More on Custom Gunsmithing

[Oleg Volk]

My friend Paul is working on my Mauser now. What do we find if not further evidence of how well they screwed it up...the screws holding the trigger guard are also buggered up!

On further investigation, I found that the last AR15 I bought was assembled by them. Fortunately, Zander noticed that is was unsafe to shoot before anyone was injured -- the barrel wasn't properly attached to the receiver! Cost me about $100 to get that fixed.

In short, be very careful about dealing with Custom Gunsmithing (Chapmansboro, TN). They mess up guns and verbally abuse customers who complain.

 

[Art Eatman]

Happens...Decades ago, I knew a self-promoting gunsmith whose reputation for the quality of his work led to his acquiring the nickname of "Butcher".

I learned that it's best to go in and just hang out a bit before bringing in a gun for work. Look the guy's shop over: Are the tools pretty-much well-used, but clean? His reference books have obviously been read through? Does he have a fair "wild animal" box of stray parts and pieces? These are at least clues that he's been around a while.

And you hope to be there when a customer comes in with, "Hey, I brought you another gun to work on. I really liked that last job you did..."

, Art

 

[Oleg Volk]

Scary part is, that's what I did. They've done good work for some people, but they don't bother much of the time. We've also observed some shortcuts in construction of guns which were semi-legal (while I don't support the laws, they could get their customers in trouble that way). Thus far, Shannon (Tam's gunsmith) and Zander's smith have been the only ones around here who fixed problems and didn't inflict new damage. Others either didn't fix problems or added to them.

 

[Ranger Walker]

Update On Custom Gunsmithing

Came across this thread whilst looking for their web site. It appears your problems happened in 2002. I was stationed at Ft Campbell that year and started coming to CG in late 2003. Whoever they had butchering guns is LONG gone. Two of my best custom rifles they built and they upgraded a third and turned it into a real shooter. I'm currently having them build a dangerous game rifle for me and slicking up a Browning (Miroku) M71.

Richard Binkley was the proprietor back when you had your issues and he freely admitted to me on a couple occasions that good help was scarce. As he usually did the serious custom work (Like mine) the simpler jobs were left to the good help he couldn't get. I ran into a little of that myself and in the end (After I cooled off) I discussed the matter with Richard and it was resolved. By way of recompense he tuned up my M1895 Marlin to the point where it is one of the slickest lever actions I've handled.

Richard has since retired and turned the business over to Hal Wade, who is a retired Army aviator and veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan (As am I). Hal apprenticed under Richard and has done some marvelous work for me. He tuned up a M431 Taurus I use as a carry/home defense revolver. He built my .275 Rigby on a Yugoslavian commercial Mauser action with Boyd stock and Shilen barrel. The gun is absolutely beautiful.

In short I'm exceedingly pleased with all the work I've had done at CG and couldn't allow the bad review to sit on top of the thread without update.