Friends:

I have been re-building my Ithaca NID Super Ten for ( it seems ) 3 years... wait, it HAS been 3 years. Anyway, after I finished repairing the stock , having cut out the oil-soaked punk wood, glued in new sound wood, glued the minor cracks and re-inletted, I found, to my dismay, that it was loose - bolting was sloppy. This was not noticeable previously, as I had attributed the looseness and slop to the horrible fit in the oil-soaked decayed and split stock. With the stock repaired and sound again, I found that when I shouldered the gun smartly, the barrels kept moving even after the action and stock were firmly set.

What to do?

After a phone conversation, on 30 January, I shipped the gun to Keith Kearcher. According to UPS, it was received by him on Friday 2 February. I didnt get a chance to do a follow up phone call the week of the 5th, so yesterday 12 February, I started to call him. As I was dialing the phone, a FedEx shipment arrived for me. It was my Super Ten. Tight, on-face, and ready to go. With it was a bill for $210 bucks, including shipping and insurance.

The speed for the work was amazing, and the price reasonable - I had expected to pay a good deal more. I am very pleased.

Seemed only fair to tell yall.

Regards

GKT

Greg- It's good, with all the mud being thrown around latley, to read a positive experience. Good luck with the boomer.

Cary

Amen. This certainly echos all the good experiences I've had with Keith over the years!

I to have had wonderful experiences with Keith. The two sets of Damascus barrels he did for me are truly works of art.


Gordon

I seem to send Kieth a few sets of barrels a year. His prices are always fair,and turn around impressive.
Dave

Ditto!!

Greg,

Can you describe the method he used to bring it back on face? There are several ways to go about it, some seem like good ideas and some not. I was wondering how he went about it for future reference. Thanks

Likewise, curious to know what method he used.

You will have to ask him. I havent gutted it to look, but the hook wasnt shimmed.

The play may have all been in the bolting.

Regards

GKT

Keith has done work for me several times, and always with the same good results.

Another thumbs up here.

Similar experience with Mr. Kearcher.

I won't ask him, it's not my gun.

But if it were, I'd want to know.

Rob,

I understand where you are coming from. For me, though, it would be mere satisfaction of idle curiosity. How so, you ask?

I am not a rigger. If I didnt trust the rigger who packed my chute, I wouldnt jump.

I sent the gun to a well known craftsman to be fixed. I have discussed the work with him at some length, and he comes well-recommended. The gun has been fixed. I know that that the pin hasnt been stippled, the hook hasnt been peened, and I am reasonably sure that the fix isnt the product of some kind of half-assed repair. At some point I will likely disassemble the gun and see for myself.

Until then, I am too busy to do so - its a chore to even go out and shoot 50 rounds of skeet, must less a round of sporting, and I havent run 50 rounds through my carry gun in 2 months. And the proof of the pudding is, ultimately: "Does the repair work after I have run 200 rounds throught the gun, or 2000?" We will see. If it doesnt, then I am sure the craftsman will stand by his work. It all boils down to trust, I guess.

My clients have to trust me to get the drainage calculations right, to correctly determine a safe radius for the street curves, and get the correct distances and bearings on the survey data.

I have to trust my rigger and my gunsmith.

I'm content.

Regards

GKT

Ok, good enough. Good luck with it.