Who would you nominate as greatest gunsmith?

[butchlambert]

Midway is a shell of the quality it used to be when harry was running it

You mean Carry?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

You mean Carry?

Maybe it was derry? Derry porterfield

 

[butchlambert]

Maybe it was derry? Derry porterfield

Maybe.

 

[LCazador]

There goes your short wait time!

Exactly! LOL!

 

[Alan Warner]

. Hands down,Harry Pope

 

[buckhunter62]

Pete & Don Allen started Dakota Arms in Sturgis S.D. Pete was the metal guy who Designed The Dakota Model 76 action. Don Allen was the wood guy. He was Northwest piolet in Mpls. Mn. I ordered my first Dakota from them their first year at the NRA annual meeting in Seattle Wa. Got serial # 82. Since them I got three more with the same serial No. Neat hugh.====

 

[ben lurkin]

My sampling, and almost everyone elses, has been far too few to say who is “the best” Dan Dowling built a good many of my guns. Skeet Lee has done a couple. A guy north of me, Eric Smith did one that turned out excellent. My wife is a descendent of JM Browning. I heard he was pretty good.

 

[BigJ22]

For me it's Parker Otto Ackley

 

[kberch]

Dan Dowling,built me 3 custom guns 20 plus years ago. The are all still shooting great.

 

[JMayo]

Plainfield precision !
Brian Buttrick. A great good ole family man.

@plainfield

 

[Ricky Cain]

In his day my late friend Tom Gilman from Hot Springs ar. Benchrest HOF member.

 

[jackieschmidt]

The term Gunsmith tends to be thrown around lightly.

Heck, I chamber my own barrels, build my own rifles and perform various operations that involve machine work as needed……
But I am by no means a Gunsmith.

A Gunsmith is someone who has the knowledge and tools to perform tasks on a wide variety of firearms, from handguns, shotguns, and rifles.

What many of us refer to as Gunsmiths are in reality Riflesmiths, or perhaps to break it down further, Barrel Smiths.

Possibly the best all around Gunsmith I know is Dale Hutchinson in Texas. He is long retired, (he is probably in his 90’s), but he could not only build winning Match Rifles, but get your PPK functioning correctly.

 

[D-4297]

When it comes to stock work , my two cents goes to Alex Sitman . He just did my GRS HYBRID , and I could not be happier . As a retired T & D Guy , I know precision quality craftsmanship when I see it .

 

[Ray123]

My vote is Harry Pope, as the best ...he rifled his first barrel at 12 yrs old in a bicycle shop...maybe more legend than fact, as his rifles were reported to still be accurate after 40 yrs 125,000 rds, or 700 lbs of powder 7000 lbs of lead...so the legend goes..buy one Pope rifle for a lifetime of acccurate shooting.
And a distant 2nd would be PO Ackley with all his experiments with rifle cartridges, actions, & barrels.

 

[ronsatspokane]

In which segment of the art would be the question I would ask.
These are kind of pretty:

https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/80/1387/torcoli-engraved-fabbri-pinless-sidelock-overunder-shotgun

​

Torcoli rules the roost on the engraving front.

 

[majohnson]

Mark Chanlynn. He is a smith but also a barrel maker who learned the trade from Boots Obermeyer. He has an amazing shop.

 

[Drop Port]

The term Gunsmith tends to be thrown around lightly.

Heck, I chamber my own barrels, build my own rifles and perform various operations that involve machine work as needed……
But I am by no means a Gunsmith.

A Gunsmith is someone who has the knowledge and tools to perform tasks on a wide variety of firearms, from handguns, shotguns, and rifles.

What many of us refer to as Gunsmiths are in reality Riflesmiths, or perhaps to break it down further, Barrel Smiths.

Possibly the best all around Gunsmith I know is Dale Hutchinson in Texas. He is long retired, (he is probably in his 90’s), but he could not only build winning Match Rifles, but get your PPK functioning correctly.

The traditional gunsmith is almost a thing of the past. If I need shotgun work, Ed Anderson, if I want a traditional safari rifle builder, craftsman (metal fabrication / woodwork) hands down Reto Buehler. There are several I would use for a precision rifle build, 1911, revolver, AR etc. Most specialize and are not the jack of all trades.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

The traditional gunsmith is almost a thing of the past. If I need shotgun work, Ed Anderson, if I want a traditional safari rifle builder, craftsman (metal fabrication / woodwork) hands down Reto Buehler. There are several I would use for a precision rifle build, 1911, revolver, AR etc. Most specialize and are not the jack of all trades.

The reason we do is we can make 300+ chambering a barrel or $8/hr and half a day making a spring for a single barrel shotgun and then have to listen to bitching when we only charge $45 after having to hold it in the safe for 3mo til the guy needs it again.

 

[Drop Port]

The reason we do is we can make 300+ chambering a barrel or $8/hr and half a day making a spring for a single barrel shotgun and then have to listen to bitching when we only charge $45 after having to hold it in the safe for 3mo til the guy needs it again.

I get it, all I'm saying is the word Gunsmith is a pretty broad term and most specialize.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I get it, all I'm saying is the word Gunsmith is a pretty broad term and most specialize.

Yes sir. Times have changed. Even the mail order AR guy without a lathe is a gunsmith these days