Hey, I ran across something that was made by Flaig's Gunsmithing of Milvale, PA and wondered if there were anyone out there familiar with their work? If so, if you'd offer up any information/opinions?

As far as I know they were a relatively large operation that has gone out of business at some point.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Reed

Flaigs was an Ace hardware store/gun emporium that was very active in the 60's and 70's (and maybe into the 80's). They advertised in the trade journals and "Shotgun news" type magazines and had a series of flyers that had some very good prices.

I have a 25-06 on a reworked military 98 with a german barrel, fully adjustable trigger, folding leaf sights, and thin shelled "French walnut" built by a guild in Austria and marked "imported by Flaig's Ace". (I think I gave them about $139 and shipping in 1970) I don't know what happened or when they stopped business. I always thought they imported, packaged and sold more than did gun work. I don't remember seeing advertisements for prices for services, just guns and parts.

Maybe someone from that area will know more.

Roger

Reed-

I was born & raised real close to Flaig's. They were a fine, old-time gunshop. The shop sat up on a hill, surrounded by pine trees. Big paneled rooms, with rack after rack of firearms. Hard to believe it was a stone's throw to Pittsburgh. They had some beautiful stuff there, and did fine work. I can remember spending many enjoyable days going there with my dad, as a kid, some 30 years ago. I think they've been out of business for close to 20 years now...

If you found a fair deal on a nice rifle, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it.

I miss that place. I'd love to go back & spend an afternoon, with my dad, just looking at all of that stuff again....

Roger-

Flaig's was not associated with the Ace Hardware chain. They were a "stand-alone" gun shop.

I have a 1903a3 reworked into a fantastic 257 roberts... I wouldn't hessitate to buy another, especially at the lowball price i got mine

jeffe

In about 1990, they ran an ad for some left over odd lot barrels (Douglas XX) that they had. I called and the only thing they had at the time, that I could use, was a FW 25-06 for a small ring mauser. Since I had a M98 small ring, I promptly shipped it off and had them face off the action and install the bbl. When I got it back, I compared the price to what they advertised in a "60s vintage American Rifleman and I had saved a dollar. Heck of a deal! They were in business until then, and were auctioned off during the 90s. You see their stuff on eBay from time to time ion lots of 5-10 depending on the item.

It was an absolute paradise for a young boy who was totally in love with GUNS. Beautiful place up on the hill in the trees. We lived in Etna and if I was good my Dad would treat me to a trip to Flaigs as a reward. After gunsmith school I used to buy goodies like lever floorplate releases and such from them. They also had a good tool line.I still use a set of needle files from there. Nostalgia returns bigtime just hearing the name.

They used to post aquite a display ad in the American Rifleman almost every month. Their stuff looked good, but I never bought anything from them. Now they're gone, just like that other great old famous Pennsylvania gunsmithing outfit, Paul Jaeger! Both great losses to the gun industry!

I grew up(and still live) about 25 miles from where Flaigs was. Went there many times. I think the reason someone thought they were an Ace Hardware was because Flaigs sold various items, like hinged aluminum Mauser and Springfield triggerguards,trigger shoes,low profile safety levers,adjustable triggers, partially inletted stocks, etc. using the name "Ace" as their brand name. I don't think they made any of these things themselves,they just had them stamped "Ace". They did do a lot of their own custom gunsmithing and rifle building. I still come across their stuff and guns they built, at gun shows around Pittsburgh. The "Flaigs Sportsmans Lodge" was bigger than any other gunshop in the area,wish they were still around.

i have a 257 roberts on a mauser action they built, mine has a douglas barrel it is very accurate

Cold Bore and others. Thansk for the correction. I did "jump" because of the "ACE" tag that they used in the advertising. I pulled out an invoice from the files. It is from "Flaig's Lodge, Millvale, Pa.".

The mauser I have is marked "Bohler Stahl, austria" I thought that was a type of steel rather than a gunmaker, Since I missed on the "ACE", maybe somene can help clarify what this means.

Roger

You are likly putting the "Ace" with them for the "Ace Trigger shoe" they sold amoung other things.

Back in the day, they held a lot of good wood, the old Man, shopped over seas, and they even had Ferlachs drilling and cape type. It was old world type place that had charm you wont see often today. It was where you went when you needed an FN or Sako action.

HBH

During the late 1950's through the 1970's, I visited Flaigs a number of times. I lived, off and on, in Mars, PA, a few mile north of Milvale. The guy who started Flaig's was Charley Flaig. He was German by birth. As I remember, he died somehere in the late 1970's at age 86. Charley was one of a kind. I remember one visit vividly. It was in 1972 and I had my little 6 year old son with me. I parked my car close to the Lodge about 9:30 one Saturday morning. Charley was having breakfast in his dining room and saw me with my son. He lived in one part of the Lodge, and the store was at the end. So, he came and met us in the store after we entered. He came up and greeted us, and invited us into his living quarters to look around. On the way from the store, we passed through a small room that held his personal collection of firearms. When I first saw them, my jaw dropped.. They were the most magnificent rifles I had ever seen. There was a rack with about 30 drillings, mostly Ferlachs. He went to the rack and removed a highly engraved drilling and handed it to me, and said this was Hermann Goehring's personal hunting rifle. I was speachless. One by one he showed me all of the rifles. It was overwhelming..
His living quarters were equally awesome. Everything in it was German, and very expensive. His hobby was collecting doors. Every door in the Lodge was bought special from a building that was being torn down, like the Pgh Opera House.
He had a resident gunsmith and stockmaker. I was starting my knifemaking at the time, so I went to their scrap barrel and picked out a big bag of beautiful Walnut for handles. I think he had about 13 acres of land with the lodge. It was located up on a hill, a real neat setting. Charley was an art dealer before getting into the gun business. He made some beautiful custom rifles over the years. After he died, a guy by the name of Bill Knabel ran the Lodge. I don't even know if they are still in business any more.
Memories...
Don Buckbee

I can recall a book from the 1940s or so, maybe "Under Cover" by Carson or Carlson, about the American Nazi movement, Flaig was right in the middle of it. Nontheless I would like to find one of those Flaig Springfield hinged magazine floorplates, Nazi or not.

