Just ordered from Tip Curtis

[Don Steele]

I wish ya'll would quit calling Tip so he can get to building MY rifle a little sooner..!!! :grin:
I'm on his list for a LEFT-hand 50 cal."Brooks" flintlock. The hardest part is the wait...
The man is an incredible resource, just don't ask him a question that you might not like the answer to...he doesn't hold back. :thumbsup:

 

[fleener]

I have visited Tip's shop in TN and have looked at his rifles for quite a few years.

I think Tip provides a great rifle for a great price.

You are not getting a perfectly fit and finished rifle. He would have to charge more than he does if it was finished better.

I have never bought a rifle from Tip, but have considered it numerous times. I would have to buy one in the white, so I could get the final rifle to look like I would want it.

This is not criticism of him or his rifles. Just stating that you are not paying 4K for one of his rifles.

I do think that his rifle might be under priced for what you are getting.

Fleener

 

[EMaker]

I have visited Tip's shop in TN and have looked at his rifles for quite a few years.

I think Tip provides a great rifle for a great price.

You are not getting a perfectly fit and finished rifle. He would have to charge more than he does if it was finished better.

I have never bought a rifle from Tip, but have considered it numerous times. I would have to buy one in the white, so I could get the final rifle to look like I would want it.

This is not criticism of him or his rifles. Just stating that you are not paying 4K for one of his rifles.

I do think that his rifle might be under priced for what you are getting.

Fleener

Thank you. I quite agree and thing this sums it up nicely.

I will buy from him again.

R,
E. Maker

 

[Old guns are better]

I would agree with the previous posts. Excellent gun for the price.

 

[StewartLeach]

Tip Curtis was definitely at the NMLRA Winter Matches at the Ben Avery Range north of Phoenix in March of 2016. Had a tent full of rifles, most complete except for barrel finish, a few that were fully finished. I found just what I wanted, a lefty 45 cal flinter in the Virginia format. Tip passed it to Smitty the engraver right then and there for his name and mine to be put on the barrel. Back in Boulder I removed the barrel, draw filed and sanded, then finished it with LMF browning chemicals. The rifle has nothing fancy on it, no carving, no pretty silver wire inlays, not even a patch box. Its beauty lies in its reliability and consistent accuracy.

 

[hawkeye2]

"You are not getting a perfectly fit and finished rifle"

My wife ordered one to her specs in the white from Tip at Ft. Frederick a few years back. The wood required almost no prep before staining and finishing and I have never seen a snugger (swamped) barrel fit in the stock for it's full length in my life, even difficult to remove. I doubt a $4,000 rifle could be much better

 

[bender20]

So for those of us who don't know how much should you expect to pay for a gun from tip?

 

[Critter Getter]

I may be wrong as I do forget from time to time but I believe I may have paid $1400 for mine with a wooden patch box. Or maybe it was $1500? Somewhere in there. The ones without a patch box are $100-$200 less. Mine has a 42" swamped barrel. I believe it to be a good value. Greg

 

[azmntman]

Finished rifle or in the white?

 

[Old guns are better]

I paid 1500.00 for my gun. I got a great deal, I think.
I did talk to Tip about a rifle, cost was dependant on what I wanted. Wood plays a part in it also.
But, I have no worries at all.
When my tax refund comes in, I'll be on the phone.

My gun came in the white. Stock was stained, just metal in the white.
But I wanted that.

 

[Alaskan Woodsman]

Very interesting. I suppose I should call Tip. Do you know does he make Hawken or Plains rifles. I'd prefer a flintlock circa 1830's half stock. Thanks!

 

[Don Steele]

By all means, give him a call. He has something like 130 patterns available. If you visit his shop, or see him at Friendship he has a number of barrel/stock combinations "put together" on his racks for folks to look over and there are always several half-stocks among them.
He generally stains the wood on the rifles he has ready for sale, but they are otherwise unfinished, but ready-to-shoot. It's up to the buyer how much farther they want to go. I've seen folks buy a rifle from him at Friendship and take it straight out to the line to shoot.
At the present time the rifles on his rack are running in the 1300-1500 price range. If memory serves...most are flintlocks. If there were any caplocks, I didn't notice them, possibly because I wasn't interested in one.
Oh, and btw: he usually has at least a few built for us LEFT-handers..!! :thumbsup:

 

[Critter Getter]

My rifle was in the white although it was stained. I have done no sanding to it. I bought a bottle of some stock oil from him that he uses for a finish and rubbed several coats of that on. It can be used on the metal and the wood. If you want to see a picture of it I do have it shown in the Percussion column here under the title "Pics". It's a .32 caliber. Greg

 

[qtrhrs7]

White FOX I believe that I was in the tent when Tip gave the piece to Smitty. Tip said that this was his last trip to the shoot. It just wasn't worth it any more. He wasn't there last year, but I'll look for him this year. Hope he shows; he is a lot of to talk with.

