Festus
Well-Known Member
About 16 years ago I had a famous rifle builder put a switch-barrel "dream rifle" together for me. He had an unquestionable reputation and claimed to build the world's most accurate rifles. Imagine my disappointment when I couldn't get it to shoot, kept getting fliers. He offered to buy it back from me which I declined, thinking I'd try different load combos and find something it liked. Never happened. I sent it back to him and he fitted two new barrels to it on his nickel, just charged me for the chambering and machine work. Wasn't much better but I could get 3/4" to 1 1/4" groups @ 100 yds. so I continued to hunt with it.
When I'd had enough and decided to rebarrel again, I approached Kirby Allen, whom I'd "met" on LRH. I sent him the rifle and he diagnosed the trouble. The receiver had not been trued, the lugs had been over lapped and a few other things were not up to his high standards. This was a Rem 700 LA. Kirby said the threads would have to be recut and new barrels fitted. I presented his findings to the original 'smith and although he admitted the receiver probably should have been scrapped from the get go, he said, "well it's been a long, long time and obviously it shot well enough to hunt with." He refused to help me out and would not commit to a figure to perform the needed work.
Selling the rifle to recover some of my losses wasn't an option for me. I can't sell a rifle built by a renowned 'smith that I know won't shoot no matter how many new match grade barrels it's fitted with. That's just making my problem someone else's problem.
Kirby still has the rifle due to problems getting barrrels in a timely manner and partly due to my changing my mind on an item or two.
I want you all to know that I have the utmost faith in Kirby. He is not only a talented 'smith, which you don't find on every street corner, but he is honest to boot. With Kirby you don't get one without the other. I've had a 'smith with all the talent anyone could ask for but he was less than honest. Character trumps talent every time and Kirby has both.
I have never met Kirby, though I hope to someday. He has never built me a rifle, though I hope he does someday. Through email, phone conversations and here on LRH, I've learned of his character. If you know Kirby, I'm surely preaching to the choir. If you don't, you can take this as my opinion. I'm sure my opinion will be matched by many that know him. I'm not defending Kirby, he does a better job of that than I can, I just wanted y'all to know he is the real deal and a perfectionist, which isn't necessarily a good thing when it comes to feeding his family. I'm sure that has cost him plenty over the years. He can't help it, it's who he is.
Good Shooting, Festus
When I'd had enough and decided to rebarrel again, I approached Kirby Allen, whom I'd "met" on LRH. I sent him the rifle and he diagnosed the trouble. The receiver had not been trued, the lugs had been over lapped and a few other things were not up to his high standards. This was a Rem 700 LA. Kirby said the threads would have to be recut and new barrels fitted. I presented his findings to the original 'smith and although he admitted the receiver probably should have been scrapped from the get go, he said, "well it's been a long, long time and obviously it shot well enough to hunt with." He refused to help me out and would not commit to a figure to perform the needed work.
Selling the rifle to recover some of my losses wasn't an option for me. I can't sell a rifle built by a renowned 'smith that I know won't shoot no matter how many new match grade barrels it's fitted with. That's just making my problem someone else's problem.
Kirby still has the rifle due to problems getting barrrels in a timely manner and partly due to my changing my mind on an item or two.
I want you all to know that I have the utmost faith in Kirby. He is not only a talented 'smith, which you don't find on every street corner, but he is honest to boot. With Kirby you don't get one without the other. I've had a 'smith with all the talent anyone could ask for but he was less than honest. Character trumps talent every time and Kirby has both.
I have never met Kirby, though I hope to someday. He has never built me a rifle, though I hope he does someday. Through email, phone conversations and here on LRH, I've learned of his character. If you know Kirby, I'm surely preaching to the choir. If you don't, you can take this as my opinion. I'm sure my opinion will be matched by many that know him. I'm not defending Kirby, he does a better job of that than I can, I just wanted y'all to know he is the real deal and a perfectionist, which isn't necessarily a good thing when it comes to feeding his family. I'm sure that has cost him plenty over the years. He can't help it, it's who he is.
Good Shooting, Festus
