well, the time has almost arrived. i've about got all the pieces bought and need a good gunsmith in the dallas-ft worth area to put it all together for me. i will send this project away to have it done if i have to so any smith suggestions not in the DFW area are also welcome. but i'd rather stay close to home.

the project:

VZ24 action(real nice one)
24" pacnor barrel pre threaded and pre chambered to 6.5-06
timney trigger
timney "wing" safety. will have a 3 position safety installed later but it's not in the budget now
leupold one piece scope mount
walnut stock, checkered steel buttplate and grip cap. i've had it a long time and can't remember the make. too many 6 packs since then. but it's going to look good
don't have a bolt handle yet.
i would like to have the action trued(blueprinted??), all the pieces assembled, stock finished, and the metal polished and blued.
the barrel won't need polishing. and minimal polishing will be needed on the action. mostly just the bottom metal.

any and all suggestions are welcome and much appreciated. thanks in advance...bud

I live in the area and don't know of one that I would recommend for your project. I know quite a few. I would use David Christman in Louisana. His turn around time is great, his prices are great, and he is a pleasure to do business with.By the way, his reputation is one of the best. You are only a couple days away with shipping to anybody in the USA and I wouldn't pick a smith that I felt that I had to live close enough to inorder that I could look over his shoulder. I do my own barrel work, but the rest is left to compatent[spell] people. Butch

butch...thanks for the reply. the desire to stay local is a minor thing. sending this project away is no big deal. i will check out david christman. do you have any contact info for him? again...thanks...bud

Just south of you near the Houston area. He does all the work for John Barsness of Handloader and Rifle magazines.

http://www.siskguns.com/

I can give you the name of a gunsmith I have used in Hurst if you like. I will probably be taking a rifle in there Saturday (if the other parts come in) for some work. They have not done for me anything as extensive as you are looking at but they came highly recomended and did what they said they would do when they said they would do it and in the price range they quoted.

There are plenty of name smiths recommended on this forum that you can use if you are prepared to send it away and I would not blame you for availing yourself of one of them.

Call Roy Watson in Lamar MO. 417-394-2526.

thanks to all for the replies and pm's. i'm at work so i don't have enough time to "talk" right now but will get back to this thread later today. charles h...please pm me the name of the guy in hurst. thanks again and feel free to keep the suggestions coming...bud

David Christman Jr.- Gunmaker
116 Rundell Loop Road
Delhi, LA 71232

318-878-1395

When I talked with Dave last week his phones were still a mess but he was able to recieve calls most of the time. Unable to dial out. Dave will not even learn where the 'on' switch is on his wifes computer, so there is no chance of him getting online.

well as usual, the AR forums come thru. thanks to everyone for all the information. the barrel won't be here from pacnor for a few weeks so i have some time to make calls and figure out which smith to use. again...thanks...bud