• Design - N.L.Heineke, Inc. sporting rifles are designed in the context of a three hundred yard shot.
• Ergonomics - Ergonomics differs from shootability because it addresses how a rifle...


AESTHETICS - Aesthetics are important. This is perhaps the tertiary reason people want a custom firearm. Custom guns look different; they look beautiful. And they should. Firearms made of steel and walnut will, if cared for, last many generations. They stand not only as a monument to the craftsman who created it, but serve as testimony to the client. This heirloom quality demands the utmost attention be given to aesthetics with the goal of creating a work of timeless beauty. Aesthetics, then, are important for two reasons. First, their quality reflects the sensibilities of both the craftsman and the client, often for generations. Second, well-made firearms age well. A natural patina does not detract from a fine firearm, but enhances it with a character that only comes with time and use and serves to reveal the underlying quality.

Line quality is a key determinant of aesthetic success. The metalwork provides the underlying aesthetic structure; the stock provides the lines of the finished work. Visually, a stock should not stand apart from any other element of the firearm. Rather, like a map it should carry the eye on a continual path around all parts of the firearm. It is this action that gives a feeling of movement to the firearm and makes viewing them interesting, stimulating yet satisfying.

Line quality also determines visual weight. It allows big firearms to appear small, small firearms to have sustenance. Take for instance a rare Boss 10 gauge side-by-side. Sized, it is no smaller and weighs little different than any other 10 gauge. Yet a subtle difference in line quality allows the to gun seem no larger than a common 12 gauge. Although this may seem trivial, it is these subtle differences that separate great work from the merely good and lends an air of subtle refinement to the best. It is a hallmark of truly good design work.

Form has a way of revealing function: if an object looks ungainly and imbalanced it is probably awkward and difficult to use. Keeping all functions in mind when designing a rifle helps good aesthetics to flow naturally from the design. It is no coincidence that most of the best, easy-to-use designs are also the most attractive.

• Balance - A best-quality firearm is a gesture of balance...
• Shootability - Shootability is the gun trades term for user friendly.
• Historical Reference - In the not-so-distant past of our country, the firearm...
• Longevity - Museums around world hold testaments to the longevity of steel and walnut.
• Repairability - Anything, including people and animals, needs to be repairable to be long-lived.
• Cartridge Selection - Cartridge selection is a choice beset by personal preferences...
• Scope Selection - While it is true you cannot hit what you cannot see...
• Stock Design - Good stock design is essential to shootability. A stock must be tailored...
• Ordering and Pricing - N.L. Heineke, Inc. produces only one grade of rifle - the best we know how to build.