Having bugged everyone about problems with my Sako
Forester,it now appears i need the services of a good metal man.Freer's does museum quality restoration of old Winchesters and Brownings along with general gunsmithing and i have used them to my great satisfaction.I know Larry Feland from Boy Scouts and he is a great guy as well as a fine custom stock maker.I may get him to do the stock work.Charlie Sisk is well known but he is 60 miles away and very busy.What i need is someone to finish ream the neck on this rifle which has proven to have a length shorter than SAMMI minimums.I live near the intersection of the Beltway 8 river valley and the Katy Freeway game plains (west Houston).I'm a country boy trapped in the city for the last 14 years so forgive my cynical description of where I live but i need someone reasonably close. Any recommendations?

Mike Bryant is right around the corner in Wheeler...

I looked up Mike Bryant in the phone book and didn't find him. Is Wheeler a town or a street.If it is a town, I've never heard of it. I'm in Houston,Texas.

Texas is a big place

Bryant Custom
7761 FM 592
Wheeler, TX 79096
(806)826-5618

And here the link to Mike's web pageMike Bryant's Website,

Mike has an almost religious following by the people he has done work for. I have not yet seen the beauty he is supposed to produce for me. But he has gone out of his way to be responsive and helpful during the build phase. I have been most impressed and happy with his service thus far.

- mike

P.S. I have no idea how far Wheeler is from Houston. As I said Texas is a big place, and what does a foreigner know anyway??

[ 11-06-2003, 13:20: Message edited by: mho ]

Check with Precision Barrel Works, superb barrel installations, I don't know if he'll do just what you require or not. But if he does it'll be a top quality job. He is in Hempstead, W of Houston.

http://www.precisionbarrelwork.com/

Arock MHO GatoGordo
Wheeler is 500 miles from my location.Does he pick up and deliver? Thanks for the response.
I think I might check out Precision Barrel Works
that Fat Cat mentions in his post. They, like Mike Bryant, also have a reputation for quality and are 40 miles from me. I guess since all of us Texans are rich, I could just fly my Gulfstream 4 up there or Arock could send his down for me.
Thanks again for the responses.

Covey16, thanks for taking my response with the humor it was intended. You're probably closer to Tallahassee than Wheeler. Texas is a big place for folks not born here but for us anyplace under the Lone Star is "just around the corner". Soon as we torch-up the G4 we'll be right over. Keep the beer cold.

Arock
5th generation
NO PLACE BUT TEXAS!
HOOK'EM HORNS!

Covey16

[ 11-06-2003, 22:36: Message edited by: covey16 ]

I'm surprised anyone remembers Gilbert Shelton or Oat Willie,you must be an old fart like me.
Daughter is freshman at The University.Oldest son
graduated from Texas Tech in '98.
Youngest son is senior criminal justice major at Sam Houston. I don't know where that came from as his family has produced more criminals tham law enforcement but he ultimately want's to be an FBI agent,has since he was 14 years old.
My favorite cousins son and his wife both graduated from Texas vocatonal high school(a&m).
we let him come to the family reunions,but nobody talks to him.
I took my daughter to UT orientation in June.First time I had been there in years,Hippie Hollow is a State Park and Armadillo World Headquarters is just a memory. When I was there 6th Street was where you went to buy electrical supplies or to get your a$$ kicked.
You can always tell a Texan, but you cant tell him much.
Covey16

Remember Vulcan Gas & Electric on S. Main? Predecessor of the Armadillo? Never Eat Anything Larger Than Your Head? Hippie Hollow is just a State Park??... should be a National Monument. Lived around the corner from Oat Willies around 1970. What wonderfully strange days. Then came Bluebonnet Country music, B W Stevenson (his aunt taught my high school typing class), Michael Murphy and Geronimo's Cadillac, Jerry Jeff, Michael Nesmith (his gorgeous female cousin lived in a little commune east of campus), and of course, Willie. My three kids are focussed on getting into A&M but it will be a few years and my boy is thinnking of doing a hitch in the Marines first.

Had the pleasure of visiting the little house my grandparents first lived in, at the Lubbuck Ranch House Musuem a couple of weeks ago. Great to see my Texas heritage up close!

God bless the Republic!

Rusty
We band of brothers!

I second Mike Bryant.

Also have Jeff Hicks in Del Rio. Think he posts on 24hourcampfire.com and has a banner ad.

Charlie Sisk is in Texas. You mentioned him already, but 60 miles is a very short distance in the world of gun builders. www.siskguns.com

And Speedy Gonalez, don't know if I spelled it right. Think he is near Houston. SG&Y is the shop name. He is one of the best benchrest gun builders in the industry.

Jump over to http://www.benchrest.com/forums/ and ask the same question.

Don't forget Brown. The UPS truck will take the rifle anywhere in the US.

