AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Contemporary Longrifle Collecting => Topic started by: Top Jaw on August 25, 2024, 03:41:03 PM
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On other sites and prior threads, I can recall some listed gun production numbers that were quite impressive from some vintage gun builders. I seem to remember (maybe R Southgate, C Kemper, and probably others) with some big lifetime numbers, but don’t remember what they were. Who were/are some of the leaders and numbers for lifetime gun building production that you have heard of?
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Mike Brooks should be on the list for sure. Seems like he’s well over 300.
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Mike is closer to 400 than 300 or so I read somewhere. Jud Brennan is over 180 Chuck Edwards is over 200 Don Bruton is way up there so many that he probably dont know for sure. Ken Netting if I read right was around 600 but dont hold me to that as my recollect dont recollect so sharp anymore
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Jack Garners shop has cranked out hundreds.
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Maybe Marvin Kemper will chime in about his Dads “production” numbers?
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Jack Garners shop has cranked out hundreds.
As have Jackie Brown and Matt Avance, both while working for him and independently.
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Quality, not quantity.
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A lot of builders with high production numbers are top shelf. All that repetition leads to increased excellence.
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Quality, not quantity.
Quam Bene Non Quantum
Huh Bob ;)
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H. House once told me he figured he had made over 1000.
Jim Klein told me he had made over a 1000 as well. I'm just a little dog when it comes to big numbers.
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I would think the Caywood's both Charlie and Danny would qualify, although I have no numbers to quote. Caywood Gunmakers have been in business for a long time.
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Mike Brooks should be on the list for sure. Seems like he’s well over 300.
I would have to agree with this... :)
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My buddy just sent me a text that there was an old Muzzle Blast cover with 3 Cornel Kemper rifles pictured. They were #1000, #2000, & #3000 !!!
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I just received my 3rd Don Bruton rifle last week, a left hand maple stocked 54 cal flinter with a Bobby Hoyt coned barrel that Don said was #652. He has been building rifles and Fowlers for six decades now and still hard at it. But, as he says, he just builds what he wants to these days.
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Does Kibler count in this survey? My own production is MAYBE 10 but I remember the last two and the very first one.Both first and last were 58 caliber and the last one was a flintlock.My shop really is not set up for wood working and now it seems to be closed until further notice.
Last week my wife fell going into the laundry room and if it were not for two carpenters remaking a house across the street I would have called the Fire Department so leaving her alone so I can go to the Friendship Shoot can't happen.She leaves her pocket phone in the front room most of the time.
Bob Roller
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Jack Garner's shop has probably turn out 1000's of rifles over the years. I have built somewhere around 200 which is not much compared to many others, but they have all been a labor of love. Hopefully I get to build a few more before going to the Big Shop in the sky.
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John Bergmann of Tn. built his #777 for me Which is a wonderfully petite Tennessee Rife in 38 Cal. That is light and fits me perfectly. This was in the spring.
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I think i got Brooks number 385….
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I think i got Brooks number 385….
386 has been sitting in the corner for a year needing a couple coats of finish and the barrel browned. Can't seem to find the time to do it.
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Maybe we should clarify between individual gun makers an those that don't have a production shop ? There's a big difference in doing them by hand.
Especially when you use a machine like a stock duplicator or CNC.
I understand the technical difficulty programming a CNC machine to make the stock. So lets not go their. Besides a CNC can make a completed stock in less than an hour give or take. Especially with a multi tool head.
So in my opinion. Which doesn't count. That's the big difference...
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Besides a CNC can make a completed stock in less than an hour give or take.
So could Jack Garner and others of the Corinth School of gunbuilding. It's probably a little known fact that Jack worked for DGW way back making their precarves and continued upon leaving them as Jack's Stock Shop before segueing into TVM.
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I don't know about Tip Curtis, he made a lot of guns over the years, probably less than Matt Advance or Jack Garner.
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Does anybody know how many Hershal House made during his production yrs. I dont remember ever reading it anywhere
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Visited with Neill Fields of Vernal, Utah about how many ML's he has built #442 on the bench.
He was with Green River Rifle works for awhile.
Did all inletting and stock work by hand. Not pre- carved stocks.
Carney
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Hershel told me he thought he had made about 275 rifles , that was in 2021. He said he mostly rifled the barrels until his shop burned .
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Hershel told me he thought he had made about 275 rifles , that was in 2021. He said he mostly rifled the barrels until his shop burned .
I have probably seen more than 500. Never saw one that didn't have a commercial barrel on it.
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Does anybody know how many Hershal House made during his production yrs. I dont remember ever reading it anywhere
Refer to my post near the beginning of the thread.
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On other sites and prior threads, I can recall some listed gun production numbers that were quite impressive from some vintage gun builders. I seem to remember (maybe R Southgate, C Kemper, and probably others) with some big lifetime numbers, but don’t remember what they were. Who were/are some of the leaders and numbers for lifetime gun building production that you have heard of?
Uncle Royland serial numbered 1007 guns but he probably built at least another 100 or so that are not listed among those guns . I own a few. Not sure who owns the book that contains those numbers but I think it is Charlie Haffner Jr as he at one time had most everything from the shop.
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Ken Netting from Ohio has likely built over 600 guns.
Richard Hergina (also from Ohio) built about 500 rifles.
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I am still struggeling along in my advanced stage of dotage. I have a nice 12 ga. English fowler on the bench now. This one will be #418. The first 150 only had my initials RAL on the barrel. I then began signing and numbering my work. All the work was done by hand. Fred Miller put most of my barrels in. I have mentored 4 guys for the last 10-15 years. One of them Eric Farabaugh is now taking orders. He is quite talented, and at 49 years old should be around for a long time. I loved the building and and interacting with the clients. I built the guns from 1998 until 2022 when I stopped taking orders, but still build for therapy... Ron
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That’s a great run, Ron!
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Quality, not quantity.
Right on! I remember building the last two.One flint,very plain 58 caliber walnut fullstock and one .451 long range,walnut.
Bob Roller
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Id be interested to know David Rases numbers, along with Jack Dupre, Al Martin, Wayne Estes and Mike Miller
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I believe some of these builders didn’t really keep track in their early days…. It seems many of them didn’t start keeping a tally till a point in their building career 🤷