How are your local smiths?

My local guy is semi-retired and has about 70 years experience - (his dad was a smith and he learned as a young person).. One thing he has that few others do is about 80 years worth of parts for old guns - something on the nature of 500,000 pieces, all sorted, cataloged, stuck in methodical order. His equipment is all US made vises, lathes, etc.......some have to be 50 years old. He knows his stuff and will make it right if it doesn't work right.

My previous smith in another state was just as methodical and had 47 years of experience, especially building BR rifles and IMSHA pistols; he has a patent or two on muzzle breaks and was always busy.

I would have no issue using either one for anything I needed fixed or built

I didn't vote because we have no "local" gunsmiths. We either have to drive out of county or pay the high price of shipping.

I understand how easy it is to underestimate how long a project (especially repairs) will take. I am also willing to pay for quality.

The only job that I've had done was a trigger job on a Remington 700 that had the old three way adjustable unit. I left it with one of the local smiths for a little over a month and didn't hear anything. I called and they acted like it was already done and they had been waiting for me to come pick it up. Guy did a real nice job on it though and only charged about $35 which was 75% of his estimate.

I still can't believe that Remington would have gotten rid of the three way adjustable trigger for the piece of junk that they are using today, but that's another thread.

I use Jim Kelly, at Darlington Gunworks. I imagine there are some closer, but I've found it's worth the drive.

Interesting read.

http://www.fieldandstream.com/node/57596

Virgil Tripp at Alpine, and Roger Carly at Marfa. I and friends have all been quite happified with their work.

Dry, if your in Columbia, there's only one. Innovative Arms - mainly for the modern stuff.

The gunsmiths I've encountered locally in recent years tend to have one or more of the following problems: too picky about what they will work on, ridiculously over priced, ignorant, eccentric (to say the least), dishonest, wildly off on predicted completion dates. If anyone knows a gunsmith in the Portland OR area that they can recommend, I would be interested.

gary

My gunsmith is at Canyon Sporting Arms and Tip is very good but with very good comes very backed up. He stays constantly busy with work so it does take a while to get stuff back but I can wait for quality work. I have enough toys I can stand to be without one for a month or two while I wait for what ever fine touches I am adding to it.

The 'smith I use does beautiful work, but he takes his time....a lot of time. The last project I had for him was an old single shot .410 that belonged to my dad and brother. Before my brother passed his house flooded with the gun inside.....it looked like a gun found in a field from the Civil War......rough doesn't even describe it. 9 months with my 'smith and $325 later........

I've had good success with "name" gunsmiths, ie. the ones we've all heard of. When I have an important project, I use one of them.

Of the "local" gunsmiths, all but one has been thoroughly incompetent and borderline criminal. The one good one is a retired firearms instructor for the local PD and does competent work very quickly, for a scandalously low price -- but he only does work for friends.

I have also "discovered" that the service departments of many major firearms manufacturers do fine work in a reasonable time frame, and either free or for a very reasonable cost. I have sent several Ruger rifles, for instance, in to their service department for action work and received each of them back within a month, with very slick and reliable action jobs, at no charge. I have received similar treatment from Savage. Of course, then there's the "Send&Wait" service department that might as well change its slogan to "We'll get it right by the third or fourth try. Probably." so that's not a panacea either...

Don't trust `em, stopped looking years ago. I only use those nationally recognized `smiths with long backlogs.

I have 2 locally. One is an excellent engraver and knows a lot. They other is really an excellent smith, but he's retired, and only does work if you have a buddy that can introduce you. Luckily I did!

If anyone knows of a good 'smith in the central Iowa area that can work on accurizing Remington 700s, I would appreciate it if you would either PM me or post a response in this thread.

Duren Custom is where I go when I need anything done. Meticulous work and fair and straight forward pricing.

Garyhan-

I have not yet had the chance, but I've now had 2 separate people at J.C. gun club tell me Shooter's Service Center in N. Portland/St. John's is trustworthy. (one being the Fellow who started the Mult, county sheriffs' CCW course, Chuck Canham )

If nothing else, the repair bench is clearly visible from the main shop, doing the work in open view of the public sits well with my pessimistic tendencies. Nothing being hidden.

The firing pin fell out of my 1910-ish pump .22, (baby caught me while oiling and knocked it to the ground, I reassembled without it and face-palmed) I'll post when I take it in. I also need to get night sights properly installed on my M&P, Perhaps I'll throw that at them to see how fast they go.

Snuck back in there yesterday after the wife got her ammo and speedloader, Oogled the pistols for a bit. They say they only markup by 10%, and I did not see any prices that screamed out to me to put the lie to that.

They had the 9mm Calico pistol in stock... the kids nearly got to eat Top Ramen for a month. I was good. (sigh)

WHAT local gunsmiths? I wish there were one.

Dnaltrap

Thanks for the referral. I'll give them a try.

gary

Good luck catching their hours, But frankly if I owned a small gun store like that I'd be doing the same.

John is the owner, (apparently shoots with Chuck sometimes) Very much a shop focused on the products themselves. (check their antique case too)

I've lived out here for years, only reason I found the shop before being told about it, wife was driving me so I had my eyes off the road for once. It's about 4 blocks from me. (another face-palm moment)

Let me know how they handle your repairs if it crosses your mind after please!

EDit- Found their business card... Wed-Sat 10 am -5 pm 503-289-1280 ( I'd advise making sure they're in if not fri/sat) 8242 N Lombard (same block as the McMenamins, on the other side)

Final edit- thats the phrase I was reaching for... it feels like a repair shop that happens to sell ammunition and guns too. You'll see when you go in.

GARYHAN in Portland - check out Bob Dunlap([email protected]) south of you .
Nice work, friendly and well priced. He used to run the gunsmith school in Lassen CA.
http://www.piscogunsmithing.com/

jspence

WHAT local gunsmiths? I wish there were one.

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Same here. We have gun butchers.

I use 2 extremely good ones here in Houston.

Same problem here. There a few listed in my area, but they always turn out to be mostly pistol smiths (no rifle work), and from what I've heard some have marginal skills. Seems to be a dying art. I can do some modifications myself, but when it comes time for overhaul or custom work, I'd sure appreciate having a good smith here in my neck of the woods.