steve bowers

[Sakoboomstick]

pnse, saw your post,

 

many people had work done by Steve?

[Guest varmartin]

thanks for the info

 

I think all that have had ,had it and would have had again

 

Martin

[pnse]

many people had work done by Steve?

I'm having practical 20 built by Steve in the next few weeks,i.ve seen many guns Steve has built and his workmanship is second to none.

[Sakoboomstick]

pnse,

 

have you had to wait for long to get the work done? is he building it from scratch with components he supplies or have you supplied a donor rifle?

 

if it a rifle you have given him when did you drop it off at his place?

[pnse]

pnse,

 

have you had to wait for long to get the work done? is he building it from scratch with components he supplies or have you supplied a donor rifle?

 

if it a rifle you have given him when did you drop it off at his place?

Other than the mod which will be one of Steve's custom built over barrel mods,the components have been supplied by me,from starting to order parts to completion of the gun it's going to be about 18 months.If you want a rifle built right Steve's your man,if you want it built quick you'd be better off using a different smith.

[Sakoboomstick]

I've seen steves work and totally agree, the workmanship is excellent.

 

i was just curious, ive been waiting 2 years now and thought that maybe just to cut a thread, re crown, cut and chamber a barrel, blue print the action and fit then 2 years is a tad of a piss take.

 

may be not?!

[JR__]

I've seen steves work and totally agree, the workmanship is excellent.

 

i was just curious, ive been waiting 2 years now and thought that maybe just to cut a thread, re crown, cut and chamber a barrel, blue print the action and fit then 2 years is a tad of a piss take.

 

may be not?!

 

Perhaps you should take this up with Steve? None of us here on a bleeding web forum are going to build your rifle quicker mate, so no use preaching to the choir. Grow a set, give him a call, and get it sorted.

 

JR

[Guest Rapid]

I've seen steves work and totally agree, the workmanship is excellent.

 

i was just curious, ive been waiting 2 years now and thought that maybe just to cut a thread, re crown, cut and chamber a barrel, blue print the action and fit then 2 years is a tad of a piss take.

 

may be not?!

 

2 years is an excessively long period of time to have to wait for what is after all basic gunsmithing work. Why have you waited so long before chasing it up?

[pnse]

I've seen steves work and totally agree, the workmanship is excellent.

 

i was just curious, ive been waiting 2 years now and thought that maybe just to cut a thread, re crown, cut and chamber a barrel, blue print the action and fit then 2 years is a tad of a piss take.

 

may be not?!

when you first contacted Steve to do the work for you were you given a time scale on the work or were you told you were in a queue,did you keep the details of the build constant or have you changed anything along the way[ie stocks and such like],

[pnse]

without trying to start an argument I know people defend who ever they get to build or do work for them its only human nature BUT Bowers is no better or worse than any of the other rifle builders in this country,You just have to wait a lonnnnng time and 2 years for what this guy is having done is a tad exessive

Just because someone makes you wait this long does not mean you are getting a better job.

I can get a rifle rebarrled and proofed in less than 1 week when the barrel has arrived.

Now my rifle shoots 2 inch at 500 yards this will match any sporter rifle in the UK and proably better other.

Now we also hear of people waiting 14 odd months and longer from a certian rifle builder or master gun smith he like to call himself only to find the rifle does not shoot and has to go back.

I suspose the only consolation is if you are made to wait this ridiculous amonyt of time by a rifle builder in the UK at least you can call in or pick the phone up to see how progress is unlike sending your dream abroad and being ignored lied too and in the hope one day it may be able to be sent back to you

Flustrating isn it

hello funky

with the comment on Steve's work as apposed to any other UK gunsmith,not everybody in any given profession have equal abilities,obviously somebody has to be the best and some body has to be the worst[i'm not saying Steve's the best]going on your statement if the other gunsmith you describe lived in the UK he would be the equal of Steve's workmanship.

