GOOD Leveraction Rife Gunsmith?

[Lastmohecken]

I am looking for recommendations for a good gunsmith. The gunsmith that I have used for the last 30 years has aged out and retired and I don't trust most of the so-called gunsmiths left locally. I have a new bought last year, Henry 360 Buckhammer leveraction, blued steel and Walnut, and would like to tweak it a little. It really doesn't shoot that great, compared to most of my other leveractions, at least with the standard factory loads, that I have tried.

I am thinking that I would like to shorten the barrel a couple of inches or so, recrown the muzzle and shorten the magazine to possibly even a button magazine or no more than 3-4" past the forend, and eliminate the twist lock removable magazine, since it has the Kings patent loading gate, anyway. It's a little more muzzle heavy than I really like anyway and I was thinking maybe the barrel vibrations or whatever, might be a factor adding to the somewhat poor accuracy. It's not that I can't kill a lot of deer with it, as is, but I think I would like it better with a few tweaks, and I seriously doubt that it would shoot worse, than stock.

Anyway, I live in NW Arkansas, so closer is better, but I recon I could ship anywhere in the lower 48 if I needed for work to be done. Solid recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks,

[JBowen]

Have you looked into using Luke Redford at Benton County Gun Works? I don’t know anything about his reputation but he does have some pretty good videos on Facebook.
I live in Franklin County and have been looking for a good smith to do some work for me,
and would like to know if anyone in our region is any good also.

JBowen

[Lastmohecken]

Have you looked into using Luke Redford at Benton County Gun Works? I don’t know anything about his reputation but he does have some pretty good videos on Facebook.
I live in Franklin County and have been looking for a good smith to do some work for me,
and would like to know if anyone in our region is any good also.

JBowen

I think I talked to him on the phone. Right now, he's the only one, I know of that I would give a try, locally.

[AJMD429]

.
I share your frustration - the last gunsmith job I sent out was simply mounting a on e-piece Weaver scope base on a Ithaca M-66 breakopen 12 gauge shotgun. The chamber portion of the barrel is a cylinder, then forward of that there is a taper for a few inches then the rest of the barrel is fairly straight.

Instead of any grinding of the mount to match the tapered part of the barrel (ideal), or filling in the 'overhang' front of the mount (ok), or putting a thick and stiff mount on the gun and letting it overhang free in front of the chamber area (probably ok for a light scope), the gunsmith just bent the front half of the Weaver mount down so it laid flat on the chambered portion in the rear, and in the front, nicely mated to the contour of the taper.

I assumed that the job was done by a young inexperienced 'helper' and showed it to the shop owner and gunsmith (whose father was truly a MASTER gunsmith, but evidently the skills aren't passed on genetically), he just shrugged and said "looks pretty solid to me". When I pointed out the bent nature of the mount, and asked how I could firmly mount a scope on it without undue tension due to the bend, he said he didn't think it would be that much of a problem "unless you over-tighten your scope rings".

The only good thing was that it was back when I was just experimenting with red-dot optics, and found one that had such a short 'footprint' that it was only on the rear portion of the Weaver mount. A red-dot is a fairly decent sight for a 12 gauge slug-gun, actually. Soon after that Indiana allowed 'straight wall pistol cartridges' so ever since my go-to is a 44 Magnum levergun, so the 12 gauge is reserved for #8 shot at the occasional chicken-eater that is in a tree so not safe to shoot 'up' at with a rifle or pistol.

[Lastmohecken]

Well, I was hoping I would get a few more suggestions on a good gunsmith. But anyway, I found a gunsmith in Nevada, Paul Hampton of Country Custom Metals who specializes in work on leveractions, among other guns. There's a waiting list, but he says he can do it, around the first of the year. I am going to have him cut and recrown the barrel, just behind the dovetails at the muzzle and He's going to eliminate the Henry magazine tube and install a Winchester 30/30 mag tube, and I think I am going to do a button mag tube, which terminates more or less at the end of the forearm. And he's also going do a trigger job on the gun. I am hoping that by eliminating the full length mag tube, shortening the barrel and recrowning that I might improve on the barrel harmonics for better accuracy, and also have a better quicker handling rifle, which I prefer for this rifle. It's a little too muzzle heavy for my taste, for what it is. We will see.