Info Needed - Custom "Frank Wells" M70 Win - 458 Lott caliber

Hello All,

I just purchased a Custom rifle built by a maker that I know very little about. That maker being, Frank Wells, AZ. ? ? I'm hoping someone here can fill me in with details.

The rifle is built on a 1955 Model 70 Winchester Long action, w/ 24" barrel, w/ barrel-band hooded front sight, w/ muzzle brake. It is set-up for detachable scope mounting in standard position, (w/ EAW rings) or for forward Scout Rifle mounting. (w/ standard rings) It has a 3-Leaf fold-down Rear Sight that is mounted in the center of a Picatinny Rail. The rail is anchored at the front to a forward recoil lug that is integral to the barrel.

Any info/history about Frank Wells, or his custom rifles, would be appreciated, especially If you know of his contact information. I would like to contact him with questions bout this rifle.

Nothing about the maker but my gosh that is a beautiful rifle!

All kinds of info if you'll google Frank(NOT Fred)Wells Custom Rifles.

Hello EZEARL

Thanks for the reply.

Been there - done that - That's the first thing I did.

I only found a lot of pictures from "unrelated" links like "pinterest", and I can't seem to find any details about the man himself or History of his work.

Hello all,

Here is an update.

I had a chance to examine the muzzle brake today, and YES its removable. (see pictures) and its done in a very unique way. Its "recessed" into the barrel-band front site.









I also found a surprise when I opened the grip cap compartment. A selection of different color fiber optic inserts for the front site.



And in preparation for a shooting outing tomorrow, I installed a 1x20mm Nikon Scout Rifle Scope.

I believe you will find some references to him in PO Ackley's books.

pretty rifle.

-Jake

PM sent

frank was a custom rifle maker living in prescott arizona, had a place on gurley, made rifles as the story goes for all kinds of famous people around the world. Nice guy, at least to me, i attended grade school around the corner from his shop. One of the famous stories about him is the gull wing mercedes he had, use to park it in front of the shop. I think a family member took it apart and never put it back together. He had a son named Hunter that was well known for various reasons, including a little ranching. I have memories of rounding up cattle with him. Frank passed away but i think mayble his wife rachel is still alive. She developed a reputation for gun engraving.
Long time ago, say the 60's i took a little w german hawes 357 mag derringer into his shop with broken plastic stocks. Rachel cut a piece of french imported wood for it, about ten coats of oil, and charged me i think 15bucks. Tried years later to get her to sign the stocks, but then she was well known and wouldn't do it.
Right around the corner from wells was the marquette if i spelled it right barrel manufacturer. He was well known in his time too.
I believe well's son in law, who had worked on rifles for me, became head of the gunsmithing program at yavapai college.
Hunter was killed young in a plane crash in alaska.
You have a real vintage treasure in your hands. I remember stories about frank making rifles at the time of the cold war for high ranking russians too, like i said, he had a heck of a reputation.
I don't remember the son in law's name, but checking with someone in the gunsmithing school at yavapai college, might lead you to more information. As a kid i use to hang around his shop and the barrel maker, not realizing how well known they really were.

i think his obituary will give you a lot of info:
https://www.dcourier.com/news/2006/jan/18/legendary-gunsmith-dies-at-86/
from the obit:
PRESCOTT VALLEY - Fred Wells, the legendary gunsmith revered around the world for the custom dangerous-game rifles he produced in his small Prescott machine shop, died Sunday at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He was 86.

Those who knew him remember him as an artist whose craft some eclipsed but never replaced with modern standards and methods.

"There is no one in the country right now that does what he did," said Danny Pedersen, who for eight years apprenticed with Wells before opening his own Prescott shop, Classic Barrel and Gunworks, at 339 Grove Ave.

"To me, it is the end of an era," Pedersen said. "Nothing went out of that shop unless it was as good as he could make it."

His widow, Rachel Wells, a first-class engraver whose intricate designs graced many of Wells' rifles, said Tuesday that her husband produced no more than four rifles per year. Depending on the details of design, they sold to an elite international market of big game hunters for between $15,000 and $20,000 each.

Around 20 years ago he built five rifles for the Baron of Bavaria, one of which the King of Sweden purchased for $85,000.

