With all the BS that has been going on lately with, admittedly a "few" well-known gunsmiths, do you think we could put together a list of gunsmiths we know we can trust and maybe their "specialties"? For the average shmoe out there (Mike is now raising his hand), we don't know who we really can and cannot trust. Maybe include contact information and make it a sticky? I know, I know, not everyone will agree on who we can and can't trust, but if a 'smith has a hundred people who will vouch for him and 1 sourpuss who hates him, well, I guess we can figure that one out. We might even come up with a list of lesser known smiths who are local to us that we just didn't know about!!!

I'll start with a name and you all just add to the list (don't forget contact info if you have it):

Duane Wiebe
(next)



MKane160 (NO, I'm not a gunsmith, just the author)

Tip Burns
Burns Gun Repair
225 Neal Lane
Canyon Lake, Texas 78133
830-935-3338
http://www.burnsgunrepair.com/

Tip can work on them or build them. Nice guy to boot.

Eric Meitzner
Solon Springs, Wisc
715-378-2211

oh, you can trust them all...
the trick is finding out what you should trust them to do!

Pac-nor, McGowen, and ITD do good work, in a fair time frame, if you want their barrels installed and work done

Mark Skagg is pretty good if you want an AB barrel installed

Want a CUSTOM rifle built, well, that is an entirely different question.. I suggest Empire Rifle for bolt guns and Butch Searcy for doubles, and Tip Burns

Want Checkering? Sherry Abrams

Want a stock done? Chic

Want a repair? Malm

Oh, there's tons more guys, and their names being on this list will ruin their delivery times.

Want a priceless heirloom? Duane

Want a stock turned? Mike Kukolus

Need an octagon barrel? Cherokee rifles/jack smith

tactical remington? cherokee again

smiths I trust to deliver?
Jim Kobe
Toomany Tools
Carol (at Ahlmans)
and
Dennis Olson has been good for me.

I am sure there are a considerable number of Smiths that are trustworthy. I would name GUNMAKER whom I trust 100%. Not only is he a great Smith, but he also pays attention to his business as well. In addition, when he is taking in work like bolt jeweling, bolt handle welding,etc., you can also trust VAPODOG 100% as well.

Nevertheless, I think its more than just trustworthiness. Its also good shopping and deal making techniques on the part of the customer.

1. Make sure and ask all the questions upfront so that your Smith knows exactly what you want. Its really unfair to a Smith to expect them to do work when they don't know what you want or can't get parts they need to finish your job!!!

2. Make sure and get the entire deal in writing unless its somebody you know or somebody who has already done work for you in the past.

2. And if you feel the least bit uncomfortable on a big purchase, especially if its an order for an action or something, ask when the items will be in stock for immediately delivery and don't send any money until that time. Make sure and tell the person you want the item but you want to make a cash purchase. If they really want your business they will get one done for you. And if they don't want your business you won't be out any money.

My personal experience with custom makers are that David Christman, Jim Kobe, and James Anderson[gunmaker] are trustworthy, timely, and reasonable. For fiberglass stock hunting or BR rifles, Mike Bryant in Wheeler, Tx. I know several others that fit in this catagory, but haven't used them personally.
Butch

I trust two gunsmiths: one who is semi-retired and lives across town from me. The other lives near Boulder, Colorado.

the only one i trust is me and iam on shaky ground
Dave want a be

I've had good luck with Roger Biesen. had him turn a couple of stocks for me and talked at length about building guns in general.

What about Hill Country Rifles in Texas?

I'll trust jim kobe with anything short of my daughters

Jim Dubell and Bill Soverns have done well by me in a timely fashion.

quote:

Originally posted by Vinny:
What about Hill Country Rifles in Texas?

I have intervied several clients of HCR and 100% of them have been positive. Several went back for other rifles.

His delivery is supposed to be very fast and his service has been reported to me to be great.

I would not hessitate to do business with them.

Isn't Hill Country planning on having Hein build them actions? They seem to have faith in him, unlike many others on this forum.

The problem here is that one happy customer can claim how great a company or builder is while others have had poor experiences with the same outfit. I have seen at least one name listed above that I will have little to do with due to their shoddy workmanship.
Remember, the term "Buyer beware" is still appropriate.

I have interviwed a lot of custom gun clients. Clients who commissioned 2+ rifle. Most had coimmissioned many custom guns over the years. I was surprised at how many people had issues with the guns and they had to go back. And we are talking about serious money guns here. $15-30K custom guns. What I found was that almost all of the clients said the makers dropped everything and promptly fixed the guns. Just soemthing i found interetsing-plus it made me feel a little better about things I have mad ebefore!

Anyway, it surprised me at how many folks had HCR rifles and how positive the feedback was. One I can think had to go back and wa fixed. Anyway, I was trying to get a feel for really high end stuff and kept getting greta feedback on HCR from folks who also owned rifles costing several tiems as much.

