TOAD HALL RIFLESHOP
Toad Hall Rifleshop style of wooden rifling bench.
My little rifleshop is located amid the rolling and fertile fields of central Iowa. We fondly call this corner of Iowa, "Corn Patch". If you're looking for information regarding my style/methods of barrel forging, boring, reaming, and rifling a muzzleloader barrel all by hand and with no electricity what-so-ever, you've come to the right place.
You can hand rifle your own barrel on a traditional wooden rifling bench here at the shop, or even make your own. But, even though I'm retired from active custom building, you can still hammer out your own rifle furniture in the smithy if you desire. Perhaps some hand forged, double-set triggers to give that hog rifle a very proper look? Maybe a two piece butt plate that's been copper brazed?
Well then, grab a cuppa coffee, set back, an' enjoy the site. I often type in my "Iowegian" dialect....just like I talk!
Please be patient if some of the pages load slowly. Often there are more photos per page than what the program recommends. BUT....the wait will be worth it. If it ain't, drop me a line and tell me, please.
Steve Bookout, Master
Trivia: My name ain't Toad or Mr. Hall. "Toad Hall" is just the name of the home place. It comes from the children's book Wind In The Willows.
"Keeping The Art Of The Longrifle Alive!"
"In a few more decades all the mountain riflesmiths will have passed on to the better world, and they will be only a memory like the pioneer, the buffalo and passenger pigeon, and the world will have lost more of the old-time geniuses." Capt. Ned Roberts
My genuine, honest-to-God, Hacker Martin hand made flint lock. Click your mouse on it to enlarge the image.
Buildin' Since 1974
UPDATED: 23 August, 2009
Issue No. 67
Toad Hall News
This issue begins the conversion of this website from focusing on building in general to that of barrel forging, reaming, and rifling. There's a lot of new pages for your consideration and some of the old pages remain because of their relationship to the site's main focus, or because of their overall popularity. You get to start seeing what some of the lads from all over the world are doing at home with their Toad Hall inspired projects.............and it all started with a little book called "A Wooden Iowa Rifling Bench". Hope you're going to find this old curmudgeon's site still more than helpful, educational, and interesting. Cheers, Bookie
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Always Wanted: I've been studying the articles about, and the letters & articles written by the late Hacker Martin for several years now. There's quite a bit of material in my file from about 1940 to date, but am always on the lookout for other paper and artifacts that I do not have. Please contact me if you have something that may be of interest to me.
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Toad Hall Rifleshop
1600 W. 14th St. S.
Newton, Iowa 50208
USA
(641) 792-2941
email: toadhall@pcpartner.net
No calls after 9 PM CST, or Sundays & Holidays, please!
Site first published: 14 APR 00
I reserve the moral right to be known as the author of what's on this website unless indicated differently. Some material is COPYRIGHTED. Should you desire to use something from my website, please ask me!
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