Who would make a rifle for you?

[angusb1]

Whilst looking into all the different ways to get the perfect rifle I watched this video from a few years ago interviewing Trevor Proctor and was left wondering who else builds rifles like that these days as he's retired?



I liked how he seemed equally skilled at both the metalworking side of things as well as the highly skilled woodworking jobs like cutting chequering. If you were going to have someone make you a rifle who would it be and what action would you base it on?

 

[norcan]

Dorleac & Dorleac

 

[alberta boy]

Probably a Martini Hagn single shot . As you point out , there aren't many left that are equally skilled in metal and woodwork . They are . There's a lot of rifles that are far more practical , but so is a mini van lol .

AB

 

[finnbear270]

Trevor was also happy to fix the smallest of problems, I picked up a Finnbear with an ejection problem, the trade vendors were completely without interest in rifles, I could see the broken off ejector stump in the action body, Trevor repaired this in a very short time slot, glad I went to his on a motorcycle though, just enough room to park one.

 

[John Gryphon]

Rolf Bachnick Melbourne is going to start on my new rifle next week.
Lockdown in Melbourne has precluded my components getting to him.
A mate is arriving this week with venison Salamis and Pastrami and will take the gear back with him to the `smith. He is a German Euro trained proper gunsmith that used to make double rifles from scratch. He may even still dabble in that.
He knows his stuff and I rest easy that his work is 100%. There are gunsmiths that are not actually "gunsmiths" but barrel fitters and trigger adjusters.

 

[jon2]

Dorleac & Dorleac

And Joel is a true gent to boot.

 

[deeangeo]

Nice video with Michael Dickinson & Trevor proctor... some years old now.

 

[User00025]

Unfortunately we lost a very good man not so long ago. Bob Harvey was one of the best, watched him work on a .500 double. He drilled and tubed to 7 X 57 an old Manton hammer .303 for me. Worked then out of Price Street, B' Ham.

 

[angusb1]

Probably a Martini Hagn single shot . As you point out , there aren't many left that are equally skilled in metal and woodwork . They are . There's a lot of rifles that are far more practical , but so is a mini van lol .

AB

I'd never heard of Ralf Martini until just now. I googled Martini Hagn and found this HOLTS Auctioneers. That is lovely. I really like colour case hardening on a rifle and the torx keys for the mount bolts and the safety are really cool.

 

[Jura]

Bob Harvey was one of the best,

Agreed, Bob did quite a lot of work for me when he was at Garlands, I phoned him last year and he said he wasn't doing much now...Shame.

 

[gs jon]

Would build my own .
JB

 

[enfieldspares]

In honesty I'm happy with an off the peg rifle and my secondhand Parker Hale M81 Classic in .30-06 will do all I either want or am capable of. I've owned bespoke rifles....by Bennie Laubscher a South African maker....but the Procter video is the best all in one place "show and tell" of how a bespoke rifle is done from start to finish. Thanks for posting it.

 

[Jura]

Whilst looking into all the different ways to get the perfect rifle I watched this video from a few years ago interviewing Trevor Proctor and was left wondering who else builds rifles like that these days as he's retired?



I liked how he seemed equally skilled at both the metalworking side of things as well as the highly skilled woodworking jobs like cutting chequering. If you were going to have someone make you a rifle who would it be and what action would you base it on?

Mark Mitchell in Acharn, South of Loch Tay will build you a top-class rifle on a modern Mauser action. If you want his details PM me.

 

[angusb1]

In honesty I'm happy with an off the peg rifle and my secondhand Parker Hale M81 Classic in .30-06 will do all I either want or am capable of. I've owned bespoke rifles....by Bennie Laubscher a South African maker....but the Procter video is the best all in one place "show and tell" of how a bespoke rifle is done from start to finish. Thanks for posting it.

I've never shot anything but off the peg so I don't know what the alternative is like . Woodworking and metalworking are hobbies for me so I know how long it would take me to get to the level of skill in tool-making and woodwork that you need to build a rifle like in the video. It's not my full time job so I won't ever have that many hours to spend getting that good at it.

 

[User00025]

Agreed, Bob did quite a lot of work for me when he was at Garlands, I phoned him last year and he said he wasn't doing much now...Shame.

I heard that Bob had passed away.

 

[JH83]

I suspect you’d need to go to London, get the credit card out and prepare yourself for the worst to get anything similar these days....

Rigby are still turning out traditional rifles in house (I assume) and H & H etc but quite clear eye watering prices, and several year waiting list. Holts or guntrader would be my choice, the latter shows 3 proctor rifles for sale. My brother got a lovely 6.5x55 based off a Mauser action by a chap called Bancroft of Glossop, who our research lead us to believe was a understudy of Trevor.

Andy Massingham (Ronin) made a lovely 7x57 based off a Borden action with a Gary Cane stock a few years ago. I’d go along these lines with a trad scope.

 

[alberta boy]

I'd never heard of Ralf Martini until just now. I googled Martini Hagn and found this HOLTS Auctioneers. That is lovely. I really like colour case hardening on a rifle and the torx keys for the mount bolts and the safety are really cool.

That is a nice rifle . Ralf is an interesting guy to talk to , he is the real deal and very approachable . One of the better ones . D'Arcy Echols is another that comes to mind , serious rifles .

AB

 

[HandB]

I bought a little used 1955 BSA Hunter in 7x57 from Holts and it's pretty close to handmade quality in terms of cut, hand-lapped rifling, brilliant trigger, genuine walnut stock etc. Also shoots well. So if anyone is on a small budget like me and wants similar, Holts have four up for grabs now for tiny money:

HOLTS Auctioneers

HOLTS are Europe's leading Auctioneers of Fine Modern & Antique Guns.

auctions.holtsauctioneers.com

HOLTS Auctioneers

HOLTS are Europe's leading Auctioneers of Fine Modern & Antique Guns.

auctions.holtsauctioneers.com

HOLTS Auctioneers

HOLTS Auctioneers

auctions.holtsauctioneers.com

 

[Kalahari]

Money not too much of an object Westley Richards will build you something nice.

David.

 

[Ronin]

There is a Rigby for sale at Holts forthcoming auction and also a Daniel Frazer though they are all priced at the upper end estimates

@JH83 the Bancroft rebarrel is coming along nicely