Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Gene Simillion Rifles

Are the custom scope mounts he uses the same as Echols uses at least in appearance?

I've been very disappointed with the available options for the M70.

I sold almost all of my guns to pay for school and when I rebuild my collection I'm thinking on doing four rifles from .223AI to .458.

Ryan, Gene machines his own scope mounts from scratch.

Bob: I've been looking at D'Arcy's stuff for a long time now since my friend Allen Day (RIP) introduced me to them (and him) years ago. I could have bought one back then for about 4500 bucks and they are indeed beautifully worked and upgraded Model 70s. I think the going price today is about twelve large and I just can't see it. For just a bit more I have a truly bespoke rifle:

For the believers: Bargain basement price?


http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=1130757

jorg: Nice double!

My Simillion rifle did not cost as much as an Echols Legend,which is too rich for my blood as well.Both Gene and Penrod are less money than an Echols rifle.I think they each cater to different markets.In any event these are rifles
that I don't build every year.


I did not have Gene build mounts for the Mashburn;I had him fit Leupold DD's which have held up just fine

The entire rifle did not cost me anywhere near $12k.

Of course,if you start talking wood stocked rifles(and this brings in battue's post),prices are naturally going to vary a good bit between makers.

I have not built one in wood for quite awhile myself;the rifle battue pictured could not be replaced in Gene's shop for that money today, I bet.I have actually held that rifle when it was at Cabela's in Scarborough...it is very nice!

Among the better stock makers today I guess that amount of money has become pretty routine for a rifle.

Of course (and this is another subject entirely)today there are legions of guys building your typical SS/syn rifle from a good maker on reworked Rem 700 actions or top end 700 clones,and by the time they get done, I know they are spending in excess of $3k for them and they build them in a whole bunch of duplicitous calibers as well....so in the end a lot of them are spending the cost of a Simillion, Penrod or even an Echols.

So it really depends on where you want to pour your money.

I've had a couple of guns reworked by Penrod and he is a true master at making them work flawlessly. I've also had a few friends he's built rifles for (plastic) and he really does a great job. Another good one is Duane Wiebe. Here's a 404 Jeffrey done on a 1909 action for I believe 10K. Still less than a Legend:

Do you have a picture? I'm fussy about how scope mounts look. I figured from the sound of hit he got unfinished Echols mounts the same as the magazines.
Thanks!

Beautiful Wiebe rifle! Yes he is another great one!This stuff makes a guy drool..great cartridge, too!Jorg is that your rifle?

Ryan no; sorry I do not have a picture of Gene's mounts.I really don't know all the details of them...they may be like D'Arcy's but afraid I don't know all details.I only inquired about them and they were an option that I passed on.


I recall Penrod at SCI Vegas back in the 80's..he was a young guy then (so was I)!..he had on display a 1/2 scale custom wood stocked Mauser 98....my memory is so vague on this that the tiny rifle seems almost dream like today but I was so impressed at the time,wondering what kind of talent a guy has to have to completely machine a tiny, functional Mauser 98 like that.I would love to see that little rifle again.Penrod is indeed a very skilled metal guy.

The way I understand it, Gene and Echols both get their rings machined by the same outfit in Utah and then finish them in their respective shops.

Chet

Gene's custom mounts begin from the same rough blanks as do DE's. They both require fitting, splitting horizontally, contouring/shaping, and polishing. Therefore each have a different appearance. Gene will build a rifle using factory rings and bases but DE is resistant to that idea.

Could someone PM me Mr. Simillions contact information?

Thank you.

Not mine Bob, belongs to a friend of mine. jorge

Ryan PM sent.

Are those Leupold bases?

Thanks for keeping this great thread alive gents, it was good to read AD's thoughts again......

Awesome thread and beautiful rifles!

Too good a read to let sink into the archives.

Makes me want to order a Legend stock and a Krieger barrel to send to Simillion along with a pre-64 .270 I'm busily burning out the barrel of....

Gene makes great rifles. So does d'Arcy.

Curious as to how Penrod stacks up to Simillion and Echols in terms of quality and cost?

I have never used Penrod myself but his reputation is that he is very much in the same category with D'Arcy and Gene. He is a very skilled metal man.Very meticulous.