 

[smo]

I just spoke too Tip a few days ago.

Coincidentally , the Western Shoot came up and he told me he wasn’t going anymore.

Basically what was said; just wasn’t worth it anymore.

I think he once told me it takes him two or three days packing and unpacking for an event.

Not counting the hours spent in the booth/shop/ tent during the Rendezvous .

 

[jbricejr]

I stopped in his shop just about a year ago on a road trip back east and spent a couple of hours there. Interesting guy to talk with; has his strong opinions for sure but he's been around and has earned that right. I was expecting he would have more finished guns in stock than he had, but he had some nice ones. There was a 45 that I really liked, very sweet, but I was really looking for a 54 since I live in the west and hunt elk. My impression, and maybe this is off, is that he wouldn't necessarily build something to my exact specs, at least not then, but rather would just keep building his guns and I could stay in touch and he would let me know what he had. He really seemed to be focused on getting more guns built to take to Friendship to sell in his shop there, so I'm surprised to hear that he didn't make it last year. Looking back I wish I had bought that sweet 45. He's not a young man, so if you think you might want one of his guns I wouldn't wait too long to get that in the works, and if at all possible I would suggest that you actually go to his shop.

 

[akapennypincher]

Tip build solid guns, and fowl ers. Her is a good guy. He was out in PHX last week at the Western Shoot. Must have had like 50 rifles & foulers for sale.


He was not doing much business and the shoot has only got smaller & smaller the last few years.

Apprently he still goes out to Friendship twice a year for a few day, not the entire shoot.

Hope UR happy with your Tip Rifle.

 

[FishDFly]

Tip build solid guns, and fowl ers. Her is a good guy. He was out in PHX last week at the Western Shoot. Must have had like 50 rifles & foulers for sale.
He was not doing much business and the shoot has only got smaller & smaller the last few years.
Apprently he still goes out to Friendship twice a year for a few day, not the entire shoot.
Hope UR happy with your Tip Rifle.

Several years ago went to Tips's tent in Phoenix at 1630 to buy a rifle, had $1,200 in my pocket. He said I am going to supper, end of discussion. Went back the next day at lunch, he did not wish to wait on us.

Was in Friendship that Fall, same treatment from him again.

Was in Friendship last fall, he was friendly, I put my money in to line pistols. I do not spend money and be treated unfavorable.

Phoenix this year, when I was in Friendship in Sept. 2017 two of the top pistols shooters said they would not be in Phoenix in 2018 due to some health reasons. Some others I talked with were not sure if they would go. I did not attend since I could not find anyone to feed my cows while I was gone.

Did miss the shoot, will be in Friendship this fall.

 

[akapennypincher]

Several years ago went to Tips's tent in Phoenix at 1630 to buy a rifle, had $1,200 in my pocket. He said I am going to supper, end of discussion. Went back the next day at lunch, he did not wish to wait on us.

Was in Friendship that Fall, same treatment from him again.

Was in Friendship last fall, he was friendly, I put my money in to line pistols. I do not spend money and be treated unfavorable.

Phoenix this year, when I was in Friendship in Sept. 2017 two of the top pistols shooters said they would not be in Phoenix in 2018 due to some health reasons. Some others I talked with were not sure if they would go. I did not attend since I could not find anyone to feed my cows while I was gone.

Did miss the shoot, will be in Friendship this fall.

Well Tip can be abrasive at times, but the bottom line was had not Tip come out this year. You would have had one les trader in PHX.

Tip buddy Smitty came he was doing his engraving thing. He is real good at what he does.

But it was a bust for both out them as I am sure it only produced RED INK.


Maybe you should eat the Cows and get your life back, or off some kid who is responsible the job, and pay them a decent sum to feed your Cows.

Kids today no matter what people say are motivated to earn money, I never have a problem getting my backyard cleaned up. Money talks.

 

[FishDFly]

Maybe you should eat the Cows and get your life back, or off some kid who is responsible the job, and pay them a decent sum to feed your Cows.

Kids today no matter what people say are motivated to earn money, I never have a problem getting my backyard cleaned up. Money talks.

When you own a ranch (my life is my ranch) you do not turn it over to just anyone, and folks who are responsible are hard to find.

Back yard cleaning and managing a ranch and cows is a different matter.

If dependable folks could be found, I would have been in Phoenix shooting versus hauling hay to cows and checking them to see if anyone one of them was calving and the calf needed pulling.

See you have not changed in a year.