You can go to the woods, fields, or blind next season with a firearm that your fellow hunters will be envious of and your wallet will still have a little bulk to it.  Southern Draw of Mobile, Alabama can give your trusted firearm the look you’ve admired on those new guns for a fraction of what it would cost to buy one.

 We’ve all done it.  While looking over the new firearms in our favorite outdoors store or in the magazines we receive, we’ve said, “Oh, I like that!” or, “I wish I had one like that.”  It’s not that we need a new rifle or shotgun.  It’s just that we want one.  The old rifle that has been to the woods with us for years is in perfectly good working order and can still produce groups at 100 yards that make us proud.  The old shotgun that has knocked down countless quail, doves and ducks still has what it takes to get the job done.  When we were kids, there were no camouflage stocks on the firearms we dreamed of owning.  There were those beautiful walnut stocks and some that were painted in flat black.  A few years ago synthetic stocks hit the market and caught our eye.  Those too, were usually in flat black.  The first patterns of any kind that I remember were the black and white zebra stripes that Ted Nugent sported on his vehicles and his guns.  That was o.k., just not for me.  Then the synthetic stocks began to take on some color and I liked it.  I always thought the traditional wood stocks were beautiful with their deep shiny finishes and I still do.  It’s just that the new ones on the shelves or in the magazine sure look good with their modern finishes of almost any camo pattern you could think of.  The shotguns catch the eye of the turkey hunters with their blend of new leaves and hardwood; perfect for that springtime set-up to fool a wary gobbler’s keen eyes.  They might be covered in wetland reeds to minimize the chance that you’ll be busted as that greenhead cups his wings to approach the decoy spread in front of your blind.  The rifles that stand at attention behind the counter are probably no more accurate that what you have at home but are covered with the patterns that promise not to give you away as the sun rises and the woods come alive and you wait for the sound of a twig snapping or the rustle of leaves.    

But keep looking.  It’s usually there on the trigger guard and more times than not, it’s turned away from you, almost as if not to scare you away.  It’s the price tag.  This unassuming little tag can drive you back from the counter like they’ve turned a skunk loose back there.  Then you leave, shaking your head and thinking, “I don’t want one that bad!”

There is a solution.  You can have a new finish on the guns you already know and love.  You can go to the woods, fields, or blind next season with a firearm that your fellow hunters will be envious of and your wallet will still have a little bulk to it.  Southern Draw of Mobile, Alabama can give your trusted firearm the look you’ve admired on those new guns for a fraction of what it would cost to buy one.  There are multiple patterns to choose from, many that you won’t find in the magazines or behind the counter.  You can customize your faithful hunting companion to suite your taste and make it one of a kind or go with a popular pattern, either way increasing the value and aesthetic appeal of your firearm. 

Southern Draw deals in water transfer printing services.  This process, also known as  hydro printing, cubic printing, or water transfer imaging, allows the transfer of hundreds of patterns onto almost anything that can safely be submerged in water. This makes it an ideal solution to giving your trusted firearm a new look that you will be proud of. 

A few years back, I bought a used Remington Model 700 in 30-06.  The rifle had obviously been matte black when new and a previous owner had tried his hand at home-made camouflage.  The result was not pretty and removing the artist’s handiwork proved to be almost impossible.  An attempt to cover the first bit of improvisation with another of my own creation rendered the firearm unappealing to say the least.  I had topped this “Ugly Betty” with a new scope, and it proved to be easy to zero and extremely accurate.  It became my go to gun and I was able to overlook the exterior shortcomings, but I really always wanted it to be more pleasing to the eye.  So this year I contacted Chris Hankins of Southern Draw and explained that I wanted to give a makeover to my trusted hunting partner.  Chris was very understanding and explained what would need to be done before the rifle was shipped to Southern Draw. 

