Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats TOP GUNSMITHS in CANADA

Interestingly enough, D'Arcy Echols is the first guy I would choose to build my dream rifle and, after about 100 good to outstanding big game rifles owned during the past 40+ years, I base my opinion on some experience. If, I were younger, I would get an Echol's rifle if I had to scrub toilets to afford it....now, THAT is serious gunaholism!

BTW, Steve Markin can and has built entire rifles and engraved them himself quite nicely, but, the problem .280 mentioned exists here as these guys take huge time to do your gun. I will be having Ted Gaillard and Bevan King do my next two or three re-barreling jobs, then, I will have enough(?) rifles.

I realize Kutenay and Chuck what a top notch smith means to you guys. I now nothing of D'arcy Echols. But it is all about what you want in the gun. I also do not know or have never heard of Martini or Hagn. The picture that I am beginning to see of them is that they are more like artists. Ones who can work with metal and wood as well as carving into both mediums. If I could afford one it would probably hang on the wall and never see the light of day. I could not see myself subjecting a work of art, if I am correct, to the elements. If money was never an object I guess we would never think twice. I have a Browning Gold 12 gauge which I have a hard time taking out in the field for a stubble shoot. What is it worth? Not a lot compared to the latter. Would they be the ones to build a Benchrest Gun? I think not. They should be able to but it is a whole different ball game when it comes to Benchrest. My idea of a top notch gun is exactly what Speedy, Lester Bruno, Jackie Schmidt, or Gary O may shoot. The least amount of lines possible. I have never been into the old school stuff and may never be. Those are guns they shoot damn near perfect at 200 yards. But I think I have had my say and we will never be able to change ones minds on this subject just as the Conservatives are sorry they lost Belinda!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Any way good shooting and good luck with whatever life brings your way.


Calvin

Calvin, I don't think you do.



I don't know how you got that from my post?

Chuck

Best to you too, Pot, if we all consistently agreed on or wanted the same guns, firearms evolution would still be in the matchlock stage.....some days my shooting makes me think that mine still is!

I've just recieved a hunting rifle built by Bill Leeper, and it may be one of his last for some time, as he has indicated that he has more work than he knows what to do with it.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif" alt="" />

My desires around rifles are similar and different to many of the posters here.

I am primarily a hunter, and I want to have a rifle that is accurate, easy to maintain in the field (and that means a good synthetic stock and stainless to me. Yes, I know that millions of hunters have used wood/blue rifles for years), somewhat ligth of weight, and- above all else- I want the rifle to FUNCTION.

I want it to feed properly, to extract properly, and go BANG when the trigger is squeezed!

I wanted ONE rifle that I could hunt with for years, rather than bounce around between a bunch of guns that were "specialized" or were just factory rifles that always seemed close- but not quite- perfect for ME.

I settled on a 300WSM, Stainless Mdl 70 action, Smith stainless barrel, and a Bansner stock.

I have owned alot of rifles, (not as many as Kutenay <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> }but enough to know what I like.

I decided that a good 300 woudl be the best "all purpose" gun for NA. I have owned 300WM's before, and if I had a 300WM action at the time, I would have happily had that customized. However, I think the WSM's a re cool, so I went wiht it. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

I will still use my 375 H&H for bears, especially grizzlies, but for averyhting else, from mountain goats to low swamp moose, the 300WSM will do it.

I could not be happier with the rifle, so far. It is an excellent piece of hard hunting hardware.

While I appreciate VERY GOOD wood stocks, they don't have much place for me. I'm not interested. I prefer the looks of stainless andfiberglass over them, anyway. That's why we have chocoate, vanilla, strawberry and rocky road ice cream... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

I cannot think of a better choice. Leeper took a LONG time wiht my rifle, but not all of that was his doing- We waited about 5 months for the stock, after al the action and barrel work was done.

I supose it would be a big deal if I had no other guns, but I went hunting last fall with my very capable semi-custom 7RM, and for bears with my semi-cusom 375 this spring. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I now own 3 full cusotm rifles, including one by Gaillard, (a varmiter) and I can't remember the other gunsmith (both bought used)

The Gaillard is an extremely accurate rifle.

For my purposes, this Leeper rifle is my favorite.

