Lifetime Production Leaders

[Mike Brooks]

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.

[Mike Brooks]

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.

[Eddie Southgate]

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.

[Uncle Miltie]

Ken Netting from Ohio has likely built over 600 guns.
Richard Hergina (also from Ohio) built about 500 rifles.

[Lucky R A]

            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

[rich pierce]

That’s a great run, Ron!

[Bob Roller]

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

[Flintandsmoke]

Id be interested to know David Rases numbers, along with Jack Dupre, Al Martin, Wayne Estes and Mike Miller

[Austin]

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 🤷