Rachel smiled as she recalled the baron, whom she described as "kind of stuffy," landing in a private Leer jet at the Prescott Airport to pick up his one-of-a-kind rifles.

Despite the attention his artistry attracted, Wells performed his craft for its own sake, Rachel said. Though revered as "one of the old masters," he never joined the American Custom Gunmaker's Guild, though three years ago the organization formally recognized his contribution to the craft and awarded him honorary lifetime membership.

"They had him stand up and he couldn't say anything and that was kind of rare for him," Rachel said.

Rube Wells, one of eight children Wells fathered, described his father and his family as "doers."

"He lived it 24/7," he said. "He was constantly designing, drawing and sketching. I think it encompassed most of his life."

Life at the Wells house revolved around an industrious spirit, he explained. Growing up, Rube said he and his family were always at work, engaged in hunts, house-building and refurbishing hotrods, another passion Wells held dearly.

He said his father instilled the virtue of honesty, but with even more emphasis, he taught his children the value of a job well done.

"That was most important," he said, "to do a job as good as you could and then do it better.

"His guns were like his family," he added. "If you wanted a customer to come pick it up, you didn't do a good job."

Wells contributed to the teaching of more than just his own children, though. In the early 1970s, he was instrumental in establishing the gunsmithing program at Yavapai Community College.

Its present director, Alan Lohr, worked with Wells for around two years in the mid-1990s before Wells recommended him for the position. He recalled a few words of wisdom Wells gave him before he began his directorship.

"He said, 'Don't get stuck on yourself. Don't keep it a secret. Share with the students what you know. If you don't, somebody else will.'"

The gunsmithing program now attracts applicants from across the country and around the world. Twenty-five to 30 students are enrolled full-time in the two-year program, and it graduates around nine annually. Of eight such programs in the nation, it ranks informally as at least No. 2 and likely No. 1, Lohr said.

"Those nine graduates are hirable," he said. "It's a very intense program and it takes a lot of commitment to get all the way through. It's preparing them for the world."

Rachel said her husband would want people to remember him as a good gunsmith, a good craftsman and a kind man.

"He influenced a lot of peoples' lives in the gun game," she said, taking a break from her work engraving a custom pistol. "Any young gunsmith came to him, he'd go out of his way."

Neat looking rifle. The recessed brake is interesting. Nice idea, but wonder if it compromises the front site?

I believe you're thinking of Marquardt.

Hello RoninPhx,

You need to read your own post. As per your posted obituary above, "all" the information in that post is about FRED WELS - not Frank Wells. Frank Wells is alive and well. I spoke with him yesterday. He is no relation to Fred.

Beautiful rifle!

Hello RoninPhx,

You need to read your own post. As per your posted obituary above, "all" the information in that post is about FRED WELS - not Frank Wells. Frank Wells is alive and well. I spoke with him yesterday. He is no relation to Fred.


[/quote
looks to me as i had a brain fahrt. confusing the two. Frank is tuscon based, i think.

never could spell his name right. I think all his equipment ended up down by sierra vista. Crossfireops told me once he helped move the stuff down there.

Hello RoninPhx,

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, Frank Wells used to live in Tucson, but a few years ago moved from there and now lives in the Pinetop/Lakeside area.

Although he didn't specifically remember my rifle, He did identify it as his work. He estimated it was built between 1988 - 1995 and would have had a 2 year build time.

Hello all,

Thanks for the replies.

Well, it took only a week of searching Ebay to find a Nikon ProStaff 2x-7x32mm scope, and a set of EAW rings.

With both scopes being Quick Detachable, it is easy to switch scopes as the situation dictates.

1x20mm in the Scout Rifle position


2x-7x32 in the standard position

The figure on that would is beautiful.

Hello Azar,

Thanks for the reply.

In the sunlight, the figure is even more spectacular than shown in my pictures.

Great story finding someones idea of a perfect rifle. Enjoying the learning. Let us know how the scope pair work out. Also curious about the iron sights and how they function in use. Thanks for posting.

Hello Bob B257

Thanks for the reply.

