Ohio gunsmith recommendations?
 

Hi All,
I know I can mail items reasonably easily, and Brad Bachelder is 'only' 5 hours from me, but I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations for smiths in Ohio whom they'd trust. If possible, I'd prefer even a few hours' drive - which, being in Columbus, would be anywhere in the state - over the risks and hassles of the mail.
For any bigger work I'd be happy to do the packaging and shipping but, for example, I'm currently just looking for someone to measure a set of laminated barrels for possible use.
I'd be very appreciative of any advice or recommendations. Thanks in advance!
Justin

A long drive seems hardly worth it just to have a set of barrels measured. Especially when it would cost less than $50 to ship the set both ways.

Thanks, yes, good point. I thought I'd maybe be able to consolidate it into a trip I'd already be taking for other reasons. More importantly, though, I was afraid I'd be wasting all of the person's time to receive, unpack, catalog, repack, and reship it for what might turn out to be only a few minutes' inspection by qualified eyes.

I'll take this as advice that I don't need to worry so much! Thanks. I'd still be interested in anyone's insight on options closer to home, but barring that I'll start working on safe packaging.

I appreciate it.

Mr Acome:
You might look up Heritage Gunsmithing (Canterbury OH). It's 45 minutes north of Columbus and is reputed to do very good double gun work. I'm sure they can measure the barrels.

Reputable yes with high quality but nothing there out of courtesy or free, I went there once and he worked on a Remington 31 fitting a barrel for me and I was thinking of opening the choke. I shot a paper in the back of the shop and the pattern was OK so I did not have him adjust it. He charged me $140 for a patter evaluation. :cuss:

Make sure you ask about the cost up front.

Brian, did the $140 include "fitting a barrel" on the Remington 31 or was the $140 a separate line item for 'shooting for pattern'?





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The $140 was a line item above and beyond the 31 barrel fitting and head spacing, $140 for 3 shots ( he did supply the 3 target loads) into a piece of paper, a circle drawn around the dense part of the pattern and the "evaluation" that the full choke barrel was performing as a modified.

That being said they are very good at what they do as gunsmith's.

A lawyer 'friend' once sent me an impersonal bill for $250 for a 15 minute phone call in late November where he spent less than two minutes advising me and the other thirteen minutes were spent bs-ing about family and upland hunting.
In early December I sent him only a Christmas card wishing him and his family the joys and blessings of the season..... I've never heard from him since. (I had hoped he would call me to discuss the 'unpaid' bill - after all, we were friends)

I guess we've gotta know these things before we engage.






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I apologize to Heritage Gunsmithing for drawing them into the line of fire...

My apologies for anything I might have said to give that impression. I don't know them and did not direct any comments toward their business practices.






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