I mean like a mecca for gunsmiths. I would a thought years ago that maybe the tradesman coming to the US from europe would have settled in one area of the country. I think there are a few books about Penn. riflesmith but I'm talking recent history.

Rich

At one time I would have said it could be Kalispell, Montana. There was a great group there years ago.

There still is at least one great one there.

But I bet that in a few years the mecca for gunnies is going to be the area around Stugis and Deadwood S.D.

There are two great ones at least in Kalispell yet today. There is also Montana Rifle Company and Serengeti Stockworks.

I don't know about a single city? How about a geographic area with a high concentration of very good gunsmiths? that Kalispell area would still have to be it I think. You have Helgeland (spelling), Fisher, Burgess, Half Moon (best quality bluing and cut rifled barrels). doesn't SDH live up there close too?

There are certainly some states that have more than others, Washington, Oregon, Idaho. they all have a few.

Red

Houston seems to have a lot of decent gunsmiths, witha couple excellent ones within a couple miles of it... Tip Burns, Charlie Sisk, Jim Wiseman to name a few, with shilen just "up the road"

but, "Houston" is bigger than most yankee states and some countries... people says they are in houston if they are south of Huntsville, west of vidor, east of sealy and north of dickenson ...

jeffe

Prescott, Arizona!

quote:

Is there a city region in the States that is Gunsmith heavy

There.....I edited it a bit.

I agree with Idared....it's Montana. Big Timber is home to Shilo-Sharps, MRC is there and a quite a few small independent smiths of exceptional talent (Dennis Olson comes to mind) are also located there.

Wish I could remember them all right off....but the list is long.

VD, the question was about Cities in the States, not the state.

I think Tucson has quite a few as well.

I didn't know Jerry Fisher was still in Kalispell. I thought he had moved.

At one time all of the following were in Kalispell although I am not sure they were all there at the same time.

Les Bauska
John Buhmiller
Tom Burgess
Jerry Fisher
Monte Kennedy
Monte Mandarino
Mel Smart

Iver Hendrickson was at Missoula, which is really not far from Kalispell, at the time these were in Kallispell.

Today besides Kalispell proper but in the general area making rifle barrels are Jim Baiar in Columbia Falls and Dan Lilja in Plains. As mentioned, Dennis Olson is also in Plains, David Gentry is in Belgrade, and Steven Hughes is in Livingston. It is an impressive group.

Some have passed on to the big shop in the sky, and I know I have forgotten some others, but it is not to slight them in any way. Old age is robbing my memory a bit.

It was always something to go to when Kalispell had their gunshow. There was a gathering of craftsman there that were something to behold.

I believe Jerry Fisher is at Big Fork, MT now after moving back to Montana from Dubois, WY.

It is interesting to see towns/areas that have many good gunsmiths and etc, with some of those towns/areas having small populations in comparision to larger areas.

I live in a town of 3-400k people (CC Texas). I would guess you could get something routine done, but what few shops in town, maybe only one with a store front that I know of, they send most if not all that requires machine work to Dewight Marshal in Refugio texas.

C.C. texas where I live has a very large number of hunters, as we are surronded by the famed southtexas brush country where all the TV shows are filmed on whitetail hunting.........ya know the ones where they whisper after than just touched off a 300 Rum with a muzzle Brake, guess they don't want the dead deer to hear them, or they can't tell how loud they are talking cause of the brake. Guess Walmart sells a lot of guns and the return policy is so good they never have to be worked on.

I honestly do not think we have anybody in town that makes stocks either........oh my, that makes me the half ass hobbiest the best in town

trinidad colorado comes to mind