For those of you who knew Chick, who studied with Parker Ackley, you will regret the passing of a gentleman of good humor, and unsurpassed barrel maker.

http://www.stephensfc.com/index.cfm

Oh dang!!!

What happened? He wasn't that old....

Did he still have Siskiyou Barrel Works? That was some of P.O. Ackley's old equipment, and I not only will miss Chick, I'd hate to see his equipment dispersed to the winds.

About 17 years ago I looked at buying the company from Chick, but we couldn't work out a way to keep the IRS from eating him alive if he sold.

Well, the world has lost a good man in that one. And BPC shooters in particular have lost a friend to all.

Dang-squared! I don't understand why God feels he needed him more than we do.....there were already too few good ones like Chick around.

From what I heard he closed the barrel business a few years back. I think his son was planning to carry on, but that never came to pass. I have a few rifles with Donnelly barrels and they all shoot very well. I never met Chick in person but had quite a few enjoyable phone conversations with him.

Canuck: Cancer. He was 80.

Thanks for the additional info. Eighty really isn't that old*, at least not from my perspective and with today's nutrition and medicine. A real shame. Dang!



* Lost a friend, also named "Bill" BTW, just a couple of years ago. He was 99 years old and was still shooting his pistol (a contender) and still doing it well, when he got pneumonia connected to a bout of the flu. He drove his own van to and from the range until he was mid-97.