Here's a re-post on Bill Mowrey I posted sometime back:
Bill Mowrey was a master machinist, gunsmith and made black powder rifles and pistols; one of my favorite stories he told was of him turning 16" battleship barrels during WWII at the shipping yard where he sat behind the cutting tool, riding the lathe carriage as it made its cuts.
He had a shop in Olney, TX then later moved to Wichita Falls, TX. where I met him. He was a cracker-jack gunsmith but lacked some in business skills and sold the rights to his rifles. A good friend of mine bought his shop from his widow and still gunsmiths out of it and has several of his rifles. His rifles were well made, almost over engineered as I always thought they were heavy for caliber. Everyone I know who has one around here wont part with them, they are that well respected.
I later learned from his good friend that he personally made 166 guns to sell, and each that he made himself has his name and the serial #, with no location mentioned. Those with a location on the barrel were made by those who bought the rights to produce his weapons. I think Olney, Texas, Iowa Park, Texas are the earliest, before moving up north.
Bill continued to manufacture parts for quite some time after selling the rights to the weapons.
Hope this helps.
Eterry