This information is in response to a few of the questions that have come up from some of our customers in the past. If you would like clarification of any particular item, or if you have a question of your own that we can answer, please get in touch with us. We can be reached by phone during our office hours (10am - 1pm weekdays), or by e-mail. By definition custom gunmaking is varied and unique to each project and customer. Likely you will not find exact answers here, but a general source for gunmaking information that we will continually update. Your continued interest and inquiries will help us build this page.
What work is performed at the Delta Gun Shop?
What is your turn-around time on a project?
Which barrels will you install?
What is your accuracy guarantee?
This is a highly debated topic, has always been and will always be. Technically I imagine it is the taking away from, adding to, or otherwise modifying any firearm and changing it from the original factory or arsenal configuration. These days it seems most people expect a "custom firearm" to exhibit at least a custom stock and preferably some engraving.
I tend to think of it as any gun that is modified through a combination of a clients original ideas and designs, and a custom gunmakers' experience and abilities. This can range from cutting and re-crowning a barrel for the users carry preferences, to an all-out custom metal and woodworked piece of functional art.
The American Custom Gunmakers Guild has an excellent publication that helps answer some questions on this subject - "Realizing Your Dream: A Client's Guide to Building a Custom Gun". It outlines the process of commissioning a custom firearm from concept to completion. You can find it at ACGG Publications
What work is performed at the Delta Gun Shop?
I specialize in custom metal work, including barreling, action trueing and grinding, custom mounts and barrel furniture. We make cut-rifled barrels in the other end of the shop - Clearwater Reboring - where Allen Baker applies his machining and toolmaking expertise.
My custom machining includes making quarter ribs, sights, stock furniture, safety installations, and custom bottom metal. We offer many barrel configurations including integral features and octagoning.
I do my rust blueing and caustic blueing in-house. I can french grey embellished metal surfaces or return them to the engraver if preferred.
There are a couple of areas I do not get into very deeply. I do not do much stock making any longer, as the metal work keeps me very busy. There are several custom stockmakers I work with and can recommend, if you don't have a handle-carver selected prior to beginning a project.
I do not do much engraving in-house. I enjoy it immensely, but will never have the time to put into it to get good at it. I can find some very accomplished artists for this part of a project if you do not have someone in mind. These are usually some very personal choices to make for a client, and usually a stockmakers or engravers style is something that really grabs you, or it does not.
What is your turn-around time on a project?
This is only determined after the scope of the project is decided. There are many factors that come into play, including stocking and engraving. For this one it is best to contact me and go over the general outline of work required. I am not taking in any further complete gun builds until February 2010. I have several projects to get cleared up and on their way.
Rebore and new barrel deliveries are not tied to my schedule unless other work is to be performed as well, so for information regarding these contact Allen either at 509-684-5855 or email allen@deltagunshop.com
Which barrels will you install?
We of course prefer to work with our own barrels. This gives us the most control over quality and delivery schedule. We will work with any of the quality barrels currently being made. However we will only guarantee the workmanship on the installation and not the barrel itself. We don't have any control over the materials or manufacturing processes of the other makers. When installing one of our own we are able to stand behind the barrel and its performance.
I have returned barrels to several of the current makers, and have had them replaced. The problems seem to relate to poor metallurgy, actually in the material. I have had fair response from the makers as far as getting the barrel blanks replaced, but they understandably have not shown any interest in paying me to install their replacement barrel. I have always done so at my own expense. This is no longer the case. Should this problem arise with another makers' barrel, I will be required to charge another installation to fit the new one. If this occurs with one of our barrels during break-in and load work, the customer will not know of it. It would be replaced prior to shipment.
What is your accuracy guarantee?
If we install one of our barrels we will give you a good working load and a target with that load, that will be 1" or better at 100 yards. This is only if the metal is properly let and bedded into a stable stock. We require your scope and mounts, as these will be fully tested along with the rest of the work. Most barrels are doing considerably better than this, including the barrels we install from other makers. The difference is that the other makers' barrels have a "white line" guarantee from our shop. When the gun crosses the fog line onto pavement at the end of our driveway...the only guarantee is that the labor and installation is first-quality and correct. That is what we will stand behind. Not the metallurgy, not the stress relieving, not the consistency of twist rate. We will not cover problems involving bore dimensions or their uniformity end to end. We will not guarantee the surface finish to be equal to the finish in one of our double-lapped barrels. These are all areas that we have some control over in producing our own barrels and why they are more expensive than some of the other products available. We will not guarantee accuracy when installing barrels from other manufacturers.