Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire A Gem of a Man in San Angelo, Texas

Don't know how many of you live near there, but there's a gunsmith that works out of his home named Carl Kunath who is one of the best and most reasonable I've ever met. He can build a mountain rifle that feels like a .22 and his lathe work is pretty darn impressive too. He's done a bunch of stuff for me over the years.

He doesn't "need" the business. So I'm not advertising for him. I'm letting you know that he'd be a good man to know and a good friend to all. He's a "60" hippy who jeep treks to Moab Utah every year and his photography from many "unknown" caves in Texas is stunning!

Some of you might have heard of a cartridge: 416 Hoffman?

George Hoffman spent a lot of time in this man's shop. That's where I met him. A millionaire rancher who spent more time in Africa than most can imagine. When he wanted a rifle built, he sought out Carl.

Just saying.

Dan

Ive known Carl for 25 years or so and he is indeed a good guy.
Carl always had something interesting going on in the shop on Collage Hills and I enjoyed stopping in at lunch to visit.
I have visited with him while he worked triggers and he said he was on auto-pilot and enjoyed the company, other times he was concentrating and didn�t know I was in the shop�.
He used to have a sign on the door: �Please remove ski mask and unload guns before entering.�
Carl has a Dry but good sense of humor.

If it rolls or shoots, he can fix it or make it better. Plays a mean game of "8" ball too.

Many long years ago, I had a Colt SAA and I wanted to fit some stag grips to it. When asked the price for the job, he said, do it yourself. You can use my tools.

Dan

I forgot about pool. Carl used to sell high quality pool tables in his shop.
I enjoyed watching Carl flute barrels for the �National Rifles of Texas� the Remington 700 in 25-06. Carl built quite a few very accurate 25-06 rifles in the late �80�s and �90�s.
The gun club moved from the lake and experienced cash flow problems while building the new range. There was a debate one evening at a gun club meeting about whether or not to build a 50 yard berm for kids and plinkers. The consensus was the club did not have the time or money to worry about plinkers. Carl stood with the kids and plinkers and when the vote went against us, Carl opened his wallet and paid for the 50 yard berms himself. Several people stepped up and saved the San Angelo gun club at this time, Philip Satterwhite, George Mann and Carl Kunath were three gun club members who gave more than could be expected and never asked for acknowledgement for their efforts.

The first time I met Carl was at a shooting match. It was a paired event with names drawn from a hat. I was teamed with Carl. Never met him before in my entire life. The first course of fire was at about 15 yards and from the draw, we had to clear a line of bowling pins, from left to right or right to left depending on where you stood side by side. The middle pin was the one that would stop the clock. You were supposed to work to the middle and kill the last pin after all the others were down.

Well, at the tone, we both drew. Carl was blazingly fast. He dropped the middle pin first!!!

We were disqualified for that course.

My head was about to explode. He turned to me and in his gentle, West Texas drawl said: "I'd have bet anything that wouldn't have happened."

I was mad as a two-peckered billy goat, but he was such a likable fellow I decided that getting to know him was a lot more advantageous than winning a small-time shooting match. I was more right than I knew at the time.

He epitomizes the term Gentleman.

If I lived closer, I'd be eternally in debt having him build this or that.

Dan

Sounds like the old Concho Combat League.
Carl started a silhouette club out at the Devils Mounting range, ask him for some Raymond Adams stories. Raymond was a true gentleman and an �old fud� all at the same time, an experienced handloader, dedicated prairie dog shooter and a man with a broad sense of humor. Raymond fit Carl�s dashboard bumper sticker �It�s not weird enough for me yet��

That could be it. I was stationed at San Angelo for 4 years in the early 80s. Lived in an apartment off of College Hills Blvd. Spent a good deal of time at Carl's shop. Hunted deer with him, doves and quail.

Handed me a Remington 700 one day that he'd built. Can't recall the chambering, but it felt like a 10-22, it was so light. As a young military guy, I never had the money for a full house mountain rifle, but I was able to recognize a quality piece and covet one.

He built a Ruger #1 for me with an octagon barrel in .45-70! I watched every part of that rifle unfold. Fun to watch.

Dan

Watching Carl work beat working myself.
Carl wrote a little for a gunsmithing magazine for a while. I felt he should have written for a gun magazine. Carl is unusual for this part of the country as he hunted rabbits with a Marlin 357 lever action - Carl�s thought was anyone could shoot a rabbit with a scoped rifle�. I agree. Carl had accurate .22�s, and interesting center fire bolt rifles. When the 260 Remington appeared Carl barreled a Savage 99 for it. Carl had a good feel for what the public would buy - and what they wouldn�t buy.
One last story, I have a good shooting and hunting library, Carl and I often discussed books and authors. Carl was generous to our local library through personal and gun club book donations. Lounging in his shop one day I mentioned was trying to collect a full set of the American Rifleman magazine. A few days later Carl called and told me to come down to the shop and pick up a set of Riflemen magazines. Combined with what I had already it made just about a complete set.

One time we were hunting deer on a local ranch and Carl was shooting one of his own .257 Roberts Improved rifles. He spotted a nice fat doe and took a long rest and fired. Never saw the deer drop, but right from the spot the doe was standing, a nice 8 point buck took off! Carl was mystified. He was certain he'd been shooting at a doe. Found the deer without a mark on it. Dead as a doornail. Couldn't find a bullet hole to save our lives!

Then I noticed a tiny bit of brain in the deer's ear. The bullet must have glanced off a branch and struck the doe in the head and exited from the other ear! Lots of good stories to tell about Carl.

Good talking with you.

Dan