Bullet pen/bolt action

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Gary_Claus

Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2012
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19
Location
Portsmouth, UK
I need some advice from you American chaps.

I have a very good friend of mine who lives in El Paso, Texas. I met him when I was in Afghanistan and he and I became close friends.

As a Christmas present I would like to make and send him a pen. He was a Army Sniper so I would like to make him something that relates to that. Either a bolt action pen or some kind of bullet pen.

I am not yet proficient enough to do 'kitless' so is there a kit I can buy that relates to his sniping history? I have no idea which caliber bullet he would have used as a sniper but that might be appropriate - however, unsure if a kit is available for that.

I have seen the 'Exoticblanks' bolt action pen kit and it looks nice.

Any other suggestions?
 
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I have made several of the bolt action pens and I like them, they are a nice looking kit. I think the bolt action pen kit would be a good choice and I think your friend would be most appreciative whether it's the same caliber as he used.

God bless you and your friend for your service to both of our countries!
 
I would agree with Mike. Your friend will love the bolt action pen. I'm recently retired from the Air Force and working with the active duty folks again and they all love the bolt action pens. I can't make them fast enough for these guys. Penn State Industries has them. That's where I get mine from.

Jim
 
I concur with everyone on the bolt action. Now to really impress, try to get the kit in black with a carbon fibre blank. With the sniper, most things are black and light weight. Been a few years since my service days but I still keep up with things.
 
Don't forget, there is a great tutorial in the library here on making bullet pens. It's a lot of fun, I used the tutorial to learn how to do it, if i can, anyone can.
 
I have made quite a few of these once fired 50 caliber's for some Canadian sniper friends that have returned from Afghanistan.
I use once fired casings with the spent primer still installed in the casing head and once fired projectiles for the nib using either a Parker or Cross refill.

Les.

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Wow! Those 50 cals are fantastic. Awesome
Also keep in mind that the bolt action pen is set up a bit backwards. Normally you would grasp the bolt with the right hand and draw it back. It's on the left with the pens - maybe not a big deal - but it is more symbolic than accurate. The carbon fiber idea sounds really great! What a great idea for your friend! Hope all goes well with your plan.
 
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Thank you very much for all the great responses.

The bolt action pen looks the way to go. Timberbits do them as well and their postage is significantly lower to the UK.

The .50 cal bullets look great too but the problem is getting hold of them on this side of the pond.

Any firearms or ammunition would get you several years eating porridge.

Thanks again - photos to follow.
 
Gary_Claus said:
The .50 cal bullets look great too but the problem is getting hold of them on this side of the pond.

Any firearms or ammunition would get you several years eating porridge.
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Porridge? Isn't that Australian for steak, onions, and beer?
I could live like that for a while. Matter of fact, I did live like that for a while in Townsville, Au.
Live on the edge man. :RockOn:
 
If you need the kits soon, don't order from PSI. I order mine from EXOTIC BLANKS and I get mine in 3 days. PSI takes 1 to two weeks. I also think Exotic Blanks has a better price and better customer service.
 
There is someone who sells 50 cal kits. I dont think they look near as nice as the 50 cal pens posted here but they are available. The 50 cal is the ultimate sniper rifle.
 
I'm pretty sure PSI is the ONLY place you can get the bolt action kits. I checked Exotic Blanks' website and the bolt action pen was not there, that I could find. I buy them from PSI and have had no bad issues with them.
I usually pay for the fast processing if I need them in a hurry, I don't have a problem with that and I get them real quick. I order enough stuff to make the extra money for fast processing worth the extra money to me.
 
Es
I think Ernie at Beartoothwoods.com ships to the UK. He is selling both the 308 NATO and the 223 packase of drilled out casings and bullets with the rest of the needed hardware for $ 15 US.

Les sells his 50 cal pens, so you might inquire about getting a component set from him with some of the work done - depending in your experience and skill level.

The arizonashillouette site has a 50 cal pen based on the berea sierra that is big and cannot be misttaken for the real thing.
 
Tim'sTurnings said:
I'm pretty sure PSI is the ONLY place you can get the bolt action kits. I checked Exotic Blanks' website and the bolt action pen was not there, that I could find. I buy them from PSI and have had no bad issues with them.
I usually pay for the fast processing if I need them in a hurry, I don't have a problem with that and I get them real quick. I order enough stuff to make the extra money for fast processing worth the extra money to me.
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I have these sent to me by exotic blanks --- better shipping and a bit better price.
 
I must admit I never thought of paying Les to do one for me but its certainly an option (Can someone PM me his details and I will contact him to ask).

Thanks for all the great comments guys.

It seems Exoticblanks has no stock so will shop about.

Problem is postage to the UK is horrendous. I don't know how Timberbits do it for $5. It costs more than that to post within the UK locally.
 
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With british gun control laws being what they are, any cartridge pen or pen kit that looks too realistic has a chance of being confiscated in customs. Although I've mailed bullet pen kits to Great Britain before, that's no guarantee that future shipments won't be siezed. My international shipments go out with a manufacturer's affidavit that the components are for pens and not useful as ammunition, the final decision is up to the customs inspector, and is at the customer's risk.

With that caveat (and the high shipping cost), you may want to settle for an imitation bullet kit, such as the ones PSI sells. They just don't look authentic to one who is familiar with real rifle ammunition.

I hope that helps,
Eric
 
I've been selling these to guys at work and currently have 2 finished. One is a gunmetal finish with a camo blank, and the other is gold finish with a desert ironwood blank. If you reimburse me for materials and shipping charges I will send him one. PM me. Wanting to help out for all that I've learned on this site!
Rod
 
I sell these for seventy-five to eight dollars apiece.They are a quick sell when done in antler. Acrylics go for forty-five dollars. Penn State has a monopoly on them for a while.
 
Everybody in my office building has gone insane over the Jack Daniel's barrel oak bolt action pen in gunmetal finish. They ran me out of kits and I am waiting for more to come in.
 
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