I recently picked up a Sako L461 in .358 Win. Lo and behold it was rebarreled by Flaig's. I miss the old gunshops. In Sacramento we had Christy's and Simms. Part of my misspent youth was spent in Wellsboro PA. and I wish I could remember the name of the fellow who had a Gunsmithing shop outside of town set up in his barn. It was great; wood burning stove, lots of outdoor mags. and a gunsmith who was more than willing to answer a boys questions on guns and hunting.
Whenever I hear someone say that guns make kids into anti-social misfits; I think of that old man in his shop apron screwdriver in hand looking at me over the top of his glasses; telling meabout the function and safe use of firearms.

I miss the old gunshops too. One in particular was Paul Jaeger in Jenkintown PA. They built some fabulous rifles, and at very reasonable prices too. I guess at least a part of their tradition is preserved by New England Custom Guns, which I believe is run by the last manager of Jaeger, Dietrich Apel??

Some outfit bought the Paul Jaeger name and moved it to Tennessee, but it was never the same as when they were in PA.

Yes, I miss the old gun shops too. There's so much of my life that has been geared to them. They made a lasting, powerful, imprint on my identity and life. I just looked in my mental mirror and see that I'm the old guy with the shop apron, passing the baton..
Don

Griffin & Howe closed their NYC store this May after 80+ years, are still functioning in NJ and CT, the gunsmithing shop is in NJ but 85% of their gun business is shotguns.

That's sad... I remember when Paul Jaeger closed. I was sad then. As a kid growing up in central PA, I had a connection with Jaeger. My Dad and I would sit and discuss Jaeger and all the other good rifle makers of the era.. Good memories... Griffen & Howe was an institution.... Great rifles they made..
Don

Isn't this the second closing of the NY store? As I recall they closed back when Abercrombie & Finch (or however it is spelled)closed and the current group then opened up in NJ a while later. They later announced the opening of the NY store again. I could be way wrong, but in my feeble, fading memory that is what happened. I believe the current owners are an entirely different lot than the previous but could be way wrong. What is the scoop?

Flaigs was an awesome place. After the oldman died the wife continued the business but from what I was told she just kept taking money out of it.........running it into the ground. Some time in the mid to late 90s they closed for good. A few of the gun smiths that worked there went out on there own but they only lasted a few years before they closed.



Flaigs was a really nice place to visit. The oldman brought over lots of German gunsmiths and artisans after WWII. He had woodcarvings and ornate rod iron work everywhere. I was told that at one time he even hadd a bronze bust of Adolf Hitler in his garden. So I guess the Nazi information was true LOL I have several old Gun books from the 40s & 50s That refer to the great work that Flaigs did. Even Jack O'Conner wrote about them in his books. I sure wish they were still around today.



There is another gun shop opening up in the Westview area of Pittsburgh that will be doing much of the same kind of custom work that Flaigs did. This guy bought out P.H.H (Pittsburgh Handgun Headquarters) 412-766-6100. They are adding a custom long gun division & will have onsite gunsmiths to do stockwork, rebarreling, engraving of metal & stocks etc. They intend to create the old world feeling that Flaigs had with the remodeling of the shop this fall. I plan on having them make my LH Sako actioned 35 whelen for me this fall. I hope they can fill the void left when Flaigs closed.

Iron Buck,
When my Son and I got the house tour by the old man, he took us through the living room and at the far end of the room, we made a left turn and there, right in the middle of the hallway was the bust of Adolph Hitler. I just about fell over. I never let him see my feelings, but that was something I'll sure never forget. A good friend of mine, Frank Conway, who used to head up the Army's Advanced Marksmanship Program as a Lieutenant Colonel, filled me in on all of the Natzi details about the old man. The old man was quite a character. Frank Conway was the only guy at the time to have ever won the Wimbledon Cup at Camp Perry two years in a row. As a result, General Nathan Twining promoted him directly from Master Sergeant to Captain. That was in 1956. Frank retired and move to Las Cruces, NM and opend a gunsmithing business. I called him one time in the mid 80's and we talked old times, but that's the last time I talked to him. He was quite a guy. When I met him in 1960, he was a Captain at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. That was my first assignment in the Army after graduating from Penn State in Rocket Science. Frank had a lathe set up in the living room of his BOQ, with every wall filled with rifles. He wasn't married at the time. He later married a German girl when he left Redsone and was assigned to Germany. He didn't marry till he was in his 40's.
Anyway, I didn't know that the old man had ever married. I never saw, or heard the old man mention having a wife. And, I visited there many times while living in Mars, PA. I alway stopped and chatted with the old man when I visited. Bill Knable ran the business after the old man died and the business was incorporated at that time.
Don

Thaine, I think you areright about g&h.