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Hot Core;

Your post stimulated a thought in me, that I am still happy to be able to speak of nowadays being the last of some of the good old days.

When you speak of meeting someone who was around in the days of Parker Ackley, I have been fortunate enough to meet the last two men who are alive that worked and trained under Parker Ackley. Bob West, and Chick Donnelly. Chick Lives in my town, and is a gunsmith that takes what business he wants and rejects what he doesn't want.

I had the opportunity to be in the same hunting camp with him several years ago, and it was interesting to see what a man who builds thousands of rifles would pick for his own deer rifle. Model 721 in 30/06 that he had been carrying around since the 1950s!

Bob West is located in Eugene Oregon and he is well into his 80s. When Chick Donnelly's mother was ill, I was looking to have a rifle barrel reamed out to 338/06. He had shut down his shop to take care of his mother, so he recommended Bob West.

I called him up and the only reason that he even spoke to me, was that I had mentioned that I had been recommended by Chick Donnelly.

I took my rifle to his place up in Eugene. What a delight this gentleman was, and showing me his shop like I was his long lost grandson.

He had 3 phone calls while I was there and asked his wife to take a message. Finally she said, It is Hank Honey and he wants to know when you will be free, so he can call you back.
So he goes and takes the call for a few moments.

When he came back, He Asked me if I listen to country music and I said yes. So he tells me then, you must know of Hank Williams Jr. That who was on the phone. Mr. West said " Is that Boy a Gun Nut! After he quit drinking and doing drugs and chasing skirts, now all he wants to do at 2 oclock in the morning is call me up and talk about guns all hours of the night!"

I had to laugh, but also was impressed that he put Hank Williams on the back burner to speak with me for the next 90 minutes. He showed me the dozen or so rifles that he was doing for Hank Jr, plus showed me three has was doing for Tom Selleck also, and a couple of other people of notariety.

So that gave me a moment to look into the past of the good old days, but allowed me appreciate the luck of being able to speak with these two gentlemen.

With thru gun people, a lot of people with the good old days attitudes are still out there. It has been my priviledge to get to know some of them on line here. ( Like Ray Atkinson, Rogue 6, Roger Bartsche, HOT core, etc)

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

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You forgot to add that chick is the one that make's and sell's Button barrel...

Not great for paper patcher's but Great for everything else.

Was going to head over to Chick's and see if he had one in a .423 Diam

Sooooo if your heading over to chick's ???? uuuu
mind asking him while your there if he has a button in .423