There may be a little confusion here, it's not the first time and probably not the last.
Frank Wells is a very fine gunsmith in Tucson, AZ.
Fred Wells is a talented gunsmith who builds custom actions from the ground up usually for extremely large bore cartridges. His wife Rachael does the engraving and teaches at Yavapai nearby. They are also in business with Dan Pederson. Their shop is in Prescott, AZ.
Posts: 1545 | Location: North Texas | Registered: 11 February 2001
There is an article on Fred Wells in the Dec. issue of Accurate Rifle. I think he is in his 80's now. I have always been interested in this gentleman as he has to be near genious to build all these wonderful rifle actions from the ground up. If I remember correctly from a very old article in the American Rifleman he does not have an elaborate shop, only basic lathes and mills. Seems like they even mentioned he was cutting bolt raceways with some sort of power saw, no shaper or broach. He worked long hours, 7 days a week and lived above the shop. His work appears to be impeccable. If only I had a fraction of this masters talent! I would take off and work for him for free just to absorb a little of his knowledge.
Lightnin, I see you are from Prescott, can you tell us any more about Fred Wells?
Posts: 1545 | Location: North Texas | Registered: 11 February 2001
I knew Frank Wells about 35 yrs. ago in Tucson. He and I both started stockmaking about the same time and both of us worked for Bob Jensen's gun shop. He stayed with it and became a very good custom stockmaker. While it is still my hobby I didn't want to starve so got into construction and cabinetmaking. I havn't talked to Frank for years but understand he is still at it. He also had other jobs to support himself but kept coming back to the gunstocks. He may do other smithing work besides the woodwork. Pete
Fred Wells is one of the great metalsmiths of the 20th Century, would also nominate Tom Burgess but Burgess has never made complete actions as far as I know. Have seen a Wells Mauser for the .50 Browning, what a job.
I had a table just behind Fred Wells at the 2001 ACGG show in Reno and got to know him quite well. That is my table behind Fred and that is him giving Rachel a good listening to. Take a look at the rifle on the stand. It is not a joke. It is one of his monster rifles and was made for a customer in Texas, who would have guessed it. There is a normal sized rifle below it. The rifle was around 25 pounds if I remember right and was chambered in his .500 caliber. He would dig into his briefcase and take out some gem he had made. He tossed me a mauser bolt shround once and it had a lyman receiver sight soldered onto it. I asked what it was for and he said it was for regulating open iron sights. He said instead of spending all day out in the open shooting and filling the vee. He used the Lyman, and adjusted it for a range after some shooting and then wrote down the readings on the scale for the different distances and after he got back into the shop he could file it in using the rear sight. It then was removed and the normal shroud reinstalled.
Here is one of his "Cap" rifles. They are true marvels. Fred is definintely a genius. He will tell you very quickly and with no mistake that he and Frank are not related.
Posts: 4917 | Location: Wenatchee, WA, USA | Registered: 17 December 2001
I guess Franks name doesn't get around very much. You should write and ask for his catalog. On the front is the rifle he built for SCI, I think it was a Cape Buffalo themed.
He was the first I ever saw to offer a non-rebated .585 which he called the .585 Wells Rimless, on ZKK-602 receivers. Sold the package with ammunition and brass. This in '94 (?)
I had spoken to him about the .600 rimless after I saw the one done on swaged and turned .50bmg brass a few years ago. That had a severly rebated rim and the brass was outrageously priced.
[ 01-28-2003, 22:15: Message edited by: Roger Rothschild ]
Craftsman, The story from the rifleman sums up Fred Wells. His shop is just as described. Nothing elaborate at all but oh what treasures are contained within. The rifle that customstox shows in the picture is just one of many that is in the back room. I am the rangemaster here in Prescott at Prescott Sportsman Club and there are a couple of people that come here on a regular basis and shoot some of Mr.Wells creations. To say that the pieces are works of art do not do them justice. Like you I would work for him for free just to be associated with what I consider to be a national treasure. There are a lot of masters around but Mr. Wells is without equal. His barrel maker Danny Pederson is a helluva hand also. His barrels are among the best and are reasonable To boot.
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