Phil-

This was dicussed to some extent in the Hein Thread. Greg made a run of a totally different action for HCR and delivered them. ALL of the N Series actions are back ordered. Matt, the owner of HCR, disclosed things to me but i will not go into his business in this forum. Others whom I have spoken with and emailed with over the past week have also spoken to Matt and they also have not gone into another man's business in a public forum. Folks who think greg Hein has been beat up on and there was some sort of "piling on" have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA (not you I am talking about here) what is being kept out of this public forum. The restraint shown has been overwhelming. He has gotten a VERY easy ride on this forum.

Matt has been free with his feelings about Greg and what his current communication and busienss statuses are when we have called, trying to get help contacting Greg. So before you clain that Matt has faith in Greg Hein I suggest you contact him. We have shown restraint by not saying what we have heard.

You are speaking highly of him and are the only person I know of who has recieved a rifle in the past year or so. You are also the only national gunwriter I know of who recieved and wrote a positive article about Greg. From what I have seen, it looks like you have every reason to have a good taste in your mouth. I am sure I would have similar feelings as you if I wer ein your shoes.

I am curious about something-do you feel like you were treated exactly like a non-guwriter gets treated? What I am saying is that if John Smith placed an order today, do you think he would have recieved the same communication level and delivery schedule as you did? I am just curious to get a feel of your persepctive. If you do not wnat to answer, i am 100% cool with that. THis is not being asked in a smart ass way at all. I wish I could ask you over an adult beverage so you could see that I am simply trying to get a better feel for where you are coming from. Absolutley no hard feelings at all if you do not want to answer. i mean it. I will buy the first round if I meet you in Reno next year. Hell, i could probably be talked into buying the second as well!!!

Any gunsmith who makes it a point to not accept money until the work is done.

I believe Todd Ramirez has a place here.

HCR is good, I have 3 of theirs,
Randy Selby does excellent work,
Mark Skaggs will build a functional, reliable rifle, either A&B or Douglas barrels,
vapodog does his things in an outstanding manner,
Jack Hamrick seems to be a class act,
can't wait to use Mr. Farmer.

What about Mark Stratton? I have not seen his name come up and cannot find his website.

If I had any money right now I'd send something to Mike McCabe, a first rate guy and the work I handled of his (not mine sadly) was work I'd be happy to have on my rifles. He has taken the time to learn things right. Chic would make me happy with stock work, hell, I'd be happy if I lived within 50 miles of him and could drop by to watch over his shoulder and generally bug him.

I have always liked since talking to them Mark Stratton and Jim Wisner, sadly again no money to have them build me things but from talking to them and seeing Marks rifles I feel they both are very skilled and turn out top product.

I much prefer to do business with people I find likeable than those I don't. If I get along well with a person I can work around issues with delivery and such. if I don't like a person, or they don't like me, doesnt' matter how fast I get it back, for me it is as much about the experience, time, thought that goes into it as it is about the product (not to say I great experience makes up for a poor product).

I think that for simple things, chambering, rebarelling etc. there are MANY MANY smiths out there that are good. it is the full blown or exotic that I think seperates the gunsmiths, your proficient from your masters. I know two gunsmiths, both moved to other endeavors, who were local. both did good work. one was a great barrel installer and cut awesome chambers. the other was a smith AND a very accomplished shooter (of everything, archery, big bore, single shot, black powder etc) and I have an argentine action he had done some real first rate work on. (polishing, raised checkered bolt stop, bolt handle)

Of course Tom Burgess is amazing, worth having something done just for what you'll learn. he did some work on my 375 that was perfect, the gem though was communicating to him about it and hearing how he approached it, how he fixed it etc. very generous with information.

I spoke with Al Biesen I think it was, maybe Roger, on the phone. I wanted to buy a stock for a shotgun. ended up not being worth it for such a hohum shotgun, but he spent a good 20 minutes giving me pointers on skeet and using the shotgun in general. those are the people that get my business.

Red

Marc, I'll take you up on your offer - and buy the second round. Like you I also have a lot of information that I don't share on public forums and am sure much of it corresponds with what you know. It is, after all, a small industry.
I appreciate the fact that you don't air everything you know here as well.
On the positive side, there are a lot of very talented gun builders out there who strive to make their clients happy.

Add Mark Penrod to this list.

Almost two years on and I'm still very pleased with the rifle he made for me. Others on this forums have had Mark build them rifles for varmint on up to dangerous game.

The folks at Hill Country Rifles are nice guys who build great guns. I won't even admit in a public forum how many of their rifles I've bought because I don't want my wife to find out.

I've also had great luck with George Gardner at GA Precision, newcomer Nathan Chesney at Hillbilly Custom and Mel Forbes New Ultralight Arms.

I just ordered a gun from Bansner but have heard lots of good stuff about him, and I have my sights set on a D'Arcy Echols rifle. There are lots of good folks out there if you ask around.