Ferris Pendel

[Trickymissfit]

Just heard a few minutes ago that we lost Ferris this morning! Ferris was one of the last great inovators in the shooting world. A true genius in his own time, and now gone forever. I'd like to think he's up there working on some new project with Homer Culver (another absolute genius)
gary

 

[Kevin Cram]

Ferris will be greatly missed. He was a great inventor and is the co-originator of the pointing die and a great asset to long range shooting in general. Also most of you have heard of the 6 PPC. Well one of the "P's" is for Pendel the other is for Paulmasono the "C" is for cartridge. Just a few of the things that Ferris will be forever remembered for.

 

[eddybo]

I think he was a retired tool and die maker. I have heard stories of gadgets that he would make, one in particular comes to mind. He once gave Dr. Sam Nadler a little piece of steel with hole through it. In that hole was a close fitting pin. It was just a doodad paper weight novelty thing. The pin would slide from side to almost like a hydrolic fit. Even though they had been warned to never remove the pin, Don Geraci removed it. The fit was so precise they could not reinstall the pin, and had to send it back to Ferris for reinstallation.

 

[Trickymissfit]

I use a .222 Remington die set he built many moons ago. They're very much like a Wilson die, but the body is made of aluminum! Just as tight today as they were fifteen years ago. A guy I used to shoot with had a cigar box full of reamers that Ferris traded to him. Ferris built a case gauge that maybe the best I've ever seen; yet nobody has ever marketed it. He also built a gauge to check bullets years before anybody ever thought about bullet quality. I've seen some imitations, but nothing of that quaity.

The PPC cartridge was a bust till Ferris went to work on it! The idea came from Palmasano in PA, but he was having some problems. Ferris also did a lot of work with the .222 and a few others long before. You take Ferris, and Homer Culver along with Mike Walker, and you have three men that operated years and years ahead of the crowd. I'd have loved to seen Culver and Ferris operate a shop together! Both were master tool makers and master gunsmiths. But most of all master thinkers!
gary

 

[AJ Puckett]

I think he was a retired tool and die maker. I have heard stories of gadgets that he would make, one in particular comes to mind. He once gave Dr. Sam Nadler a little piece of steel with hole through it. In that hole was a close fitting pin. It was just a doodad paper weight novelty thing. The pin would slide from side to almost like a hydrolic fit. Even though they had been warned to never remove the pin, Don Geraci removed it. The fit was so precise they could not reinstall the pin, and had to send it back to Ferris for reinstallation.

He also loved to shoot billiards. He made many pool sticks. I was lucky enough I got to spend some time at his home with he and his wife and shot a little pool. He showed us some of the items he had made. At that time he had made several pool sticks... I was lucky enough to purchase a few... they were all one of a kind. He was a fine man.

 

[J E Custom]

Just heard a few minutes ago that we lost Ferris this morning! Ferris was one of the last great inovators in the shooting world. A true genius in his own time, and now gone forever. I'd like to think he's up there working on some new project with Homer Culver (another absolute genius)
gary

Sorry to hear that.
I did not know him personally, But followed his achievements and his philosophies and applied them as often as possible.

Like PO Ackley, he was an innovator and did not except the status quo.

J E CUSTOM

 

[EddieHarren]

For no other reason than historical clarity, it was Pindel & Palmisano.