Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Competitive Shooting Pistolsmith for a Wad Gun build

I need a pistolsmith who knows his way around the 1911 and would not be offended to share a few references (in addition to yours). I've been shooting a stock Baer that is a sub-3 inch gun, since I started Bullseye so have not, until now, needed a guy. I want to keep the Baer as is so I picked up a Series 70 on which I'd like some accuracy/reliability work done. Within driving distance from upstate NY would be great to avoid the ever-increasing shipping costs and regulations, but not a necessity.
Thanks guys,
Ed

Top quality 1911s and within driving distance for you. Very well known.

http://www.mountaincompetitionpistols.com/

Denny

http://www.chamberscustom.com


one of the best I've seen these days

Just reading through the links...I'd trust the MCP one a LOT more than the chambers unless you just like glint and glamor and high price tags but I could be wrong.

One talks about wad guns, the other has no direct competition gun posted to boot.

Yeah, my Jim Clark sr. wad gun is as plain as a mud fence. Still tight after many years.

MCP has a heavy Camp Perry presence whereas Chambers is all bling.

Denny.

Alderman
I shot Clark guns for many years and certainly have no complaints but do have a lot of praise for them. One of the best reasons to use Clark is that when you put enough rounds thru it so it needs to retightened and tuned back up, he will do it for $175 on pistols that he originally built.

If I didn't use Clark, I would use Dave Salyer. I've been shooting his pistols the last few years while I save the Clarks I have since Jim Sr. built them. The pistols Dave built for me are 2" guns and his prices are very reasonable.
Phil

Jim Stroh at Alpha Precision.

I see no mention of any competition pistols at Alpha.

Bullseye shooting is a whole different ball game that most pistol shooters will never experience.

He will build one and do it right.

I'm assuming you plan to shoot Bullseye since you want to build a wad gun. If that is right, you would want to use a gunsmith that the bullseye community is familiar in case you ever want to sell it. They will snap it up if he is a good 'smith with a good reputation.
Phil

This is about as solid advise as you'll get.... pays in the highpower field too.

Of course I never sell guns, I only buy... but if you might ever, this is super advice.

Went with J. Blauvelt; solid reputation in all competitive areas, fairly close, and patient enough to spend some time on the phone with me.
Thanks all.

Alderman,I was hoping that you would have gone with a 'smith that specializes in Bullseye guns.J. Blauvelt's website is less than impressive IMHO. Only B gun is a Browning Hi Power.Gonna look long and hard to find one of those on the line.Seems like he is more or a wheel gun guy that will work on anything rather than specialize. I'd be wanting to see some targets and some range time.

PLEASE register on this forum and ask about a smith for you in your area. http://www.bullseyeforum.net I'm a member there. Registering will open up the entire site for you.Is he an ex cop ?Betcha a buck he is. I've had so called "armorers" work on my guns in the past. Never again.

Again,please spend some time on this site. http://www.bullseyeforum.net

Denny.

Isnt even close to NY, but will throw this out there.
Bill Laughridge. Cylinder and Slide
Fremont Nebr.
None better IMO, Not cheap either.

Bill (and his company) have never built bullseye guns. It's a different animal than other shooting stuff; bullseye is a specialized discipline that requires a knowledgeable 'Smith. For instance; does C&S (or your chosen gunsmith) know what a roll trigger is? Do they know the standards for pull weight? What the usual type of optics mount is used now? All important and expensive if it's wrong.
Bob

No pretty pistols or bling on the line at a bullseye match.

Sorry to see the OP has gone to an "armorer" that was a PPC shooter. Oh well, it's his $$$$$$$$$$.

He needs to spend some time here and someone will put him in touch with a smith that does b'eye only in his area.
http://www.bullseyeforum.net


Denny

Excellent advice, Denny.
Bob

Only the end result will tell.

Its a move I damn sure would not have done though.

If you are thinking you go to the sport specific smith. Hell good smiths TELL you they wont' do this or that...

rost495
I agree with your assessment. I checked out the guys website but no where could I find any mention of expected accuracy or prices. He probably does good work but no doubt about it, his interest lies in PPC.
Phil

I wouldn't question his PPC ability. But a 1911 is a different beast.

And then, IMHO, the best smiths are the ones that specialize. Some folks don't get that, but I'd rather a smith that had done 100 1911s, than one that had done 10 of this and 10 of that. At least when we are talking top notch reliability and ACCURACY.

Being a competitor helps, of that discipline. But being that competitor doesn't alone guarantee worth a flip either.

Used to shoot with a guy that built service rifles. He shot them very well. They didn't shoot that well. Had he ever driven the ones I had built I think he might have surprised himself at how much better he could have been. But he claimed you coudl only use so much accuracy. So be it. I could stomp him consistenly once we left the 200 yard line. I could even him in sitting rapid, generally, and loose in standing. But prone rapid and prone slow were mine. And part of that was the guns ability.

