Snyd
.375 Atomic
The Last Frontier
Posts: 2,388
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Post by Snyd on Apr 16, 2020 19:25:55 GMT -5
In light of John Gallaghers recent passing on 04/14/2020, it seems appropriate to have a thread dedicated to his memory. A place for those who knew him well to share stories. And for guys like me who never met John but, through a custom revolver project had the pleasure talk/email with him. And of course post pics of customs John built. I also know there are articles online about Johns guns. I believe Mr. Taffin wrote at least one. Perhaps we can post or link those here. So, let’s hear your stories and see some guns John built! Maybe we can make this thread a stickie? At any rate… I’ll start. Several years back I “got the itch for a Fifty”. I wanted Octagon and at that time I came across a thread where Gallagher had made and was selling some octagon barrels in various calibers and was donating the proceeds to John Linebaugh after his heart issue. I contacted Robb (Kings6) and he hooked me up with Gallagher. He had one barrel left, a .510! I bought it, had him send it to me then had a “duh” moment and decided to have Gallagher go ahead and build the gun for me. So I sent the barrel, Bisley parts and a 50th Ann 44mag Flat Top to him along with an old, weathered Dall Sheep horn that I had picked up in the mountains on a sheep hunt. He managed to scrape out a set of grips for it. Over the years we talked about Montana (where I’m originally from and John lived for a time) and his wet, wet Moose hunt here to Alaska. He always wanted to come back but didn’t make it. I was able to kill a Moose with my 500 Magnum that John built for me the first hunt I took it on. My avatar pic. Thanks John. Enough of my rambling, here’s what John did for me. Lets see yours and hear your stories.
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Post by willicd on Apr 16, 2020 19:41:06 GMT -5
That's an extremely nice handgun. I'm about to do the same on a 3 screw 357 but in 44spl. If you will donate a moose hunt, we can compare performance!😬
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2020 20:01:36 GMT -5
I met John when i had him build a long cylinder 45 bisley out of an accusport gun. I took the gun down, visited a good while with him and he patiently helped me pick out my gun. He let me handle examples of his guns and let me see the process a bit. I ended up buying one of the John Linebaugh benefit .510 barrels and when i picked it up from down there, actually got to watch John do the cylinder work on my gun. I still havent had that barrel used, but every time you post your gun Snyd, i think i want to build its clone. I dropped off a 44 magnum with a maximum cylinder and when that one got dropped off, he was building Kings6's Skeeter Skelton clone. I got to watch him rebore the cylinder, fit the barrel and front sight and the grip frame to that gun. I dont know what the eventual fate of the 44 will be. Not worried about it honestly. John always had stories to tell while working during my visits and one local told me he just came to the shop for the stories. One story I always enjoyed hearing involved him with a very city slicker connected to Ruger he took on an Alaskan bear hunt. He ended up slipping on a wet log and falling on the dead bear. When I picked up my 45, he let me go out to his range beside the shop and shoot my gun for the first time there. That gun has been a constant companion since i got it back from him and has plenty of range and woods scars to show for it. John always had a warmth in his eyes every time i went down there to visit him.
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Post by Jamey Worrell on Apr 17, 2020 9:06:54 GMT -5
I first met John in Spring 2012. My father had passed at 62 in December 2011 after a brief battle (if you can call it that...no one really fights brain cancer) with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Poppa's favorite caliber was 44 magnum, and he had named me beneficiary of a very small insurance policy issued through our bank. Rather than spending the money on something useless, I decided to have my first custom revolver done in 44 magnum. Having always wanted a Ruger Bisley, I procured one and then looked around (via Mr Taffin's writings) for a gunsmith to execute. I was surprised to learn that Mr Gallagher lived about an hour's drive from Birmingham, where I am on faculty at UAB. After reaching out to him and discussing the project, I made the drive to Jasper and spent an hour or so chatting. It was the first, but definitely not the last, time I'd drive over to Jasper to discuss progress on a project and then spend the bulk of the time shooting the bull on guns, the outdoors, or healthcare (UAB is a phenomenal academic medical center). John asked that I provide my dad's signature (which I did from his will), and he made a template of my father's signature with birth and death years. It would be used on each of Poppa's firearms that John worked on. He fit a set of stag grips, fixed the normal Ruger fit and finish issues, sent to Turnbull for CCH, and fit a Bowen Rough Country rear matched with a DX/SDM gold bead front sight. Belt Mountain #5 base pin and slight tweaks to the face of the ejector rod finished this project out. Full action job and accurizing, and it is probably the most accurate revolver I own...certainly has the best trigger pull! John was more than fair on pricing...we had talked about how close Poppa and I were, and he wanted to make sure that I was proud of the outcome. I am.
