Custom Rifles
Firearm enthusiasts come in many different flavors, from those who want to fire at anything that moves in the woods to those who regard a well made firearm as a work of art. No matter what drives a person's passion for firearms, there's a custom rifle made to fit their need.
Most any adjustment to a firearm can be referred to a customization; however, to a true firearms aficionado a custom rifle will sport a new and exotic stock, an accurized or retooled barrel or other modifications such as increased ammunition capacity.
How much is all this going to cost? The answer to that question can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on the demands and specifications of the buyer. Within certain parameters, a custom rifle buyer can dictate length, weight, caliber, stock and general appearance of their purchase.
The most frequent firearm modification, and the one most obvious to any observer, is the customized stock. These beautiful enhancements come in all types and grades of wood and are often decorated with hand carvings, checkered designs and personalized initializing. One of the most common features of the custom rifle is the personalized pistol grip. In addition to adding to the appearance of the weapon, this addition is intended to improve the utility of the piece.
Barreling on custom rifles will vary also. They can be coated with Teflon, parkerized (coating method utilizing zinc as the primary base), polished, blued or even chocolate coated if the user has a weird sense of humor. Finally, barrels can be engraved or inlaid with gold or other precious metals.
In 1994, President Clinton gave an unknowing boost to the world of custom rifles when he signed the Assault Weapons Bill into law. Immediately after the law was enacted, manufacturers of six of the nine banned weapons made minor cosmetic changes to their unlawful products and marketed them as "sporterized", legal rifles.
A person interested in purchasing a custom rifle made to desired specifications, may want to seek a gunsmith through the American Custom Gun Makers Guild. Most custom gun makers are members of this association. Full custom rifle designs are almost the exclusive purview of small, independent gun makers working in their small gun manufacturing shops. Major gun manufacturers usually find that production of "cookie cutter" pieces fits better into their business plans.
Unless you're a sniper, concerned with MOA (Minute of Angle.. accuracy to 1" at 100 yards, 2" at 200 yards, etc.) your expectations and desire for a custom rifle probably tends more toward appearance and general utility than pin point accuracy. In any case, you can certainly have it all as long as you're willing to pay the price. Excellence isn't cheap.