What makes a good gunsmith?

[Offroad Gary]

not really what makes a good smith, but why did you choose yours.

 

one of the factors that has not been mentioned in this thread is the "press" that the smith gets from other forum posters and shooters - i'm not talking about bad press, but i'm really talking about over positive press by people who appear to not necessarily know what they are talking about.

an example being..

i have a rifle away for a build at the moment, and a spare barrel for my blaser being screwcut by the same smith (today hopefully so if your reading this get back in your workshop!), i have never met the man doing the work, but he has screwcut another rifle for me and the work was excellent, i have spoken to him, he is likeable, his forum posts are sensible and knowledgable and the work of his i have seen for others looks excellent, he gets good reports from some users who theselves appear sensible and knowledgable.

 

i chose this smith because of the factors i have mentioned previously, even though there is a very highly regarded smith who works from the village i grew up in and still pass through on a regular basis, his work also looks excellent but he did not get my business because of some of the people who continually "push" his work on internet forums and in local gunshops. (my opinion of most gunshop employees is not the highest!)

 

perhaps i may have lost out on some things because of this, but i'm happy with my choice and cant wait for things to start appearing!

[Grouse]

I,m a firm believer in getting out there and WINNING with guns, ones built. Its the best advert going.

 

 

Well put - would definitely agree that riflesmiths should be out there winning in their field - IT IS THE BEST ADVERT GOING!

[John MH]

My answer is someone who I personally know, someone who shoots what he turns out and someone who preferably offers a military discount.

[John MH]

Reputation is everything, some people's reputations precede them. Get a bad reputation and it's hard to turn it around, get a good one and you'll get recommended by word of mouth, that's what I have found to be the best way of determining who is going to get my money. Oh and winning competitions with their own kit helps, but that also has a lot to do with the nut on the butt.

[Alycidon]

Would you buy a rigby or Holland rifle for precision riflery? No; they're sh*te in that arena.

 

I think the term for the skillset being described in this thread is 'riflesmith'.

 

 

 

My 20BR was built by a guy who spent all his working life at Hollands and Boss all on building double rifles. He was building 22.250s when they were wildcats and making barrels from Landrover halfshafts. He makes all his own tools and reamers, no PTG gear for him. A double rifle is usually in a heavy caliber designed for dangerous game so outright accuracy is not the prime concearn but if they ( Hollands etc) want to build a rifle for accuracy then they certainly can as my 20BR proves. To call them sh*te in the accuracy dept is a trifle unfair, they will build a rifle to the new owners specification whatever that is, at a price of course.

 

The 20BR usually aggs in the .4s at 100BR, not to shabby when only using a bipod and a rear bag in a rig that is designed for foxes and not Benchrest. Putting a Seb or Farley under it would cut that somewhat as well.

 

I would though agree that a skilled shotgun actioner would not necessarily have the skills to build a high accuracy target rifle. Horses for courses really.

 

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