I came late to shooting and hunting. While still going to gun shows to buy camo and ammo about 20 years ago I was surprised to meet a gentlemen at a booth at a show in white Plains, NY. He was in the basement of the County Center building surrounded by fake military pins, milsurp clothes and jerky but his wares were like none I'd seen. His name is George Beitzinger and he still makes custom guns, mostly Mausers, in Brooklyn, NY.
He worked at G&H when Joe Fugger was there, I'm not sure when he went out on his own. Michael, I'll call him again this week to see if he wants to talk.
Most of the top makers today are on the west coast, it's nice to have someone in my backyard. George's guns come up for sale, here are a few.
I have no idea what others think of his work and truthfully I have not handled enough guns by other makers to put George in a ranking, nor do I care to. But that's not what matters to me so much as George was very polite to this neophyte, took time to explain his work and gave me the peek in the door that has snapped at my heels to this day.
