Driftwood Western — In Development
Jackalope
A suppressed rimfire lever rifle, done the Driftwood way.
In DevelopmentThis project is under active development and is not yet a Tried & True build. Specifications may change as testing continues.
Why it exists
A First Rifle, Made Worth Keeping
For generations, a lot of people learned to shoot with a small rimfire lever rifle. An old Marlin or Winchester .22 behind the door, a box of shells, a fence line and somebody patient enough to teach. Those rifles weren’t fancy, but they were kept — and often passed down — because of what they meant.
Jackalope is our interpretation of that rifle for today. It keeps what made the little lever rifle worth loving: the shape, the feel of working the action, the warmth of the wood. Then it makes it genuinely useful now: built to run suppressed, with room for a modern optic, careful finish and material choices, and refined handling.
Some rifles don’t need reinventing. They need to be made worth keeping.
The development brief
A Concept, Not a Single Rifle
Jackalope isn’t defined by one donor rifle, one cartridge or one finish. A Jackalope is built on a rimfire lever rifle, and the brief stays the same:
The class of rimfire lever rifle a Jackalope starts from (Henry H1 Classic shown, factory configuration). Manufacturer photo: Henry Repeating Arms.
- —Preserve the character of a traditional lever rifle.
- —Make it run suppressed without the suppressor looking like an afterthought.
- —Give it a sensible optic solution while keeping it light and quick to handle.
- —Choose finish, wood and leather that age well with use.
- —Keep it a rifle that gets carried and shot, not one that lives in a case.
A working Jackalope is meant to be used. It carries less embellishment than the special project below, and the details will be settled as development continues.
Current direction
The Golden Jackalope
Alongside the working Jackalope, we’re building a special one: the Golden Jackalope. It’s a one-off display project — engraved, over the top and built for Driftwood Western to show what the idea can become when nothing is held back.
It starts from a Henry Golden Boy in .17 HMR, keeping its octagonal barrel, brass receiver and walnut stock, and it runs suppressed on a Rugged Mustang22. The goal: it should look like Henry could have built a suppressed .17 HMR this way — not like someone simply threaded a Golden Boy.
Donor rifle: Henry Golden Boy, shown as it leaves the factory, before any Driftwood work. Manufacturer photo: Henry Repeating Arms.
The Engraver
The Golden Jackalope’s engraving is a collaboration with Trevor Weinaug of Weinaug Western Arts, a full-time silver craftsman and hand engraver based in New Braunfels, Texas. Trevor built his name in tooled western leather before moving into silver and steel, where he now hand engraves guns, knives, belt buckles and rings.
We’re working with Trevor on the design and placement of the receiver engraving. The goal is engraving that belongs on the Golden Boy’s brass receiver as classic western work, not decoration added after the fact.
See more of Trevor’s work on Instagram at @weinaug.western.arts.
Done
Suppressor-ready barrel
Barrel threaded, front sight removed and the area finished clean, with a custom thread protector.
Selected
Suppressor
Runs on any rimfire suppressor rated for the selected cartridge. Ours runs on the Rugged Mustang22.
Next
Engraving
Receiver engraving is the next step. Design and placement are still being worked out with Trevor Weinaug.
In progress
Lever and leather
A larger lever loop with a dark leather wrap, in keeping with the rifle’s character.
Under evaluation
Optic and mount
A compact rimfire scope on a low, clean mount that keeps the lever rifle’s natural feel.
Under evaluation
Trigger
The factory trigger is assessed first. Nothing changes unless it earns the change.
The Golden Jackalope is a Driftwood Western display rifle and is not for sale.
What we’re evaluating
Questions the Rifle Has to Answer
- —Balance with a suppressor on a long rimfire barrel.
- —Optic height and mount that keep a natural cheek weld on a lever rifle.
- —How engraving, finish and leather come together on the Golden Jackalope.
- —Accuracy and suppressed behavior once range testing is complete.
- —What carries over from the Golden Jackalope to a working Jackalope, and what stays special.
What comes next
From a Showpiece to a Model
Engraving and optic work come next on the Golden Jackalope, followed by zeroing, range testing and documenting the rifle as built. What we learn from it will shape the working Jackalope on blued .22 LR and .17 HMR lever rifles.
Follow along
Talk With Us About This Project
Jackalope isn’t available to order yet. If you have a rimfire lever rifle story of your own, or you’d like to follow the project as it develops, we’d like to hear from you.