Buck Hamlin passed.
 

A great guy who did some outstanding work.

https://www.myleaderpaper.com/obitua...30363ad35.html

Sad news . . .

Sorry to hear that. He did some fine work.

another great one gone....charlie

I really hate to hear that. RIP

Wow.... I hate to hear this. Buck was a great guy. RIP Buck.

Great guy, excellent gunsmith and a loss to the double gun crew!!!!

He restored several Lefevers of the last 25 years for me and his work was second to no one.

Wonderful gentleman, great gunsmith! Truely a loss to the SxS world!

On top of being a great gunsmith, I always enjoyed his turkey hunting stories in the LC Smith and Lefever journals. He always had a new gun he fixed up for each season

Buck was a true artist, he did it the right way. I've admired his work for years.

Chris, AZ

Buck's passing is a terrible blow to the entire double gun community, with Lefever probably being the most seriously affected. Buck was not only an extraordinarily talented gunsmith, but a repository of knowledge that he was more than willing to share. He will be missed.

Mr Hamlin
 

Now that's indeed a blow. He was my go to guy for Foxes, LC Smiths and Lefevers. He's the one that cleaned up that 30" 16 gauge Sterlingworth that I showed in "Other Fine Doubles" amongst several others. I would send him a gun and it would be back in 3-4 weeks. Just a great, hard working, guy.
I have to ask if anyone knows what took him? RIP Buck....:bowdown:

Apparently cancer took him . . . And so many others

Very sad to hear. I didn’t meet him in person but enjoyed several conversations by phone. He worked on a few guns for me and did a fine job. He was quite a nice gentleman and he will be missed by many.

I never met Buck nor had any work done by him but we talked a few years ago when he was looking for some scarce Fox smallbore ejector parts. Of course i knew his name from having seen him mentioned in many posts here and there. We had a long conversation and I quickly learned he was genuinely friendly, unimposing and really knew what he was talking about on Foxes. Very good vibes and it like he was an old friend I hadn't talked with in a while. I sent him one part along with a dimensioned sketch of another one that was my last and I didn't want to part with. He understood and said he'd make that one from scratch. Godspeed to a good man and comfort to his family knowing he's in our Lord's hands.

Mr. Hamlin was a icon in the double-gun world. We are losing too many skilled craftsmen and way too much knowledge goes with them. Too bad he didn't have some texts written for posterity. I never met Buck but spoke with him a few times over the phone too. He was always gracious in sharing any knowledge he could. A great man and a tremendous loss to us all. Prayers for his family.

“Buck” Hamlin’s survivors might appreciate seeing all of these very positive and even heart-felt remembrances of the man.

I know of instances where a polymath has passed away and family members are oblivious to one particular sphere of influence in which the decedent had been held by many in high regard.

I am not sure if those circumstances apply here, but some members likely do.

Russell, thank you for your kind words. I am Bucks youngest Grandson. His shop is shut down to the public but I am working on his last gun he started for “next years Turkey season”. Field Grade LC Smith “hammerless”
I’ve been out of his shop for around 15-20 years, I’ve forgotten more than I know.

I really do appreciate everyone’s kindness

I always enjoyed his turkey hunting stories and the guns he fixed up each year just for the occasion.

My favorite is when he shot the 5 bearded Tom

Wow I just saw this. What a bummer. I had him restore two LC smiths for me including one really rough 10ga that he did an incredible job on. I also recently acquired a Lefever that was almost certainly restored by him. He’s did great work and was a really nice guy when I spoke to him.

Some of Buck's work
 

I think it may be appropriate, and for Trevor's benefit, to post a few pictures of one of my favorite Buck restorations that he did for me. It's not an expensive gun, but it might be a little rare as the only 28" A grade Lefever skeet gun I've seen; all the rest being 26". Very nice work.
X
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That is beautiful Larry,

those case colors are as close to original Ithaca colors as I've seen.

Thanks for sharing,
Stan

Thank you for that! The CCH was his own recipe, I know how he did it but don’t know the mixture. He also free hand checkered the stocks on his lap. He did not use a girdle (which to me is even more impressive)

I loaded a photo of one of his Ithaca guns that looks very similar

I was wondering if anyone could help identify this? Buck said this was a German Gun and the barrels are from a Lefever.

This gun was used to kill the 5 bearded Turkey

I was hit hard by the news of Buck's passing as we had been talking less than 2 months before then. I had Buck work on a large number of guns with large and small projects in the 35-40 years we talked.

I met him at his home in Pevely in early 1980s where I went to pick up one gun he had restored for me. I was from MO in Rolla and was flying back to see my folks so swung down to visit with Buck and pick up the latest project.

We developed I think a good friendly relationship over the next 35 years and miss him terribly because he taught me so much and had a very dry sense of humor I enjoyed. I have not been back into MO for several years and now regret not making another trip to see him as he was a real craftsman and dear friend.

I remember the time he told me his real first name, Carleton. He did not like it at all and told me if I ever called him by that name he would not have anything further to do with me. LOL

I sent a condolence card as soon as I heard, but that is an inadequate way to say good by to someone I spoke to so often over the years and considered a friend. He is missed!

I too am very sorry to see him go. He did work for me a fair number of years ago and he did an exemplary example of his talents. He completely restored a very rare LC Smith Crown Grade 20ga that was a complete basket case. He had it for well over a year and what he did with that shotgun was incredible. I could hardly recognize it when I first saw it again. A true master of his profession.

Rest in Peace, Buck.
Jon in Idaho

Jon, do you have any photos of the Crown Grade? I’d like to see them

Hi Trevor. Yes, but I'll have to do some searching and then post them.