Easy guys.
I spent more than a little time talking to smiths and checking their references (a good smith should never balk at offering up references if he's worth his salt) rather than trustng pictures on a web site. You likely shot (and lost) at Perry to fellas who's bullseye guns were built by Blauvelt. He is just spending his time building guns rather than taking pics of them and marketing himself. He also doesn't charge three grand for a 1911. I think he should for what he can make them do.
Thanks for the advice to those who PM'd me their recommendations; and especially to the bullseye shooter who tipped me off about JB.

Alderman, for our benefit would you share some of his 1911 expertise, pricing, test targets, pics etc,....

Sub 2 inch 50 yard guns are not that difficult to build without buying every part in the book by someone who really knows his craft.

Genuinely interested as I've dealt with 2 ex cop "armorers" that could sell snow to an Eskimo who seemed to be an answer to my prayers in the accuracy and money department that delivered junk.

Don't mean to sound morbid but one gun routinely failed to fire and if I were to choose to leave this world preamaturely and was given the choice of exit plans ie: blowing my brains out or jumping off a bridge the bridge would have been the best choice.

Heard every excuse in the book and he never did make it right.


Hope to hear more about your decision, Denny.

I've been going to Perry off and on for the last 30 years and never heard of him. Bullseye gunsmiths are a small community. It's your gun, though. Best of luck.
Bob

RKG, you have a PM.

Denny.

Give him a call.
He's a great guy to talk to and I'm sure would take the time to answer all of your questions better than I could.
Ed

Why do people continually come on forums, tell people they are newbies and then constantly disregard the best advice in the world and do it their own way? Why do they even ask and waste peoples' time in the first place?

I'm sure he's right up there with Jesus and Santa Claus.

Please keep us posted on your build and overall impression of the finished product.

Target pics are mandatory


Peace, Denny.

The more people that don't listen to advice, those are the ones that get guns done often, that I never have to worry about them beating me.

OTOH those service rifle shooters that use my gunsmith... those I have to worry about...

Works out well often, if folks don't get the very best they were after for me anyway.

I was kind of lucky, because I started shooting for the Army Marksmanship Unit, where all my guns were built for free by Army guys like Larry Leutenegger or Jack Maple (I was issued one of the last ones he built before retiring). Later on, I had M9s built by Tony Kidd and Justin McMillan. I know what a good gun looks like and how it shoots. I also know who builds civilian guns, who the pretenders are and who did (and does) nice work. Like I mentioned in a previous post, the bullseye gunsmithing community is small; good guns make their builders justly famous. Word travels fast. Lots of gunsmiths for the 1911 are two steps above a parts-changer; hitting an IDPA target at 10 feet doesn't properly showcase your accuracy work. Too bad the OP didn't want to listen; maybe his 'Smith builds awesome guns in obscurity. He must be; after all, he built the ones the champs are using that we THOUGHT were built by the the great 'smiths. Building a good gun is expensive. I would have played the odds, found someone out there that knew what he was doing (lots of GOOD advice was given here) and had a great gun built. And it wouldn't have been any more expensive than a 2nd-rate pistol. Too easy. Hope I wasn't too blunt.
Bob

I'd go with Joe were it me. I'm not an expert but he's one hell of a nice guy when I've talked with him.

His pistols have won over 70 matches and championships at Perry alone and I read somewhere in 2012 his guns took 26 matches or championships and set 2 National records.

Joe can build a good 1911 for bullseye work.

I couldn't be more pleased with Blauvelt's work guys.
I won't put anyone on the spot here since there has been so much 'passion' in your responses but thank you very much to the shooter from this forum who originally recommended that I look in to him.

Let us know how good it shoots!

Always room for any of us to be wrong in the end!

Jeff

BTW a gun in 2 months basically.. WOW.

Id be looking for a gun a year ahead of time, and be totally amazed any smith could do a good one in less than 6 months!

Jeff

Too bad I didn't see this earlier. I'm not surprised that you liked John Blauvelt's work. He does great work at a fair price and is as honest as they come. He's done nothing but first class work for me.

Haven't read a range report or seen any targets posted but cold weather has been upon us. Mandatory when spring arrives.

OP has been strangely silent.

Denny.

Roger that. Love to see some 10-shot machine rest groups at 50 yds.
Bob

Maybe he's out shooting??

Could be.. but if I'd gone through all this... and was super happy I'd sure be coming back with some proof and to make me and others eat crow. Which I'd be happy to do. No big deal.

Sure was hoping the OP would share with us good or bad how his project turned out.

Hope all is well is his corner.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...s&contain=alderman&sendit=Search

Denny.