I've watched this discussion from the beginning. I've been supporting custom gun smiths for years now - both in my personal collection as well as offering select and limited numbers of productions in my retail operations. It all started at the SCI show back in 1986 when I got to get up close and personal with some other better/best known players.
As a result, I've had rifles built by:
Brown Precision - after meeting Chet (the inventor of the fiberglass stock) and his son, Mark. I've had over 15 of their works in my safe over the years since then. They all shot great. I experimented with their stocks and bedding on factory rifles. ALL shot better after being restocked and bedded. Nice, clean work on them all. Known mostly for the Remington work, they also built on Montana and Mauser actions for me. All to my spec. They all shot consistently great.
Frank Wells - slow but accommodating. I had a few visions in the early days of re-creating certain old school dangerous game rifles. He did a great job on those - and they all shot great.
Fred Wells - slow to deliver, but high quality and meticulous detail. Great shooters.
Two years ago, I dove off the LRH cliff and ordered actions from Terminus. I procured the stocks, barrels (Bart's), triggers, rings and scopes. I had Long Rifles Inc., Sturgis, SD - do the machining and assembly. I got 'new world' results. Not great shooters - boringly unbelievably good shooters!
So what's the difference? The biggest difference is in the growth of my own knowledge, and the ability to more fully articulate what I was looking for. In the 'old' days of the custom trade, there wasn't a lot of talk of twist rates and wildcats with the higher output shops. It was as crude as spec the caliber, barrel length and the action, along with stock material and design process. My, how things have changed.
The bottom line here, in my opinion, is that quality components and quality machine work will yield a reliable shooter. You can get that off the rack sometimes. But I like the involvement in the process, the personal details that you get to express, and the overall confidence that comes with the closer relationship you have with the tool.
As a result, I've had rifles built by:
Brown Precision - after meeting Chet (the inventor of the fiberglass stock) and his son, Mark. I've had over 15 of their works in my safe over the years since then. They all shot great. I experimented with their stocks and bedding on factory rifles. ALL shot better after being restocked and bedded. Nice, clean work on them all. Known mostly for the Remington work, they also built on Montana and Mauser actions for me. All to my spec. They all shot consistently great.
Frank Wells - slow but accommodating. I had a few visions in the early days of re-creating certain old school dangerous game rifles. He did a great job on those - and they all shot great.
Fred Wells - slow to deliver, but high quality and meticulous detail. Great shooters.
Two years ago, I dove off the LRH cliff and ordered actions from Terminus. I procured the stocks, barrels (Bart's), triggers, rings and scopes. I had Long Rifles Inc., Sturgis, SD - do the machining and assembly. I got 'new world' results. Not great shooters - boringly unbelievably good shooters!
So what's the difference? The biggest difference is in the growth of my own knowledge, and the ability to more fully articulate what I was looking for. In the 'old' days of the custom trade, there wasn't a lot of talk of twist rates and wildcats with the higher output shops. It was as crude as spec the caliber, barrel length and the action, along with stock material and design process. My, how things have changed.
The bottom line here, in my opinion, is that quality components and quality machine work will yield a reliable shooter. You can get that off the rack sometimes. But I like the involvement in the process, the personal details that you get to express, and the overall confidence that comes with the closer relationship you have with the tool.
