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Who's the best all around gunsmith in Texas?
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My brother in law recently moved to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and he contacted me yesterday asking if I knew any good gunsmiths in Texas. I don't know, so I thought I'd throw it out to the members here. Who in your opinion is the best gunsmith in that great state, and who should he shy away from. Please state why you select one smith over another, and by the same token, why should someone be avoided.
 
Posts: 98 | Location: Eastern United States | Registered: 22 January 2006Reply With Quote
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I can only speak from my own personal experience.

The Gunsmith that works on my rifles is
TIP BURNS, BURNS GUN REPAIR, CANYON LAKE, TEXAS

Tip has not only worked on my rifles and pistols, he built me two rifles chambered in 404 Jeffery.

Not only is he a reliable Gunsmith, he's one heck of a nice guy. No bull shit, just solutions!


Rusty
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"I am rejoiced at my fate. Do not be uneasy about me, for I am with my friends."
----- David Crockett in his last letter (to his children), January 9th, 1836
"I will never forsake Texas and her cause. I am her son." ----- Jose Antonio Navarro, from Mexican Prison in 1841
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Declaration of Arbroath April 6, 1320-“. . .It is not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom - for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.”
 
Posts: 9797 | Location: Missouri City, Texas | Registered: 21 June 2000Reply With Quote
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Picture of jeffeosso
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Howdy,
your answer is more of "it depends" than "charlie over there. the reason is that the better smiths are VERY skilled in one or two areas, and work in those areas alot.

if he want's shotgun work, brileys in houston

wants a great hunting rifle? Tip Burns, Canyon Lake

Want a rebarrel, only? Ed Shilen, Ennis Texas

Charlie Sisk makes an excellent Rifle, Wiseman as well. KDF, the same.

Butch Lambert is a great benchrester smith, and he probably forgot more about that world TODAY, than I have ever known.

Jack Smith (no relation) of Cherokee rifles, does an EXCELLENT full or 1/2 octagon barrel

I don't know anyone that specializes in pistols, but that's because they haven't ever caught my interest, though there's a couple good makers.

jeffe


opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club

Information on Ammoguide about
the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR
What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR.
476AR,
http://www.weaponsmith.com
 
Posts: 40229 | Location: Conroe, TX | Registered: 01 June 2002Reply With Quote
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Hey guys, Anyone have a picture of a Tip Burns Talley bolt handle weld job done in a Rigby/Burgess style?
 
Posts: 4821 | Location: Idaho/North Mex. | Registered: 12 June 2002Reply With Quote
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I have seen some rifles from the Texas Hill Country rifle company. I would say that they are a bit better than a Dakota, but not top end.

One year at SCI I saw a "Texas Safari Rifle" which was a horriffic abortion of crap gunsmithing but I cannot recall who made it.
 
Posts: 18352 | Location: Salt Lake City, Utah USA | Registered: 20 April 2002Reply With Quote
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Picture of Charles_Helm
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We just did this thread:

Dallas Gunsmith
 
Posts: 8773 | Location: Republic of Texas | Registered: 24 April 2004Reply With Quote
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The "Texas Safari Rifle" was done by Bill Wiseman.
I have had 2 of them, one in 300 WBY and one in 416 RM. I do not have them now.
They were very accurate but not 100% reliable.

I have seen and shot Rusty's 404 Jeffery, it is a nice rifle.

I have had 2 rifles rebarreled by ED Shilen, and have shot several others that were done by him. All were very very accurate.


DOUBLE RIFLE SHOOTERS SOCIETY
 
Posts: 16134 | Location: Texas | Registered: 06 April 2002Reply With Quote
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Who's the gunsmith that scammed Mike McGuire (mike375) out of his $1500?

quote:
Originally posted by Mike McGuire:
Nitro

The 550 Flanged double is pretty dumb as well.

If one considers the basic idea of the 550 was good 460 brass (and readily available) and when loaded to normal bolt action pressures it could still deliver the same power as is practically useable from the larger 585 Nyati and 600 OK and with reduced loads being easier with the smaller case capacity. The added bonus of the 550 was easy conversion of CZ 416 Rigby and real simple to do any Mark V Wby that was in one of the 378 based calibres.

The downside was bullets.

A 550 flanged will still have the bullet problems and depend on 577 brass Big Grin

As someone who sent over about $1500US for a long chambered 550 barrel, sights, muzzle brake, dies etc and who then bailed out when seeing the problems I can assure you that the 550 flanged double will be a long haul. I wrote the $1500US off and told them to put it towards their project. They said they would try sell the barrel, sights etc and send back "whatever". But the stuff did not even exist.