I have had Dennis Sorensen do a small bit of work for me, and I was completely satisfied, it was just a small job on my Brno 602, which took aboiut 8 days form the time I shipped it to the time it was returned, and cost abotu $40. I have no other expereince, but he seemed liek a nice guy.

Teh only real experience I have had with PGW is using a PGW action of a buddy, He build his own super accurate rifles and was one of the top shooters I have ever seen.

It was extremely accurate rifle (.338 Lapua) and he felt it was an excellent action. He knows far more about precision rifles than I do, so that's all I have to say. I have no idea how his deaings with PGW were, but I think they were fine, since he knows them, as far as I know...

Leeper is a hell of a nice guy, wiht an excellent sense of humour, as well! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />


I have pics, I'll post them when I get to my high speed conection! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Gatehouse can be a little slow typing, so here is a sneak peek at his fine Canadian Firearm. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

[img]http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2126507470&idx=65[/img]

Hmmm

Why didn't hat work?

You have to right click on the image itself, go to properties and pick the web address the image is on.

Kute, as a Manhattanite I certainly don't have a dog in the Canadian gunsmith discussion [except that (1) there are still some Elwood Epps High Wall varmint rifles in upstate New York, and well thought of they are too, (2) I have a Savage 99C with an Epps barrel in .257 Roberts] but I noted your remarks on swamped barrels. I am familiar with them on Jaeger FL rifles but you seem to say they are used on modern contemporary custom breechloaders. I own a fair number of 20th C customs and have looked probably at thousands at big and small gun shows and I don't recall seeing a barrel that tapered and then got thick again towards the muzzle, whether round or octagon. Something like gunbroker 33701283 has a fat muzzle but I wouldn't call it swamped.

Simple brevity.

On the other hand your replies are verbose. It makes you appear to be full of yourself.

I don't know why "hat" didn't work.
You better get somebody with skinnier fingers to type for you. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Here is another view.
Seeing as how Gatehouse has to type with those sausages he calls fingers, I will help him out.
Of course this means I better not show up in Whistler looking for a beer. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

No, I am not stating that contemporary muzzleloaders are using swamped barrels, I am not a muzzleloader fan and spend very little time even looking at them; the barrel contour to which I refer was quite common during the Page-O'Connor era and I have seen references to it's recent use bu smiths who still build very light wood-blue rifles for those who respect craftsmanship rather than parts blending. I remember Epps, dealt with him as a young lad and have handled a couple of his rifles, ah, the good old days..............

Well, i knew some of you guys would get around to positng my pics for me...:)

I would like a pair of rifles built just like that, plus good irons, in .280 Rem. and .338 Win. Mag. In fact, I would like that very rifle!!! Good taste, Gate, I prefer irons as well, being an old fart, but that gem is as close to practical perfection as one is likely to get from ANY smith.

I just don't get it. Why would I waste Dave's time to check on your credentials when I really do not care what they might be? As a man running a gun shop on Fraser Street I think he has better things to do with his time than vouch for you. I know he doesn't need me pestering him.

And I'd thank you to keep you "paint the force with the same brush" opinions to yourself. I don't care to hear them and I doubt anyone else wants to watch you make veiled personal attacks at me or the RCMP.

And contrary to what you might choose to believe, not every post I make is directed to you.

B.U.M. so far you haven't contributed a single thing as it relates to the topic of this thread. Yet you belittle and undermine those that have? (the reason Kutenay has seen the need to defend himself) Why don't you tell us what you know as far as Canadian Gunsmiths are concerned instead of telling the rest of us that we haven't got a friggin clue.


Pot, Kettle, Black.

Chuck

I leave town for a few days and this thread goes in the toilet... The anonymous interent makes it soo easy to fling the dung without the requirement of actually contributing to a topic. Play nice, boys. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I notice that Leeper has been the recipient of some compliments so back-handed as to be transparent, so I will offer this. If all I want is a great barrel threaded straight into a trued M700 action, then bedded properly into a synthetic stock, there are a handful of smiths in Canada who can do that much faster than him.

If however, I want a screaming accurate, benchrest competitive quality rifle, or a chrome / walnut beauty, he can produce great work in both disciplines. And there is a reason I can live with a rifle of mine sitting in his shop for a long time until he gets it back to me...it is worth the wait.