 

yes i could have had the rifle built quicker with a different smith like i did with my 17 ackley hornet which was just a simple rebarrel with a stock and action that i already owned,the components for the full custom build that Steve's doing for me took over a year to get together,if you phoned Steve tomorrow and asked him to build you a gun he would not give you build date,from speaking to Steve today he has about 2 years work infront of him,so if you joined the queue now you'd have at least a 2 year wait,how long do Norman or Calum give on build times?

[Sakoboomstick]

rapid,

i havnt waited this long without chasing it up, i have called Steve a hell of alot about, for the last 12 months "my rifle has been the next one on the list"

 

pnse,

nothing has changed, what i have wanted has been the same since the start, all the components have been in the workshop all the time.

 

 

JR,

it has been taken up with Steve, i havnt asked anyone on a bleeding web forum to build my rifle any quicker, certainly have not preached to any choir.

as for "growing a set" maybe i could borrow the set you must have been playing with when you read the post, or was that the set you found in the choir?

 

i saw a mention by pnse regarding Steve bowers and was curious as to what was going on with his project, i keep hearing about rifles that have been done and really want mine done. ive got alot of stuff to kill.

[Vermincinerator]

Sakoboomstick,

2 years is an unacceptable period of time to have to wait for a custom gun, personally i would not be prepared to wait more then 10 months for a custom rifle regardless of the quality of workmanship of the builder.

It would be quicker (and mucho cheaper) to get the paperwork in order and get US smith to build your rifle.

In my own case, i have the relevant skills and have built my own rifle. sourcing, ordering and delivery of the components taking 5 months including the Mclate stock!!

Action is a Stiller and the barrel is a Lilja, so far build time has stood me 31hours including several hours of hand polishing and cosmetic work.

All that is left to do is the bedding which is underway and the stock finishing.

 

Ian.

[Guest deer308]

there is one chap i know who is 1st class and if he has a tube it normally is 3-4 weeks turn around for a total rebarrel job .

 

regards

 

chris

[JR__]

Sako,

 

Never sang in a choir, too many damned priests circling the wagons...Since you have mentioned you have spoken with Steve, we're on a bit more even keel. Often in my line of work, I'd find people would confer with the public domain before speaking to the guy who was actually building it. Thanks for not being THAT guy. Cuz he really pisses me off.

 

A project is a project..If the guy has all the parts in, it's a quick save. If he has to buy in, depends on his immediate finances and the time frame of the companies he's dealing with. Only thing he can really do is quote once all the parts are in.

 

Ya'll waiting 2 years for a rifle, that isnt' normal, but half that isn't unreasonable if you are dealing with the states.

 

JR

[ejg223]

At this time my oppinion is that the level of factory rifle building

compared to other technologies is at stone age.

Nobody is building custom hard drives for computers.

Most rifle factories run ancient machines. Some are a bit better

than others, but still far from what is possible.

That is why the demand for custom rifles is so high.

And of course those who want something different.

 

I think an average rifle smith is at most at the level of a good tool maker.

Both have the same problems, mostly booked out.

A minute costs a a Euro or a Pound, if you wait two years it should

cost a fortune... or ? so the stuff is just lying around

lying around is bad organisation, nothing else.

We make tools that cost over half a million.. in less than half a year.

 

I think part of the long waiting for a custom rifle is that most rifle smiths are

small outfits where the owner is secretary, purchasing manager, sales manager,

accountant and sometimes rifle smith.

Any kind of mechanical workshop needs several machines such as Lathes, milling, grinding and so on,

a single person can not run the investment efficiently. Most of the machines are not working.

A mechanical outfit needs at least 3-5 people in the workshop. Just from a financial point of view and

of coures one person for the office.

 

Rifle smiths do have a special position, they receive a lot of understanding.

Most houses are custom built, what do you say to your builder... so what!

Our tools are all custom built.. our customers say .. so what!

 

 

edi