Good Brooks: The Rifle That Takes Longer To Build Than A Car

by
posted on June 9, 2015
in-500-hours-you-can-build-30-cars-or-this-rifle-main-image.jpg
Michael Ives

With the first flintlock rifle he made for the NRA Annual Meetings in 1955, Ohio gun maker Cecil Brooks had little idea he would be creating a tradition lasting more than half a century. Brooks made each of the special presentation rifles, awarded to banquet speakers at the Annual Meetings, through 2005, basing his embellished creations on rifles made by legendary Ohio Valley gunsmiths who built arms in the mid to late 1800s. At age 93, Brooks completed a special rifle for Vice President Dick Cheney in 2005, with the assistance of his apprentice Lee Hamel.

Brooks’ rifles could take from 500 to 700 hours to craft, from the elaborately engraved patch box to inlaid gold and silver accents that can take the form of touchhole picks or unique stock inlays. Other unique aspects of some Brooks’ guns can be seen in their brass barrels, made from the drive shafts of nuclear submarines, as well as stocks made from historic apple and curly maple trees.

Latest

48651170742_04f298edc4_k.jpg
48651170742_04f298edc4_k.jpg

More Than Half of State Attorneys General Demand Answers from Biden

The group submitted a formal comment letter addressing the ATF’s proposed rulemaking regarding the “Definition of ‘Engaged in Business’ as a Dealer in Firearms.”

Another Armed Californian Saves His Family

Robberies and burglaries are increasingly occurring in the Golden State.

This is What Empowering Women Really Looks Like

With gun ownership on the rise throughout the nation, women are one huge demographic that has seen noticeable growth in this area. Such is why one NRA firearms instructor built a self-defense training company that caters exclusively to women.

What’s Next for Oregon?

When a circuit court judge imposed a permanent injunction against Oregon’s anti-freedom measure last week, it was just the latest skirmish in a year-long, up-and-down battle against the sweeping, poorly conceived law.

The Armed Citizen® December 4, 2023

True stories of the right to keep and bear arms.

NRA 2023 Year In Review

None of this would be possible without the enduring support of NRA members.



Get the best of America's 1st Freedom delivered to your inbox.