Custom Gunmakers

[F.G. Ford]

There was previous thread regarding the shoddy attitude of a custom maker, and poor quality.
I have several custom rifles of various makers, all of which, I would highly reccomend.
I have also seen work with big dollars, not fit for a trash bin.
As a shooting fraturnity, and the understood code of no contracts, within the black powder community, we owe it to one another, to point out the crooks and blowhards, that prey on our brothers and sisters.
I,m sure the moderators of the board, will gladly let any maker defend themselves.
Places like Track of the Wolf, and Dixions, supply us with great products, and guarantee.
If we want our great pastime to survive, we must support each other.
Best Regards...... Old Ford

 

[2172]

Old Ford..well said. Word of mouth is about the only protection we have..I doubt that Consumer's Union is ever going to test a muzzleloader..Hank

 

[Barbaric1]

The problem sometimes lies in both camps. Higher than realistic expectations and no research lead to dashed hopes and angry exchanges. Then there's smug, unwarrented attitudes too. I have a friend who builds guns from scratch. Everything that goes out of his shop causes me to want another one of his guns. But it don't make them perfect. He tries his best to get them that way, but only God is perfect. I read a thread on the smoothbore page about a man's problems with a semi-custom maker. He must not have done any research because he comments about the caplock on his gun being a converted flintlock. Well duh, the maker in question makes flintlock reproductions, conversion would've been the way it was done in the past, hence the modified lock. While I don't much care for the maker in question's work, they're semi-custom and okay for the price range. I think next time the lad ought to look at stuff from Pedersoli or Uberti, I'm pretty sure from the language he used that he'd be much happier.

 

[reddogge]

Building rifles is difficult enough for yourself or manybe your kin but I can't imagine the difficulty of trying to please lots of different customers. Just look at all of the styles of guns out there and combine that with all the different styles of the makers and the different expectations of the customers.

I think most customers have seen, handled and shot rifles built by their intended gunsmith so will have a good idea of what they are getting into and will be pleased in the end.

I certainly would do that before laying out a sizable chunk of cash to someone to build me a rifle.