Where have all the Gunsmiths Gone

[walkswithsticks]

I am trying to find someone competent to thread, chamber, and crown a barrel blank. Every one that I talk to has the same story about old so and so who used to do that sort of thing but he died or got too old.

I am in southwest Missouri, but I guess shipping goes everywhere these days.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Bill

[canyon-ghost]

http://www.downeastgunworks.com/

Jim Green does that, he's in down east Maine. He's also on Facebook as Jim Green. He color-case hardened a TC Contender for me that turned out beautifully. Take a look at his site, watch some of his videos. Jim is a really nice guy, he's almost too accomodating!

He's also very southern, being originally from NC.

Ron

[deltaenterprizes]

A few I knew died, one went blind and another just got tired and quit.

[DCM]

Whose blank?
What caliber do you want?
what action do you want to put it on?

[walkswithsticks]

I have a Falling Block Works Model J action. My caliber of choice is 32/40. I would like an octagon barrel, so about all I have found is the Green Mountain. I would accept a 3/4 or 7/8 round at the muzzle, but any 32 or 8 mm seems in short supply right now.

Bill

[UBER7MM]

Walkswithsticks,

If shipping isn't an issue, I'd talk to Dan Pedersen of the Classic Barrel Works in Prescott, Arizona. His rifles are sometimes featured in "Rifle Magazine". I like his work. He does work on the old long guns. He can supply barrels or re-cut an old barrel to a larger caliber.

http://www.cutrifle.com/

Just trying to help,

[autofix4u]

Try Nick Tooth in Ozark 417 310 4867. He does mostly restoration work but should be able to get you taken care of. And is about 10 mins from Nixa.

[bob208]

numrich has .32-40 barrel blanks. i am going to get one for my stevens44 action.

[sbowers]

I do all that type of work.
Steve

[John Taylor]

I'm still at it. My mortgage company says I need to keep going til I'm 90

[archmaker]

There is a fellow member who may be able to help . . . look up goodsteel.

[John 242]

I'm still at it. My mortgage company says I need to keep going til I'm 90

This had me rolling...
Maybe if I'm lucky I can retire at 75, if I live that long.
Anyway...

[John Taylor]

This had me rolling...
Maybe if I'm lucky I can retire at 75, if I live that long.
Anyway...

I'm going to do my best to get to 90 or die trying.

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

Colin Stolzer, Washington, Kansas. NE Corner. He is building me a double rifle, ten bore. He is one of the best I have used.

Rich

[MBTcustom]

I am going to be open for business next week.

[FrankG]

John Taylor has done work for me and done good too ! :)

[Stockcarver]

Reminds me of a song:



"Where Have All The Gunsmiths Gone"

"Long Time Passing"

"Where Have All The Gunsmiths Gone"

"Long Long Time Ago"

"Gone To Graveyards Every One"

"When Will They Ever Learn"

"When Will They Ever Learn"

[GOPHER SLAYER]

WALKWITHSTICKS, I have attached a picture of the rifle you want to build. At least what I think you had in mind. The rifle had an offhand stock on it when I bought it but I changed it with another rifle I bought from the same man. This rifle is a 32-40. My first advice to you would be to choose another caliber, maby 30-30 or even .303 British. My reason is this, 32-40 brass is not all that plentiful and will be dropped in the not too distance future. In fact it was dropped from production for several years but it began to get limited runs in recent years. I don't know if cowboy action shooting brought it back or not but even now I dought if you could go into any gunshop and buy a box of 32-40. The only place I found it in stock was Midway. All the other mail order sources that I looked at were out of stock. I have another complaint about the 32-40 cartridge. It was designed for black powder and it is much too long a case for smokeless. I have a large supply of 32 special brass and I ran those cases thru the 32-40 sizing die. Worked great and they shoot just fine, although they are a little short. Many of the folks who shoot the shutzien matches have started using a modified 32-40 case. That is one that is much shorter for the reasons I have stated. I personally prefer the 8.15x46 case myself also for the same reasons. If you only have the 'J' action and no wood or barrel you might be better off by selling the action and buying a Ruger # 1. It will certaintly proove to be much cheaper way to go. I mentioned anoter Flling Block Works rifle I bought from the same man. It is .40 Krag but it weigh 38 pounds because it has a barrel that is 1&5/8 inch in diameter and I can't find a gunsmith who wants to spend the time to turn it down.. I didn't mean to ramble on. Just a little f riendly advice from one Missouri boy to another.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

I forgot the picture.

[bob208]

well i gave it up when every one wanted the work done for free. i wite try again now that i have retired and have some free time.

[brassrat]

I only work on my own firearms since, well, always. That's probably a good thing all around. :)

[sbowers]

The 32-40 is not dead and is not likely to die anytime in the near future as long as there is a schuetzen society in this country because it is the favorite of these guys and their type of shooting. I have had no problem finding brass or boolits or bullets for my 2 rifles. and the brass last's forever.
Steve

[Stockcarver]

well i gave it up when every one wanted the work done for free. i wite try again now that i have retired and have some free time.

Tell me about it. Gave it up 15 years ago, kept all the machinery, tools and other equipment. Now I just play on my stuff and take my dog's advice. Don't wake him up!!!

http://home.earthlink.net/~old-iron/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/guarddogthree.jpg

[scattershot]

Pretty sad, really. I live in Denver, and we have a gunsmith school here, fer Chrissakes. The quality of their graduates that I have dealt with is abysmal.

[hunter64]

I live in Northern Alberta Canada and we had a huge oil boom in 2005 and 2006 and 2007 that resulted in a shortage of skilled workers. Most machinists had a ticket to print there own money so to speak and if you were any good at it you were actively head hunted and recruited. We had three gunsmiths that closed down and made twice as much money doing oilfield work as running there smithing business.

Economy slowed down slightly after the recession in 2008 but it is basically back to a boom again, we were kind of immune from it with virtually no housing looses or massive job losses.

All the remaining smiths are mediocre at best so all my work is shipped to some good smiths in BC or Saskatchewan.