Briley for gunsmith SXS work, quality ??

[Kenny Graft]

I have a hi condition 1928 Fox SW 30" gun I sent out today to Briley for choke and chamber work. They are rated very good for this kind of work. I also wanted them to fit a 2nd set of SW 28" barrels and for-end to my frame. I supplied barrels and complete for-end assembly that are good solid barrels but they will also need cold rust blued while they have them so they look good and match after being fitted to my 30" gun. The 2nd set is a close fit but would not close...the two guns are about 1000 apart, both Philly mnf., both 3 weight barrel sets. They will measure both sets of barrels and the receiver before they do any fitting to see if they will work. I want a Rooster and grouse combo outfit....Anyone have any info about their work quality? What to expect? Thanks all SXS Ohio

[Bill Murphy]

I can't wait to see what the results and the prices are.

[Mills Morrison]

I have used them for choke work and have been pleased. Not sure about their other work

[todd allen]

I've used them a lot for choke tubes, and bbl interior work. Always 1st rate. I would bet that if they say they can do something, they can.

[Mark Ray]

Ditto ditto double ditto

[Kenny Graft]

That's good to know....I will be in contact with the gun smith that will be doing the work after he gets the project underway. I hope to get a nice hunting package back without a long wait...(-: The Original 30" Sterlingworth is choked .034/.034 and has short chambers. The work order: cut right barrel choke to .015 and open the chambers and cones to 2 3/4" Clean action, set trigger pulls to factory normal as they seem heavy. Install front and rear Ivory beads. The supplied 28" barrels are choked .000/.026 Work order to: Properly fit barrels to my action, open left barrel to .013, cut chambers and cones to 2 3/4", rust blue barrels and add front and rear ivories. My phone estimate was 1500.00 after my 20% shop discount. My total investment should be about 4500.00 and I'm O.K. with that SXS Ohio

[Paul Harm]

Just me, but I wouldn't lengthen the chambers. You'd be removing metal where it's most needed, and 2 1/2" chambers will handle 2 3/4" shells just fine without all that much rise in pressure. JMHO

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Not to throw cold water on this but, Kenny, you met my buddy Mike in Kansas. He sent his Fox A 12 to Briley to put in choke tubes, and they messed up--it now has 25" barrels.

[Kenny Graft]

Harold....I know its always a risk when your working on these old guns....simple projects can get ugly fast! I hope to get one of their best gun smiths working on my project. I will insist! No learners please! If all goes as planed this gun will be in the Michigan grouse woods this fall! I really hope they don't F...it up! Kenny

[Kenny Graft]

I love this blog and all you guys who belong! I'm getting some serious negative feedback on Briley....I will go slow when I speak to them about the work to be done. I THANK everyone who has spoke up, good and not so good. If I am not 100% satisfied with what they can do, I will have them send my gun back, un-touched. This is one reason I love my CSMC Fox guns...they are perfect in every way!..Or they will make-m-so. Wish they did custom work. again...thanks all, Kenny SXS Ohio....(-:

[davidboyles]

SXS I've known Peter Goubeaud for 40 years he was Jess Brileys right hand man until Jess died last year. He will shoot straight so I suggest you call and ask for him and tell Fuzzy that David Boyles asked you to call him and make sure the gun is handled by the best smith and done right. They did barrel work for me on 2 sets of barrels for a Purdy hammergun and made 28ga tubes for it. They can do good work if you get the right smith. Let me know how it turns out.

[Carvel Whaley]

I have used Briley for over 25 years and never been dissatisfied with their work. I sent them a set of parker barrels that had been improperly regulated, point of aim was 10 1/2 in different between the two barrels. They off set choked the barrels and it shoots point of aim both barrels. Carvel

[Leighton Stallones]

They did a couple of choke tubes fine for me, but they really near ruined a 2 friends of mines barrels putting choke tubes in. one was a drop lock Wesley Richards and the other a decent over and under. And their Browning jobs are pitiful ..Good luck

David Boyles is right , I know Peter Goubeaud well also and he will be honest and direct you to the right person to do the job.

[Eric Eis]

Kenny if you need choke tubes they are good, but what your are asking for (I think) is a whole lot of headaches......My two cents

[Gerry Addison]

Ken, I have used them with good results for choke tubes and sub-gauge tubes. Had very bad experience with them on other, what I call true gunsmith work. I'll never use them again for anything but choke tubes. I hope your experience is much better than mine was.

[Jerry Harlow]

Only one experience. Sent a set of Parker barrels to have choke tubes installed. Said they were not thick enough (even though the measurements they told me for minimum were met in my measuring). Fair enough though.

Perfectly blued barrels came back with a long scratch that remains today. The workman had to know he scratched them.

[allen newell]

It's always best to get feedback on any gunsmith one is considering using before sending the gunsmith your gun or guns. just my 2 cents

[Rich Anderson]

This is a question you should have asked BEFORE sending the work out. I sent them a Beretta 687EELL for sub gauge tubes and the stock came back dented and scratched. After a lot of phone calls and threats the stock was refinished.

[Kenny Graft]

I have spoke with the gun smith manager....we talked about the my Fox barrel fitting and I expressed that I would be fussy about the quality of the fitment....he offered little positive feedback on my expectations. The big factor is how close a fit the barrels are to start with, and will need measured up prior to starting the work. We will make final decision at that point. The bad thing for me is that they are slammed with flud damaged guns and it will be a few months before they get to my gun. While I wait....I will look into gun smiths who specialize in barrel fitting.....any info would be helpful as who might do good work on Fox fitting. This thread has been very informative and helpful...thank you all !!! SXS Ohio....(-:

[Dean Romig]

I use Brad Bachelder Master Gunmaker.





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[Eric Eis]

Brad Bachelder, Del Whitman (trained at Rigby) 231-275-0140 or Kirk Merington would be the only smiths that I would trust. Briley is very far down the list of smiths that I would have do the work. Eric

[James L. Martin]

I have heard so many negative stories about Briley's work that I would get my gun out of there now.

[Robin Lewis]

I would contact Brad for this:

[Garry L Gordon]

Kenny,

I now send everything to Brad. He does what I ask to perfection, and he tells you what it will cost in advance, and that's always been the cost I paid. He has lots of work, so I don't bother him with when it will be done.

Some years back I sent a nice A grade 16 gauge Fox to Griffin and Howe. I wanted the chambers lengthened and forcing cones extended. After receiving the barrels they called and said they would lengthen the chambers the 1/4 inch I requested, but they would NOT lengthen the forcing cones because it would take out too much metal where it needed it. This was in the early days of our knowledge of chamber length, forcing cones, barrel thickness, etc. I am so glad they refused my naive request. I also sent them my Dickson 28 gauge to repair some stock finish issues (I dropped it while grouse hunting in the mountains of Kentucky!). They did the work in record time and it came back better than the original work (done by Jack Rowe some years earlier).

Good luck on your project.