Anyone know of the baker from "The Gun Shoppe" In OK?

[captdan]

Looking at a Baker rifle from The Gun shoppe in Ok. May do the kit, may have them build it ( said it would take 6 mo to a year)”¦ ok with that it the gun is a known good high quality firearm that is worth the wait. I am also looking at the Jaeger target rifle kit from Track of the Wolf.
Any comments on either gun or manf? I’ve never done a kit before, but it sounds like a real interesting event.
Bottom line is that I’d like a nice gun that does not break the bank.. ( $2500 ok).. one that can be fun gun and one that would be accurate enough to hold it’s own in a match, and be nice enough to proudly display and keep.

Would be interested in any comments, and or personal knowledge of either supplier.

Dan

 

[LarryB]

I only know Track of Wolf. I think they are good people with good merchandise. I built a Liman kit 30 years ago. Assemble it in 4 hrs and sand and finish. Not so with most kits. My daughter cookey bought a kit from track. Had about 700$ in it. Really a nice rifle and she received a lot of help from the people on this list. Took a lot of time, all winter. Wood work and metal work both. When a gun builder builds a rifle of this quility for 1500$, he is getting very little for his time.
My opinion. Larry

 

[Duncaninfrance]

If, and it is a very BIG if, the Baker kit is made to / can be made to the same dimensions/tollerences/quaility as the original weapon ( which I own ) then it would be a fantastic piece to shoot. It is robust and very accurate. The main reason that it was selected by the British Army was because of it's strength and accuracy.
Mine is an 1812 version with split stock. Perfect balance and still works after 194 years!

Go get one!
Duncan

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

Looking at a Baker rifle from The Gun shoppe in Ok.
Dan

Never heard of "The Gun Shoppe", do you mean "The Rifle Shoppe"? If so, it is not a project for the beginner but the parts are of a very high quality cast directly off of originals. Call to see if everything is in stock before ordering.

 

[captdan]

Gents, very sorry. Yes, it is the rifle shoppe.[url] www.therifleshoppe.com[/url] I hear food things about them, I can understand that it may not be a beginner's project.... but, I am a wood worker and have rebuilt a few cars from the ground up ( restorations)... yes, but not a gun smith In any case, I may take the step and get the kit, then go on a personal learning curve. I suppose ( perhaps wrong) that if a man took his time and learned as he went he may be able to get the gun together and working well?

Sounds like an adventure, and I am a bit used to adventures.

Dan

 

Comments on The Rifle Shoppe, seem to fall into two catagories. One is that their castings are the best. The second being that unless everything is in stock be prepared for excuses, delays and hassles, and if they quote a year, expect it to be two. I've thought about ordering from them (J.J. Henry parts), but after hearing all the horror stories about delays, I've looked elseware. M.B.S, Track, and Chambers are much more reliable in my opinion. Bill

 

[mike alexandre]

From personel experience, you are right in both your statements.

 

[lacerote]

Take my word for it if they cant ship it to you now , in stock , make them swear to it, RUN LIKE HELL !!!!!! In My opinion They are beyondf belief in the stories you will hear and the massive delays and dissapointments you will most likely suffer. I heard this over and over and over again from gun builders nation wide but I did not lisiten .I paid dearly and was told so many tall tales and untruths it would fill a book. Yes if you can get the stuff it is good qaulity but still needs a lot of polishing and fine detail work to make it look like the pics.I simply wont buy from them ever again . Wasnt there just another post on this forum about a guy getting the massive run arround on his Jaeger from them ?

 

[captdan]

Eagle, In the end did you get the gun? Sounds like to you it was not worth the wait... shame they cannot get better organized.
I've located a second party that deals with them and completes the gun. They tell me that yes, they have problems getting the parts... word is that if I made the order now I'd see the gun around Nov of this year. ( from the current delays seen). I sure like what I see from the Baker from TRS.. perhaps if I know it will be a at least a year and set myself up for that time line...
Would like to speak with someone that made a gun from the parts, or had them finish one... are they worth the wait? Problem I have is that they seem to be the only ones that offer the Baker and that is what I'm most like to have. There is a Canadian manf, but the gun does not come as a shooter, is made in India and to make it work takes the work of a gunsmith puttin on another barrel ( a real rifled one). He tells me they often need more work and that the quality control is up and down...
hmmm, what to do.

 

[lacerote]

I had a few experiances . I ordered a set of parts and eventually got the parts, after story after story and huge delays . These were not in stock. Then I made the error of ordering a knife from them , fully finished . This went on for as I rememeber over a year , each month I was told another complete lie, like "well we are now finaly finishing the silver cross gaurd, I mean you want it done correctly dont you ? Do you know how many fine detais their are to polish ? " This was after many "casting problems " pieces that were supposed to have been broken etc etc . Then the Antler handle cracked and they man said he was disgusted so threw ther project in the corner. Then the blade had to be sharpened correctly ,Then that was fixed but no knife was shipped. Finnaly I begged them to just send the blade to a person they had listed in their catolog that finishes their stuff . I actually had to call him ( a real nice guy who himself is a master ) and he got them to send my fully finished knife which I had paid for and what arrived was a box of completly unfinished unpolished parts (remember all the tales of the high qaulity intense polishing that was holding this up HAH) a CAST piece of manure blade we had to throw away , no antler handle , you get the picture . They had not done a single thing they said . If you find someone let THEM be responsible for getting the parts andn tell them to call you when they are in possesion of them , then you have nothing to loose. If the guy they reccomend that you have contacted will not order the parts for you then what does that tell you ?

 

[bovey]

Have dealt with them in the past and had long delays in getting my parts (12 months +). They have a great catalog but poor service. Remember, the parts are rough castings that need to be finished (filed, drilled, tapped, heat treated). This kit would be a great project but you need to have the time and above all the patience. If you would consider another style of rifle you might want to look at Jim Chambers kits.

 

[tmdreb]

Dan,

You may have seen reference to these sites before, but Loyalist Arms and Middlesex Village Trading Company sell Bakers that are ready to shoot. They also lack the rifled barrel, but those can be had from Track of the Wolf.