The scopes worked out just fine. And the iron sites are spot on. All the bullets went into a tight group.

You got a great deal no matter what you paid!

Hello Switch,

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, I'm pretty happy. I got it for about 1/3 of retail.

Jump back 20 years and take a look through the Gun Digests, .....Frank made rifles for royalty and was among the best of the best. I could go on for an hour on Frank but will just say that he passed on about 12 years ago, .....his wife, Rachel, is still a top engraver and member of the Custom Gunmakers Guild.

Hello Barryt,

Thanks for the reply.

You are talking about "Fred" Wells, the maker of this rifle is "Frank" Wells. You need to read the post I made earlier. "All" the information you reference is about "Fred" - not Frank. Frank Wells is alive and doing good. I spoke with him about this rifle a short while back. He is no relation to Fred.

Great looking rifle, yes Frank is still very much alive, I spent a little time with him a couple years ago at a friends shop, a very nice gentleman with a lot of talent.

Fred Wells - and Frank Wells. Not related - except in gun work. Knew Fred kinda well in Prescott, and not long ago I bought a stock blank from Frank over at the shop where he practices his craft, near Nutrioso, AZ.

Fred was quite a fellow and did help get the gun smithing program rolling at Yavapai College - I was at that College for quite a few years. He once asked if I was interested in putting that gull wing Mercedes 300SL back into shape - it was parked in the yard behind his shop at the time - but simply did not have the time. During those years, Fred's wife Rachel was quickly becoming a well-recognized engraver - had a master's touch and very artistic - and some of their rifles show her skills.

Paul Marquardt, whose shop was around the corner on Grove, was a friend and we worshiped at the same church. You may remember his earlier partnership with Atkinson (A&M) there in Prescott. I loved to visit his shop and watch him craft and mount barrels. Top flight - and I still have here a .338/.375 chambered barrel he made - need to get it shooting. Yes, Paul's fine equipment did go down to So. AZ beyond Sierra Vista. But, doubt that his knowledge and skills went along. He also helped with the program at the college - I miss him.

Frank Wells, very nice fellow, managed to get himself from Tucson up to the AZ high country and he is much sought after - take a look at his work. If I live long enough I will get this 6mm BR put together and take it over there to show him how his blank turned out.

Hello handwerk,

Hello CCCC,

Thanks for the reply.

You mentioned A&M - I have a very special rifle made by them. One of only two complete rifles they built in their 475 A&M calber. Read about it here.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/11019597/1

Well, buckstix, you have gathered some very nice rifles.

When working together as A&M, those fellows developed and sold the .17 Javelina, as shown in one of the ads in your other thread. If memory is correct, and after A&M, Atkinson then started up with HS Precision and, I believe, eventually took it up to some place in the northern tier of the US. These fellows were top-drawer gunsmiths/makers. I wonder how much of that individual savvy is at work among today's gunsmiths. A lot, I hope.

Hello CCCC,

Thanks for the reply.

An interesting "twist" about the A&M 475 cal rifles. History has it that A&M only built 3 complete rifles in this caliber... and the 3rd 475 cal rifle "blew-up" during testing. It injured one of the two men, but I don't recall if it was Atkinson or Marquart. After that, they continued to make and sell 475 cal barrels over the years, but never again built another complete rifle in that caliber. My rifle was the second one they built. After cosiderable research, I found the first 475 cal that they built .... and I discovered that it was sold by Wells Sport Shop in Arizona in 2014, about he same time as I purchased my rifle. And here's the surprise! When I called Wells Sport Shop to inquire about the 475 A&M rifle that they sold, I spoke with Rachel Wells, the wife of the late Fred Wells. Rachel confirmed that their rifle sold for $15,000 and that it had a very plain walnut stock, not a fancy carved screw-bean mesquite stock like mine has. What a small World.

Egad - that pictured rear base must be strong, but it is ugly as well - and looks like the scope tube is running downhill a bit. Beautiful rifle and very typical stock for those environs in those days. I have no way to know if it was the .475 that did it, but Paul M. had a badly damaged hand from such an event.

Hello CCCC,

Thanks for the reply.

Mine does not have a scope .... but as much as it kicks ... I can understand the massiave scope base.