For those of us who want something “just right” and like their hand- guns personalized to their specific needs — or just something “purty!” — then a top-notch custom gunsmith is your best option. But how do you find the artisan fitting your needs? The following is a detailed listing of some of the best custom gunsmiths and gun makers out there today. So, take a look and get going on your next great project! Special thanks to the American Pistolsmiths Guild for help in compiling this listing. Some information may have changed by press time.
Les Baer's American Handgunner Special Edition 5" 1911 is a collaboration between American Handgunner magazine and Les Baer, with readers' ideas of a "perfect" 1911 tossed into the mix. Available from www.lesbaer.com.
Alpha Precision
Art Enterprises
AT Custom Gunwork
Alan Tanaka
17924 South Hobart Blvd. Gardena, CA 90248
(310) 327-2721
Bar-Sto Precision Machine
Ben Van Dyke
29000 Highway V, Smithville, MO 65350
(660) 281-4155
Better Firearms Design
Clifford H. Benjamin
1032 Ridgewood Ave. Daytona Beach, FL 32117
(386) 523-6590 | www.betterfirearmsdesign.com
Caspian Arms
Gary Smith
75 Cal Foster Dr. Wolcott, VT 05680
(802) 472-5217
Colby Brandon
P.O. Box 755, Fort Davis, TX 79734
(432) 466-4843 or (432) 426-2791 | ocotillo.outfitting@hotmail.com
Curtis Custom Shop
Michael Curtis
212 Wren St. North Martinsburg, WV 25401
(304) 267-1984
Cylinder & Slide, Inc.
William Laughridge
245 East 4th St., Fremont, NE 68025
(402) 721-4277 | wrl@cylinder-slide.com | www.cylinder-slide.com
D&L Sports, Inc.
Dave Lauck
P.O. Box 4843, Chino Valley, AZ 86323
(928) 636-1726 | dlsports@cableone.net | www.dlsports.com
Defensive Creations
Dave Laubert
253 Maplewood Dr., Alliance, OH 44601
(330) 823-6906 | dave@defensivecreations.com
| www.
Derr Precision
Greg Derr
25 Rockwood Rd., #2, Marshfield, MA 02050
(781) 834-3225 | greg@derrprecision.com
| www.
Doug Turnbull Restorations, Inc.
Doug Turnbull
6680 Route 5 & 20, P.O. Box 571, Bloomfield, NY 14469-0471
(585) 657-6338 | turnbullrest@mindspring.com | www.turnbullrestoration.com
Ed Brown Products
Engineered Revolvers & Semiautomatics
Gun Craft, Inc.
Harrison Design
John Harrison
4313 White Hickory Ln., Kennesaw, GA 30152
(770) 419-3476 | john@harrisoncustom.com
| www.
Heinie Specialty Products
Infinity Firearms
Sandy Strayer
71229 Interstate Hwy 20, Gordon, TX 76453
(800) 928-1911 | info@sviguns.com
| www.
Jeremy Sides
310 North College Ave., Geneseo, IL 61254
(309) 314-4712 | teamrollingrock@hotmail.com
Jim Garthwaite, Pistolsmith, Inc.
Jim Garthwaite
12130 State Route 405, Watsontown, PA 17777
(570) 538-1566 | email@garthwaite.com
| www.
John Yanek Custom Gun Works
John J. Yanek
5227 Foxcroft Dr., P.O. Box 222, Schnecksville, PA 18078
(610) 767-4423 | john@yanekcustom.com
Kart Precision Barrel Corp.
Fred Kart
3975 Garner St. SW, Shallotte, NC 28470
(910) 754-5212 | info@kartbarrel.com
| www.
Koppco Industries
Terry Kopp
1105 S. Business Highway 13, Lexington, MO 64067
(816) 529-1337
Kustom Ballistics
Neil Keller
1684 E 900 N, Decatur, IN 46733
(260) 724-3065 | kellers@mchsi.com
|www.
Lucas Machine & Welding
Les Lucas
27 Ponderosa Dr., Colona, IL 61241
(309) 441-6172
Mag-Na Port International, Inc.
Kenneth Kelly
41302 Executive Dr., Harrison Township, MI 48045-1306
(586) 469-6727 | email@magnaport.com
| www.
Marvel Custom Guns, Inc.
Alan Marvel
3922 Madonna Rd., P.O. Box 168, Jarrettsville, MD 21084-1034
(410) 557-6545 | almarvel@zoominternet.net
| www.
Michael Watkins
1311 Spencer St., Grinnell, IA 50112
(800) 741-0015, ext. 5479 | mdwatkins@windstream.net
Northern Virginia Gun Works
Oglesby & Oglesby Gunmakers, Inc.
William D. Oglesby
744 W. Andrews Rd., Springfield, IL 62707
(217) 487-7100
Pinnacle High Performance Revolvers
Mark Hartshorne
130 Penn Am Dr., Suite D-1, Allentown, PA 18951
(610) 285-4392 | pinhart@ptd.net
| www.
Powder River Precision, Inc.
Daniel Bachelor
3835 23rd St., Baker City, OR 97814
(541) 523-4474 | sales@powderriverprecision.net
| www.
Reeder Custom Guns
2601 E. 7th Ave., Flagstaff, AZ 86004
(928) 527-4100 | gary@reedercustomguns.com
| www.
Sand Burr Gun Ranch
Ashley Gibbons
2111 E. 350 North, Rochester, IN 46975
(574) 223-3316 | sandburrgunranch@gmail.com
| www.
Springfield Custom
David Williams
420 W. Main St., Geneseo, IL 61254
(309) 944-5631 | www.
SSK Industries
J. D. Jones
590 Woodvue Ln., Wintersville, OH 43952
(740) 264-0176
Ten-Ring Precision, Inc.
Alex Hamilton
1449 Blue Crest Ln., San Antonio, TX 78232
(210) 494-3063 | alex@tenring.com
| www.
TGF Services
Richard Fried
24808 Dunnavant Dr., Gaithersburg, MD 20879
(301) 253-2789
TK Custom
Tom Kilhoffer
503 N. Church St., P.O. Box 333, Thomasboro, IL 61866-0333
(217) 643-2002 | tom@tkcustom.com
|www.
Tripp Research
Virgil Tripp
P.O. Box 2240, Bastrop, TX 78602
(512) 321-9445 | info@trippresearch.com
| www.
Tussey Custom
Terry Tussey
24 Moonlight Rd., #A, Carson City, NV 89706
(775) 246-1533 | ttussey45@aol.com
| www.
Wild West Guns
Jim West
7100 Homer Dr., Anchorage, AK 99518
(907) 344-4500 | alaska@wildwestguns.com
| www.
Wilson Combat
Bill Wilson
2452 County Rd. 719, Berryville, AR 72616
(800) 955-4856 | bill@wilsoncombat.com
| www.
