Reaves Goehring

[JCKelly]

Just bought first model Brown Bess triggerguard and buttplate from Reaves. Beautiful castings. He included a price list for, mostly, Kentucky rifle trigger guards and buttplates. Damnifino how to put it on here, but if anyone wants a copy email me off-line.

[Larry Luck]

Reaves has asked in the past that his prices not be posted to the Internet.  Before his list is posted here, please confirm that it is OK with him.  If it is, PM me and I'll help.
Thanks,
Larry Luck

[A.Merrill]

    I would like to see what he has. I have a real hard time ordering something I can't see.    AL

[jwh1947]

Let's cut to the chase from a personal, close friend.  Reaves has never been easy to access.  I've told him, he's a great freind but a bad businessman.  he sets up t the Allentown Ag. Hall regularly and a few other places...Pottstown, Timonium big show, but he is reluctant to even open his cases for mail order, unless it is substantial.  What do you want?  I should see him in 2 days.  regards, Wayne

[David Rase]

We went through this drill back in December of 2008.  I scanned and posted Reaves parts lists for both trigger guards and butt plates.  Larry emailed me and stated that Reaves did not want prices posted.  I worked out an agreement with Larry to post only the descriptions and part numbers.  I edited Reaves lists so only parts numbers and descriptions were able to be viewed.  Here is the link to the old post.  You will have to scroll down a ways to view the list.  
 http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=2476.0
DMR

[caliber45]

Hey, guys -- An unsolicited comment: Sometimes things reach a point of complication where they just ain't worth the effort. So . . . no, thanks, Reaves. I'll get my parts elsewhere . . . paulallen tucson az

[Tom Currie]

Reaves is a little hard to reach on phone but once you've got him he's very helpful and has shipped out parts to me. True you don't see ahead what your getting but if you know what you really want you won't be disapointed.

[James Rogers]

I have always been satisfied with Reeves' parts. He is/was under the foot of the foundry as far as cost to produce was concerned and every time he made a run his cost kept going up. That was the problem with posting pricing to my knowledge.
It's a hobby for Reeves. His main business is morning coffee time with the other guys down at the local restaurant.
He is a great guy.

[Jerry V Lape]

I only met Reeves once at Dixon's while his wife was alive.  He isn't a youngster and deserves a lot of patience for continuing to provide a quality highly unique set of products you really just can't get elsewhere.  Far as I am concerned he is one of our true treasures in this hobby.  Go where he sets up or have someone go in your stead.  Buy as much as you can forecast as the time will come when it will no longer be available.  I really enjoyed the few minutes he spent helping me get the right parts for the gun I was to build.

[JCKelly]

As it sounds like Reaves doesn't want his list published, I shall rescind my offer.

Basically it is a list, no photos, of trigger guards and buttplates for the matching rifle, by riflemaker name. If you are building a Dickert, or a Melchior Fordney, &c, call Reaves. His prices are competitive, quality is the best.

Dealing with Reaves may be different than with more Modern published suppliers but it is more than worth the "complication"  And, you will learn things from Reaves. You will not learn much from those easy-to-deal-with corporations.

[flehto]

Have contacted Reaves on a few occasions and had no trouble doing so. On the last build I forgot the TG no. and seeing he's got 3 BC TGs and after trying to describe that TG, we finally decided what TG I had used. 2 TGs arrived shortly and  were the wrong ones.  Called Reaves and ordered another 3 and sent 2 back. The TGs arrived and they were the correct ones. Photos would have eliminated the back and forth but this particular TG isn't sold anywhere else and I'll not use any other TG, so now I've written the number in 4 different places.....Fred

[G-Man]

Reaves sells great stuff.  Most of it you can't find elsewhere.  I understand if someone needs something quickly for a build, but if you do ever have the chance to chat with him face to face and get some of his hardware, you really should take the opportunity - he's a treasure.

Reaves is one of those few folks who still go about their business the way it used to be at Friendship - you got your chance to see him and get your parts once or twice a year - so you had to plan way ahead.  But when you do stop by his booth - you are treated to a wealth of information about longrifles - information on where he found the gun that the parts were cast from; the earlier days of collecting Kentucky rifles; all sorts of great stuff.  Just a really nice, knowledgeable person.

I know in this age we have grown accustomed to the internet and having everything available at the click of the mouse, but the human element - getting to share the hobby and have those who learned about these guns and came before us share their knowledge, is something that the speed and convenience of the internet won't replace, for me anyway.    I am happy every time I arrive at Friendship and see that he has chosen to make the trip and set up again each year, when so many others I used to enjoy seeing can no longer do so -  for understandable reasons, but I still miss that chance to catch up with them face to face.

Guy

[NSBrown]

This year at Friendship, when I stopped by his booth to pick up some appropriate furniture for two builds I have planned, I got the opportunity to thank him for his incedible contribution to our fellowship of builders. Reaves' importance to all of us can not be overstated...We owe him a debt of gratitude and our heartfelt thanks. When next you see him, take the time to shake his hand and tell him so.