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Post by willicd on Apr 17, 2020 10:27:25 GMT -5
That gun is spectacular! I think poppa would be very proud...
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Post by bushog on Apr 17, 2020 10:35:29 GMT -5
I'll post mine once it gets here...
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Post by taffin on Apr 17, 2020 12:23:20 GMT -5
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Post by taffin on Apr 17, 2020 12:24:33 GMT -5
GALLAGHER .41 SPECIALS
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princeout
.375 Atomic
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Post by princeout on Apr 17, 2020 17:22:53 GMT -5
Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt with S&W barrel by John. Ruger Vaquero in 500 Linebaugh by John.
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Post by bushog on Apr 17, 2020 17:25:18 GMT -5
Now THAT's a drag line!
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Post by drycreek on Apr 17, 2020 18:46:35 GMT -5
There is enormous potential in this thread !
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Post by kings6 on Apr 17, 2020 23:28:39 GMT -5
I first heard of John Gallagher by reading the various books written by JT. On page 221 of Single Actions Sixguns there is a picture of an old model single six that John had converted to 41 Special. It was this picture and the caption that triggered both my friendship with John and my fascination with the 41 Special. Ironically, while I have several 41 Special revolvers, none were built by John. What John did build for my first order from his shop was my first 44 Special revolver. I had made a comment how I did not own a single 44 Special single action and I got lit up so hard on this forum that I decided I better rectify the situation and since Ruger had not brought out their current versions of the midsized 44 Specials I had John build my first one. While the pictures of this gun are locked up in Photobucket purgatory, I remember the specs well. I sent John an old model 357 flat top Ruger along with a set of Clements old model bisley hammer and trigger parts and one of my three brass bisley grip frames. John turned it into and 5 1/2" octagon barrel brass bisley that would stop a strongmans heart by its looks and refinement. That initial gun was the beginning of our friendship and it simply grew over the years despite the vast number of miles between our homes. Over the years there were many other guns by John, some projects that were changed in mid stream and some that took years to complete. One of my favorites from John is another old model 357 conversion that he changed to 41 magnum. I found a set of beautiful ivory grips for this gun and foolishly sold it when the original short cylinder would not let me shoot the heavy Cast Performance and Buffalo Bore 41 mag loads due to their OAL. Just this last year I was lucky enough to track this gun down and buy it back and it will stay here this time. Another gun John built was a second bisley octagon barreled gun that he had fit a rebored max cylinder to and chambered in 44 Mag. This gun had the usual touches of Bowen sight, John’s BP chamfer and a killer set of Sambar stag grips. This is another gun I sold then bought back and as you may have heard, I sent it back to John a few months ago in exchange for one of the 44 Special conversions he did these last few months in an effort to generate some income to help fight his battle with cancer. Once the 44 Mag arrived back in Alabama, Isaac John's son, looked at the gun and was kind of awe struck in that he had never seen any of his dads long cylinder octagon barrel jobs before. John not only decided that that gun would stay in the family but it is the gun he used to take his last deer this last fall. The 44 Special conversion that I traded the 44 mag gun for was one of two that John did patterned after Skeeters first 44 Special conversions. John took special care in fitting the parts and even timed the actions screws and he said he knew which gun shot just a tad tighter groups and that was the one he sent to me in trade. In honor of John I am having an ovate barrel fit to this gun by Johns good friend Hamilton Bowen then Rob Rowen will fit a set of exhibition walnut carved grips to the gun. The last two guns from John are ones that were many years in the works. Actually I did not think they would be finished due to Johns health and in fact I told him to not worry about them but to box the one up and its parts and return it and I would decide what to do with it later. This gun was to be a