I recommend phone calls to the above gents, discuss the problem, and see if they will help.

A tip, most super accuracy gunbuilders do not like to work on barrels chambered by others.

[ 11-07-2003, 06:31: Message edited by: John Ricks ]

Arock
Yeah,Istumbled thru most of those places about the same time you were there.I was a Balcones
Fault,Shivas Head Band and Sons of the Uranium Savage fan along with Cosmic Country. Leon Russell leased a friend of mine's house when he was there.Freddie King!
I took a group of Boy Scouts rock climbing at Enchanted Rock about 4 years ago.I couldn't beiieve it,Enchanted Rock and Fredriksburg now look like Disneyland. Fredriksburg now reminds me of a tourist trap in Florida.
Youngest son wants to go Air Force to serve and gain experience in Base Security and Intelligence.
His problem is going to be that in the Air Force,if you aren't rated aircrew,PJ,Combat Air Controller or missile man, you are self loading baggage. Oh well quien sabe
Rusty
Lots of great Texas history in North Texas.
Kiowa,Comanche,ranchers,Texas Rangers,Palo Duro Canyon,somebody ought to make a mini series.
wonderful country up there.
Gato Gordo
I emailed Pete Pieper at Precision Barrel.
He said bring the rifle by along with some fired cases and he would fix it.It will be December before he can do the work but I think i will go ahead and take it to him today or tomorrow.
John Ricks
Speedy Gonzales has great rep but is down the road a ways.
I'm lined up to be on a lease near Del Rio (Rock Springs) next year mabe I need Jeff Hicks to build me .270 or 7mm "Del Rio rifle"
thanks again for all the help.

[ 11-08-2003, 19:22: Message edited by: covey16 ]

Arock,
t-sip but kids are going to A&M. Sounds like the sixth generation of your family is moving up in class hope they join the Cadet Corps. Gig'em Ags WHOOP!!!

My family has been in Texas since 1842. Both sides marched under the stars and bars.

Speedy Gonzales is in Roanoke just north of Fort Worth. I havn't seen his work but he has a great reputation.

http://www.sgyrifles.com/main.html

American by birth and Texan by the grace of God.

[ 11-08-2003, 06:19: Message edited by: jnc91 ]

It's a sad day for Texans everywhere.
The Texas Vocational High School er I mean Aggies are being abused by the hated Sooners as we speak.
Even us Tea Sippers are shedding a tear.
Oh the humanity!
Covey16

Gatogordo
I took the rifle to Pete Pieper.Very nice young guy with a well setup shop.He eyeballed rifle and cartridges, used a borescope on the barrel.He didn't take any measurements,but said end of throat was slightly rough and would finish ream it.He is going to check out scope mounting and tracking.
Also,he is going to tip bed barrel and bed receiver.He wanted to free float,but I requested he not do that due to thin hunting barrel and desire to maintain original appearance.
He felt he could relieve barrel channel and maintain stock appearance .
He gave me a very short turn arround date.
I am totally impressed with him so far.
From what you say about his work quality, this should all work out well.
We'll see.
I will report in a couple of weeks.
Covey16

[ 11-10-2003, 22:55: Message edited by: covey16 ]

Gatogordo
See latest post on "Sako tuneup".
Thanks a million.
Pete Piepper worked wonders and the price was very reasonable
Covey

Bryant is in Wheeler, which is in the Texas Panhandle a good 600 miles from you. I would not call that the Houston area. The only real first class precision outfit I know of is Briley and it they do they type of work you want, you won't be disappointed in their work. There may be others, but I know Briley is top notch.

Chargar
I live abour 3 miles from Briley and have had them
work on my Gold Cup. They do outstanding work on pistols and shotguns. I haven't had any feedback on the rifle department.
I took the Sako to Pete Pieper in Hempstead.
Have a look at" Sako Tuneup" posts in this forum.
Arock had some fun with me as regards Mike Bryant in Wheeler.
Are the big trout back into Baffin Bay yet?
Thanks for the response.
Covey

Briley does great work on pistols? Huh? You got to be kidding. I had them work on a couple of my pistols and was disappointed every time. I even bought a custom comped pistol from them that had to be sent back because the bullet was hitting the comp. $2800.00 for that piece of shit.

Sorry about your bad experience with Briley.
The crew they had 4 years ago did good work.
I have a series 70 Gold cup that they rebarreled for me.The fitting was perfect.Function and accuracy were outstanding.The gun had many rounds thru it as i've owned it for nearly 30 years.They didn't try to sell me anything .
They even tightened up the slide to frame fit and didn't charge me anything for it.
I have a good friend that shoots A LOT of sporting clays and wouldn't have anyone else work on his shotguns.
They advertise 10/22 upgrades and rifle accuracy work, but i have no direct experience.
Mabe they have gotten too big and hired less than adequate help. I don't know.