[Brian]

I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Goehring at Dixon's a few years back.  A true gentleman in every sense of the word, and his products are as good as you will find anywhere.

[Blackpowder Barbie]

If I'm not mistaken Reaves turned 81 or 82 this year.  His research and continual support of this tidbit of history we call rifles is amazing.  Not to mention that he loves to share his knowledge with anyone who asks - a very great gentleman indeed.  It is my understanding that his son-in-law is now helping and hopefully will be taking over the business in the future so that we don't loose all the different and completely unique parts that Reaves carries.  I also understand that he has invested in his own foundry now so perhaps a breath of new life is emerging with a new generation.  Got my fingers and toes, and a rifle kit or two riding, on Reaves being around a lot longer!

[jwh1947]

Barbie, you are right on the mark; both Reaves and his products are super!  Wayne

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Here is a link to 27 photos of Reeves parts. Zoom to read the numbers written on the parts...

http://photobucket.com/reevesgoeringparts

[Mike T]

I think we are all lucky to have Reaves as a resource.  He's helpful and knowledgeable about every part he sells, most of which were cast from original parts.  I have always found him to be easy to work with and a delightful guy to know.  Thanks Reaves

[A.Merrill]

    After seeing the list of bp & tg that David Rase posted, I noticed Mr. Goehring listed a bp & tg by Henry Albright, ( who I think is one of the finest gunsmiths of the Golden Age ) so I called him and left a message, he called back in a couple of hours. To my surprise, when I asked him how he came about getting molds for a H. Albright, he replied he owns the gun. He told me the story of how he got it in his collage days. I have not seen my parts yet but I know I will be doing more business with Reaves Goehring.          AL

[jwh1947]

You know by now that you are talking about one of my best friends.  So that there is a record of a good man while still very much alive, the following.  Reaves has been into old guns since pre-teen years.  By the time he graduated from college he was a walking encyclopedia in many areas...his schoolwork and his avocational loves.  He graduated from Millersville State, I think, with a double major in history/German.  He taught German at Conestoga Valley HS for years then switched to history.

All the while, he was building guns at Landis Valley, answering all our questions without ever taking a dime, producing old gun parts drawn from the originals that we all had and being an overall Renaissance man and good friend.

Reaves has done so many projects of merit that I won't even proffer a list.  I just like to sit with him and listen, and consider it an honor to be counted as a friend.  We kid Reaves about starting projects and never getting them done, but, alas, he has finished so many good ones that we all cut him some slack.  

Reaves was married to a classic lady, not just a "woman."  She was beautiful, graceful and educated, too.  She died a while back and I know it ripped his heart out...but still a smile for all, and a story or two...that's my buddy.    Mein Bruder ist ein sehr guter Mann! Wayne

[A.Merrill]

    Placed my order with Mr. Goehring on Saturday morning, got it Monday. He lives in Pa., I live in IL.. now that is what I call " FAST".  The BP &  TG looks great. You can still see some of the original engraving in the top of the BP and where the screws were, its faint but you can see it.    AL

[Sean]

I am definitely a Reaves-fan.  He is a well-spring of information and always has a great story to share.  I've never met him in person, but I've never called him without spending 45 minutes to an hour talking with him.  His stories are easily worth as much as his fine castings, and you'll never find a more agreeable guy to do business with.  Last I talked with him I was looking for something out of the ordinary.  He asked me to send him some pictures and dimensions of what I was looking for.  He sent me back hand tracings of some of his buttplates that came the closest.  As part of the deal, I also got a story about him talking a girl into paying $10 for a stuffed coon so that he could buy Dreppard longrifle when he was 10 and carry it home over the handle bars of his bike.  He said he eventually ended up trading it off because he couldn't find a mold to fit it so he could shoot it.  If he had an automated website it would be a travesty. 

Sean

[Jim Kibler]

Reaves stuff is good and I've used plenty of it, but there is one thing that must be said.   Most of the patterns used are produced directly from original parts with no provision for shrinkage, filing and clean-up.  Sometimes this is of little consequence, but other times it might be.  Not trying to break up the love fest, but just stating something to be aware of.

[Acer Saccharum]

On the love side of things, the alloy Reaves uses can be worked, seriously worked, by hammer. With careful peening, a guard or butt plate can be stretched to fill a an old recess, widened, bent, etc 'till the cows come home.

Other alloys, such as silicon bronze, cast beautifully, have a yellow color, polish beautifully, etc, BUT cannot be worked easily, and some not at all.

Tom

[FL-Flintlock]

He is/was under the foot of the foundry as far as cost to produce was concerned and every time he made a run his cost kept going up. That was the problem with posting pricing to my knowledge.

I don't know Reaves but I can understand that from my experience.  Granted the foundries are getting hammered with a lot of anti-business government regulations and their costs go up accordingly ... but, dealing with a foundry now is like dealing with the government because they kill you enough "fees" to double/triple+ the per-part cost or insist on insanely large minimums.  Understandable everyone needs to make money but considering the attitudes I've encountered over past year, Reaves deserves a lot of respect just for putting up with the BS!