Goon (Mike Brackett) tuned up a Uberti 1st Model Dragoon for me a couple of years ago. In fact, he bought the revolver from a gun store local to him, which saved me some money in shipping charges. I am very happy with the result. Kind of like making an F350 into a very reliable drag racer. Completion time ran over the original estimate by a couple of weeks, but most of the fellows who do this sort of thing run one-man shops, and life happens. Mike's communication skills were very good, by phone and text, although as a rule, I try to not bother the gunsmith once the job gets started. Unnecessary phone calls just cause more delays.
The other thing is that the final cost was exactly what we agreed on in the beginning. People who restore old motorcycles speak of a "five/ten rule," meaning for every five dollars you budget or expect to spend, you end up spending ten. It's not quite that bad with custom gunsmithing, but there are frequently some hidden costs. I've had custom gunsmithing done on a number of unmentionables, and on average, I ended up paying about 25% more than originally expected. That didn't happen with Mike.
I like @William Lincoln 's comments. It's good to have a list of the gunsmiths or armorers who do this kind of work. There aren't really very many of them. Endorsements, based on personal experience, are good to hear. It sounds as if there are three or four out there who do good work. Comparisons, or attempts to "rank" the skills of the gunsmiths, are likely to be pretty subjective, and in my opinion, specific problems or criticisms might be best addressed via private message.
As an aside, I had reason to call Peacemaker Specialists a few months ago, and out of curiosity, I asked if they would work on Colt percussion revolvers, thinking the mechanical function would not be that different from a Model P. The answer was a courteous but firm "no." A lot of these fellows really are specialists, and don't take other kinds of work.
So, we have positive endorsements for Mike Brackett, Gary Lee Barnes, and Charlie Hahn as gunsmiths or armorers specializing in cap and ball revolvers. That's good to know!
Best regards,
Notchy Bob
The other thing is that the final cost was exactly what we agreed on in the beginning. People who restore old motorcycles speak of a "five/ten rule," meaning for every five dollars you budget or expect to spend, you end up spending ten. It's not quite that bad with custom gunsmithing, but there are frequently some hidden costs. I've had custom gunsmithing done on a number of unmentionables, and on average, I ended up paying about 25% more than originally expected. That didn't happen with Mike.
I like @William Lincoln 's comments. It's good to have a list of the gunsmiths or armorers who do this kind of work. There aren't really very many of them. Endorsements, based on personal experience, are good to hear. It sounds as if there are three or four out there who do good work. Comparisons, or attempts to "rank" the skills of the gunsmiths, are likely to be pretty subjective, and in my opinion, specific problems or criticisms might be best addressed via private message.
As an aside, I had reason to call Peacemaker Specialists a few months ago, and out of curiosity, I asked if they would work on Colt percussion revolvers, thinking the mechanical function would not be that different from a Model P. The answer was a courteous but firm "no." A lot of these fellows really are specialists, and don't take other kinds of work.
So, we have positive endorsements for Mike Brackett, Gary Lee Barnes, and Charlie Hahn as gunsmiths or armorers specializing in cap and ball revolvers. That's good to know!
Best regards,
Notchy Bob