Choosing not to have the scope and bases printed, I removed them and stored them away to be reinstalled when my ‘new’ rifle was returned.   Although this rifle was cleaned periodically throughout hunting season and before storing, I felt it needed a more thorough cleaning, especially the trigger assembly and the safety.  After some bad publicity concerning this particular model, I felt it wise to let a professional gunsmith take the rifle apart and prepare it for shipping. So I called a local and trusted gunsmith, Mr. Ronny Lee of The Shootist Gunsmith Shop located in Eva, Alabama.  I took the rifle in and had the trigger assembly, the bolt, the magazine and the butte-plate removed and the barrel, stock, and trigger guard readied for shipping.  The iron sights were also removed and stored. New, shorter screws were to be installed in the iron sight screw holes when the gun was returned to give a clean unbroken look to the barrel.  I requested that this be done.  It was not necessary and is strictly a personal decision. 

Although shipping parts of disassembled firearm from home can be done legally in some instances.  Having the gunsmith ship the barrel and stock to Southern Draw and then having them ship the parts back to the gunsmith for reassembling, took any worry I might have had off the table.

When the rifle arrived at Southern Draw, Chris contacted me just to let me know it was there and to make sure that we were both clear on the design and type finish desired.  After printing, all items receive a clear coat in flat, matte, gloss or the new soft touch which enhances the gripping surface when applied.  I chose to have the stock done with the soft touch and the barrel with a matte finish. There are many different designs of print to choose from including animal prints, wood grains, hunting camo, marble and many others.  You can even create custom patterns of your own.  I opted to have the rifle done in Mossy Oak Treestand, one of several Mossy Oak patterns now offered by Southern Draw. 

Now that Southern Draw was in possession of the parts to be printed, the makeover was ready to begin.  First the parts were thoroughly cleaned by blasting them with tiny glass beads.  This would remove old paint and rust, taking the barrel and trigger guard down to the bare metal and the stock to a factory clean.  The parts were then sprayed with a primer.  The primer is what the print adheres to and also provides the background for the particular pattern you choose.  I chose the standard primer as the base, but you may choose a lighter or darker base and customize the look of the item you wish to have printed.  A lighter base will sometimes lead to a pattern having more depth and three dimensional appearance, depending on the print you choose.  A darker base will, as you would suspect, darken the overall print.  As the customer, you are free to choose a base other than the standard, but keep in mind this may affect the price slightly.  Once the item to be printed has been sprayed with primer, it is allowed to dry completely.  The parts are now ready to be printed. 

The print that you choose is initially on water soluble backing that when in contact with water at a certain temperature and treated with a reactant, dissolves away leaving only the ink pattern floating in the water.  The parts to be printed are then slowly submerged allowing the pattern to wrap around and envelop them.  They are then rinsed and allowed to dry.  The parts are then sprayed with one of the clear coats mentioned earlier to protect and preserve the print you have chosen for years to come.

Once these steps are complete, the parts or item you’ve had printed will be shipped back to the address you have designated.  The entire process usually takes four to six weeks.  In my case, they were shipped back to my local gunsmith to be reassembled.  Any areas with tolerance issues can be cleared of the printing with an etching knife or razor blade.  Once assembled, you have a beautifully finished firearm or any other something you’ve customized, and have minimized the impact to your financial well-being.  Sure, you could spend more and put a trusted companion out to pasture, but now you can have the best of both worlds and keep some money in your pocket too.

You can check out the Southern Draw website at www.southerndrawhydroprinting.com  or contact them at Southern Draw Hydro Printing, 1204 Springhill Avenue, Mobile, Alabama 36604.   You can even contact Chris Hankins directly at 251-583-1095.  There’s bound to be something you own that could use a makeover and they are sure to have a print that you like.
             

By Miscellaneous Authors

This section is for articles published by a host of amateur authors. Some of these authors are former staff members but many of them are just regular people that had an article in their heart they wanted published. Here at TalkHunting, we believe everyone has a message and we try to accomodate that when possible.

Comments(3):

1. I have seen the work Southern Draw does. Its awesome! Remember, now is the time to get that rifle or shotgun done. Call Chris at SouthernDraw and get the process started. You will be glad you did!

   Saturday, May 07, 2011 Robert

2. model 700 makeover by southern draw

   excellent article and a rebirth of a great rifle. now i'm thinking of other things that i could have redone. thanks CH for the article.

   Sunday, May 08, 2011 brad

3. Gun Look's Awesome

   I am going to turn my old Mossberg 5500 into a thing of beauty this winter at Southern Draw!

   Wednesday, May 11, 2011 Dennis