replica/tribute gun to two of my favorite writers, JT and Skeeter Skelton. Years ago when Skeeter was sick in the hospital there were six Skeeter Skelton tribute guns commissioned by his friends. Each of the friends worked with a gunsmith to bring about their rendition of these special guns. JT had Bill Grover of TLA fame build his gun, SS4. JT's gun was another old model 357 flat top conversion to 44 Special and Bill fit a Colt style two piece grip frame, his TLA front sight, a #5 style base pin and the gun was marked SS4. The gun also wore one piece ivory grips and I have been enamored by the gun ever since I first saw it in JT's books. When I told John to just send the parts and the gun back he surprised me and said it was nearly complete! Naturally being me, I had to tweak the design just a touch and I had John install one of Davids old model bisley spurred hammers and I had him mark the gun on the bottom of the main frame just forward of the trigger guard with JT/SS4. The last gun I had on order with John was another old model Ruger that started life as a short barrel 45 Colt. John did the action work, fit the two piece Powers brass grip frame, the Bowen sight, the Clements bisley spurred hammer, the locking base pin and a 45 acp cylinder. He also was to install the last Stroh front sight I had in the box. I told John to keep this gun and I asked him to take down the shoe box with the gun and the parts I sent, explain to Isaac why I chose the parts I did and when Isaac was comfortable enough doing revolver work some day he could finish the revolver and either keep it or sell it and give the money to his mom. Unbeknownst to me, John had nearly completed this revolver including making the grips out a piece of Steve/Tim Prince walnut I sent down about the time I told him to keep the gun. By now I had shippped the 44 mag bisley down so when the 443 Special trade gun arrive it was accompanied by these other two treasures. Both these last two guns will be heirloom guns that go to my kids and when my oldest son was up in Feb. for a late deer hunt I let him pick and he chose to take the brass grip framed 45 Colt Blackhawk as one of his inheritance guns so it now lives in New Mexico. As you know, John was what I consider a great friend and brother and I was honored to become a part of his family over the years. I was fortunate enough to get to spend a few days in his shop with him in February and those two days are something I will cherish forever. I had told John that even though I knew we would meet someday in heaven, and we did have those type of discussions as to spiritual topics as well, I regretted not being able to meet in person here on earth. Like I shared with another forum member earlier this week, at my age I have learned to listen to that still small voice inside when it speaks clearly and that voice told me to make the effort to go see John while he was still here. I am eternally thankful I made that trip and more than grateful for the good friend who encouraged me to travel with him to Alabama to see John and his family.
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ryan
.30 Stingray
Posts: 402
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Post by ryan on Apr 19, 2020 12:07:26 GMT -5
Another gun John built was a second bisley octagon barreled gun that he had fit a rebored max cylinder to and chambered in 44 Mag. This gun had the usual touches of Bowen sight, John’s BP chamfer and a killer set of Sambar stag grips. This is another gun I sold then bought back and as you may have heard, I sent it back to John a few months ago in exchange for one of the 44 Special conversions he did these last few months in an effort to generate some income to help fight his battle with cancer. Once the 44 Mag arrived back in Alabama, Isaac John's son, looked at the gun and was kind of awe struck in that he had never seen any of his dads long cylinder octagon barrel jobs before. John not only decided that that gun would stay in the family but it is the gun he used to take his last deer this last fall. Wow, that's very cool! Very happy I had the opportunity to own that for a while and glad it made its way back to him.
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Post by Thumper on Apr 22, 2020 16:55:09 GMT -5
I was stationed in Alabama and used to drive down to visit with John when picking up or dropping off projects. He was a really nice guy. He customized my Bisley .45 Colt/ACP. Rebuilt this Marlin 1895 for me. Threaded my CZ527 for a NATO flash suppressor for my sound suppressor to mount on.
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