If I was you I would wait at least 6 months before looking at the Purdey and H&H sites to see if the 550 flanged is alive and moving Big Grin Big Grin

Being a little down market from Purdey and H&H, wait only 3 months before looking at the WR site Smiler

Mike
 
Posts: 6277 | Location: Not Likely, but close. | Registered: 12 August 2002Reply With Quote
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I should let mike Mcquire answer, but the guy on that was Mike Sheirts (?? on spelling).

i just looked up that quote, and perhaps jogged mike's memory.

jeffe


opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club

Information on Ammoguide about
the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR
What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR.
476AR,
http://www.weaponsmith.com
 
Posts: 40229 | Location: Conroe, TX | Registered: 01 June 2002Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by jeffeosso:
I should let mike Mcquire answer, but the guy on that was Mike Sheirts (?? on spelling).


Does he do anything in particular that would be of interest or is he just a basement guy in some small town?
 
Posts: 6277 | Location: Not Likely, but close. | Registered: 12 August 2002Reply With Quote
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Picture of MJines
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quote:
Originally posted by Rusty:
I can only speak from my own personal experience.

The Gunsmith that works on my rifles is
TIP BURNS, BURNS GUN REPAIR, CANYON LAKE, TEXAS

Tip has not only worked on my rifles and pistols, he built me two rifles chambered in 404 Jeffery.

Not only is he a reliable Gunsmith, he's one heck of a nice guy. No bull shit, just solutions!


Tip has built two rifles for me and I would echo everything Rusty said.


Mike
 
Posts: 21962 | Registered: 03 January 2006Reply With Quote
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quote:
Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
The "Texas Safari Rifle" was done by Bill Wiseman.


Yes, thanks for reminding me. Fortunately it was at the end of the SCI show that I noticed the "Texas Safari Rifle" because I immediately hung my head in shame fled the exhibit hall to avoid such a horror.

That was bubba work at its best, as only the great state of Texas can achieve. Big Grin
 
Posts: 18352 | Location: Salt Lake City, Utah USA | Registered: 20 April 2002Reply With Quote
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Picture of jeffeosso
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quote:
Originally posted by 500grains:
quote:
Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
The "Texas Safari Rifle" was done by Bill Wiseman.


Yes, thanks for reminding me. Fortunately it was at the end of the SCI show that I noticed the "Texas Safari Rifle" because I immediately hung my head in shame fled the exhibit hall to avoid such a horror.



Saw said rifle at the dallas show.. with a CLIP and in 416 rem, no less... pores in the stock not filed in.

though, knowing wiseman's reputation, i bet it was 1/2 moa and feed like a hungry coon dog.

jeffe


opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club

Information on Ammoguide about
the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR
What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR.
476AR,
http://www.weaponsmith.com
 
Posts: 40229 | Location: Conroe, TX | Registered: 01 June 2002Reply With Quote
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Picture of jeffeosso
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quote:
Originally posted by Mickey1:
quote:
Originally posted by jeffeosso:
I should let mike Mcquire answer, but the guy on that was Mike Sheirts (?? on spelling).


Does he do anything in particular that would be of interest or is he just a basement guy in some small town?


the later.. i think he's out of business.. he's an "artist" .. (sigh) .. i guess that's code for never gets things finished within 100% of expected time.

other than the brush with trying to help mike mcguire, i have spoken to the guy two or three other times in my life. First time I spoke with him, I got a lecture on why cut rifles where so great (yes, I know they are good) and it's foolish to build a button rifled barrel (talk to shilen about that ..LOL)... withing 90 seconds of saying hello.

jeffe


opinions vary band of bubbas and STC hunting Club

Information on Ammoguide about
the416AR, 458AR, 470AR, 500AR
What is an AR round? Case Drawings 416-458-470AR and 500AR.
476AR,
http://www.weaponsmith.com
 
Posts: 40229 | Location: Conroe, TX | Registered: 01 June 2002Reply With Quote
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Picture of jimatcat
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Tip Burns gets my vote... when i visited him earlier this year, i had the opportunity to see mjines' 1909 argentine... very nice work....


go big or go home ........

DSC-- Life Member
NRA--Life member
DRSS--9.3x74 r Chapuis
 
Posts: 2847 | Location: dividing my time between san angelo and victoria texas.......... USA | Registered: 26 July 2006Reply With Quote
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I do not do work for other people. I am a barrel person and not a gunsmith.
Butch
 
Posts: 8964 | Location: Poetry, Texas | Registered: 28 November 2004Reply With Quote
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Picture of Charles_Helm
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When you get right down to it, unless the person is within driving distance (and although I have driven to Tip Burns' shop twice most people would probably ship their rifles the 250 miles) you can pick anyone in the country not just in Texas.

The question probably should be "Who is the person that can reliably and competently complete my work on time and within my budget?"

Some of the people mentioned may only build complete guns rather than working on one from a factory or that somone else built. If the focus is handguns you could ask these guys -- they could at least give a recommendation. I know Tip does some work on handguns because I saw one he worked on and we talked about a couple of mine.
 
Posts: 8773 | Location: Republic of Texas | Registered: 24 April 2004Reply With Quote
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