aciera
.375 Atomic
Posts: 2,130
|
Post by aciera on Mar 15, 2024 18:31:33 GMT -5
I’m fortunate in that I no longer desire the deeply blued and vibrantly case hardened masterpiece’s that have become so scarce of late. Don’t get me wrong, my love for them is great. So great in fact that I cannot do harm to them. I’ve gotten older, I’m no longer a “collector”….just a shooter. I’m a “working gun” man now. I figured it out several years ago after I bought a sweet TLA from a member here. I didn’t have the balls to carry/shoot her, I was done. Sold off all the rare stuff. I fully understand the affliction and admire the quality of a fine piece but I’m at the point that I want to make memories with a well built gun, not pull it out of the safe a few times a year to fondle. AND, as far as prices, I’m willing to pay it for quality, which has became a vanishing standard in America. I’ve had a gun on order at FA for a few months, still over a year to go. This one will cost me north of $4k and I don’t care. I’ll carry it every day, shoot the snot out of it, again, I don’t care. I sound like I’m talking down to those waiting on the deeply blued, finely made customs. I am not. If you can afford what you desire, you better put your name in the hat now because it appears that there are fewer of the current generation that have the desire, knowledge, skills, or honor to truly appreciate a fine single action or, and most importantly , to understand the integrity of those of us that hold true to the “old ways”. Good luck boys…. Exactly. But I shoot all my guns. And the ones I’m building with CCH frames and Persinger Ivorys…….they will get shot. And I have a very short lead time for my own guns. My 475 Linebaugh from the early 90s…….John and I went over and updated and reblued it.
|
|
|
Post by drycreek on Mar 15, 2024 19:00:18 GMT -5
I love the customs, but at my age the price and the wait time scares the hell out of me. One reason I joined this forum was to read about and look at all the beautiful sixguns. I carry a plastic wondernine every day, but it’s just a tool that might help save my bacon. Somewhere, somebody is fondling a S&W Shield Plus just like the one I carry, but it ain’t me. I put it on, I take it off, just like my socks. Even a stock sixgun has something about it, I can’t say what it is, but something. The customs go to a whole new level, and if I had lots of time and money, I’d have a safe full of nothing but sixguns. As it is, all mine have had the innards worked over by Alan Harton, and that’s about as far as I go. Some are play guns, some are hunters, but none are customs. I encourage you guys to keep on building, that way I can live vicariously through you !
|
|
pleadthe2nd
.327 Meteor
Enter your message here...
Posts: 894
|
Post by pleadthe2nd on Mar 15, 2024 19:39:40 GMT -5
Thanks aciera, that makes more sense to me now, it is a collaboration between the builder, and the owner, more of a long term game, such as chess, it'll be great to see, these builds when they're completed, and the stories behind them
|
|
|
Post by bigbore5 on Mar 15, 2024 19:42:59 GMT -5
I've got three apart right now.
An old model 357 for restoration.
A 4-5/8" 45 Colt that's going to be my first from factory to full custom. Hope it turns out right.
A 5-1/2" BFR 500 Linebaugh that's going to be beyond FA fit and finish when I am done. It's already plenty accurate, the action is spot on, trigger ideal. Finish? Ehh..
|
|
|
Post by CraigC on Mar 16, 2024 0:06:33 GMT -5
It's certainly not a subject to bicker over. Yep, it is what it is. You can't change it, you either wait or you don't. I could never, in good conscience, accept the work MUCH LESS a deposit knowing i was years behind! Its not fair to the new customer or to the old customer. Its been mentioned several times in this thread that it depends on who you are and your relationship with the builder as to wait times. If your wait times are shorter that means they had to push someone else back more to make it so. I know its human nature and the way of the world, but i still dont agree with it. That's how it works and it's perfectly fair. Building a backlog also minimizes time wasted on phone calls. If they only accepted a handful of orders at a time, people would be a lot more frustrated if they had to call over and over again to try and get on someone's waiting list and the gunsmith would spend half his time taking those calls. You still end up waiting. Conscience has nothing to do with it.
|
|
|
Post by Jamey Worrell on Mar 18, 2024 7:35:48 GMT -5
Deaths and retirements have made reliable service a thing of the past. Huey, thanks for starting this thread...when I read it, I thought to myself "Self, I wonder where I am in Huntington's line re: project with him? Oh well, I guess it'll get here when it gets here" and shrugged. Fast forward a day or so, and I received a txt from JRH this weekend with photos of my last custom in progress. Of course, I could have just said "Well, we just started building a 1400 sq ft wood shop to move all of my father's equipment from N Fl to N AL, so since that will be an expensive affair, it's right about time for one of these customs to show up."...that's about the way it works for me (Seriously, broke ground on Monday, txt on Saturday). Jamey
|
|
|
Post by pacecars on Mar 18, 2024 7:48:59 GMT -5
I am still waiting on one to be finished that has been a few years waiting on some parts to complete it.
|
|
|
Post by Encore64 on Mar 18, 2024 7:57:03 GMT -5
Thanks Guys...
Understand, I'm in no way bashing the custom gunsmiths. Maybe a little just for the lack of communication.
The Condition of parts, blanks, fewer smiths, etc has taken it's toll.
|
|
|
Post by Jamey Worrell on Mar 18, 2024 8:19:16 GMT -5
Thanks Guys... Understand, I'm in no way bashing the custom gunsmiths. Maybe a little just for the lack of communication. The Condition of parts, blanks, fewer smiths, etc has taken it's toll. I get it...two guys I talked to in my quest mentioned wait times upwards of a decade. At 54, I'm young enough to wait, but also cognizant of my father was healthy as a horse until he wasn't and died at 62 (brain cancer, which I know isn't hereditary, and yet, it still plays on my mind, especially with a 12 year old son). Also, fresh off Linebaugh's passing with one of my customs in line (and some unfortunate lessons learned on that one) and I'm a little gun-shy on letting someone hold onto my firearm and money for that long. Tell me up front what a reasonable time frame is, and let me make an informed decision on my end...no hard feelings. Tell me up front what your time frame is, and then exceed that by orders of magnitude, and I'll be butt hurt all day long. Communication and setting expectations are key.
|
|
|
Post by magnumwheelman on Mar 18, 2024 14:46:25 GMT -5
after reading through this, I'm sure the best option, is finding projects already completed... I only have a couple higher end customs, that I commissioned, fortunately for me, these are engraved stainless guns, which is my choice if the art is to be functional as well... my custom 10mm Rimmed, one of Clements later projects, may go into the coffin with me... It has detail work from 3 artists... & it's start to finish, exactly what I wanted... I have bought a couple previously commissioned works, & because of my age, & the age of several of the masters, those are the only type of new to me customs I see in my future...
|
|
|
Post by hunter01 on Mar 18, 2024 15:50:13 GMT -5
after reading through this, I'm sure the best option, is finding projects already completed... I only have a couple higher end customs, that I commissioned, fortunately for me, these are engraved stainless guns, which is my choice if the art is to be functional as well... my custom 10mm Rimmed, one of Clements later projects, may go into the coffin with me... It has detail work from 3 artists... & it's start to finish, exactly what I wanted... I have bought a couple previously commissioned works, & because of my age, & the age of several of the masters, those are the only type of new to me customs I see in my future... That sure is a beauty!
|
|