another project - a Ron Snover Metford rifled barrel - which had plenty of length and diameter to turn to the correct Gibbs sporter profile.
So, we had all of the pieces to place together and resurrect a very rare and special Gibbs!
Since the barrel is a .450, I chose the 500/450 No.1...

• Huvius
• Replies: 6
• Forum: Muzzleloaders & black powder

• 

View attachment 673201

View attachment 673200


View attachment 673204


View attachment 673205


And a "regular" Gibbs Farquharson 461:

View attachment 673203

Thanks for sharing.

Am I correct to assume they are put on simply to increase durability during rough handling?

How hot do they get in the African sun?

 

[Huvius]

Am I correct to assume they are put on simply to increase durability during rough handling?

How hot do they get in the African sun?

Correct. Much of the scouting and hunting was done on horseback and it was common for a fall or drop from a horse to result in a broken stock. Back then, that pretty much put the rifle out of commission entirely.
I believe that Selous himself had a stock on a muzzle loader break through the wrist which he wrapped with fresh elephant or hippo hide so, when it dried, tightened around the stock and apparently stabilized it enough for continued use. As I understand it, that is what gave him the idea for the metal plates if he did indeed come up with the idea as a preventative measure. Of course, some earlier guns were repaired with shaped metal but I'm unaware of any other maker offering them on a new gun.
As for the heat, I've not felt that they get overly hot and here in Colorado and our Summers are hot and the sun is intense. Of course I wouldn't leave it out for a length of time to test either...
I know a couple owners in Africa and they say the heat, if there is any, is not noticeable while hunting.

 

[ftrovato]

Correct. Much of the scouting and hunting was done on horseback and it was common for a fall or drop from a horse to result in a broken stock. Back then, that pretty much put the rifle out of commission entirely.
I believe that Selous himself had a stock on a muzzle loader break through the wrist which he wrapped with fresh elephant or hippo hide so, when it dried, tightened around the stock and apparently stabilized it enough for continued use. As I understand it, that is what gave him the idea for the metal plates if he did indeed come up with the idea as a preventative measure. Of course, some earlier guns were repaired with shaped metal but I'm unaware of any other maker offering them on a new gun.
As for the heat, I've not felt that they get overly hot and here in Colorado and our Summers are hot and the sun is intense. Of course I wouldn't leave it out for a length of time to test either...
I know a couple owners in Africa and they say the heat, if there is any, is not noticeable while hunting.

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing...

 

[Kynoch2015]

You have to admire the talent to get all the screw slots to align in the proper orientation around the parameter of the side plates. One theory is that the screw heads are oversized in height, once set, they are filed down and new slots cut so they are aligned. Regardless how it’s done, a neat bit of skill.

 

[Huvius]

You have to admire the talent to get all the screw slots to align in the proper orientation around the parameter of the side plates. One theory is that the screw heads are oversized in height, once set, they are filed down and new slots cut so they are aligned. Regardless how it’s done, a neat bit of skill.

They are definitely filed down to the metal as they are smooth with the contours of the plates.
I think that you are correct in the notion of fitting with tall heads, indexing for a new slot, taking down the head and cutting new slots. Then, these newly slotted screws were filed down flush with the plates.
However it was done, it's pretty damn cool!

 

[steve white]

There have been some drop dead gorgeous single shots portrayed thus far....my single of mention is not nearly so glamorous. Like me, my youngest brother started hunting with a single shot Winchester shotgun. It's what we could afford at the time. He killed his first three point whitetail with it and continued on to kill over a dozen more, all with buckshot in thick East Texas woods. Lots of dove, squirrel, rabbits and wood ducks jumped on Big Sandy creek followed until he passed it down to the youngest nephew, who took the deer tally to beyond 100. Deadly little gun, year in and out. Lots of fun until stoked with magnum loads, when the extreme light weight translated into KICK. Single shots teach you not to waste a shot by sky-busting. We often said a repeater was only good for throwing away the first shots, "Just to put the fear of God in them." Forgot to mention several deer killed near Del Rio when my next youngest brother took it with him to the AirForce base there, even introducing it to snipe in the bogs surrounding Lake Amistad? or Falcon? Have to check a map. It returned to me when I stored it in my college dorm room at North Texas State, for use on the quail around Sanger. Good times!

 

[steve white]

I just purchased this Dakota #10 in 243 Winchester and can't wait to take it to the range and shoot it next week.

I have to say it is the most elegant firearm I've ever owned!

Show us your single shots....


View attachment 671691View attachment 671692

That's so pretty I don't think even @Bob Nelson 35Whelen could poke fun at it being a 243!

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

That's so pretty I don't think even @Bob Nelson 35Whelen could poke fun at it being a 243!

@steve white
It sure is beautiful but it's a 243.
Now if'n it was in 25-06 that would be the icing on the cake.
Bob