Hi Folks,
I am considering buying a CPA rifle to get started with, a rifle that would be suitable for Bench Rest with a little offhand thrown in. My choice of caliber is the 38-55. What style butt stock would be my best choice for a bench gun?

Another questions. Where would I get a mold for the 33-40?

Does anyone have an way of contacting Ken Hurst? The e-mails I send all come back.

Thanks,
George

George:

Mr. Hurst can be reached at:

kenhurst @ cox.net (lose the spaces)

or called at 910-221-5288


Glenn

George,

  Another option I haven't tried but know a coupla local shooters that use, is you might see if CPA will make you two stocks and forearms. One dedicated to each type shooting.

Boats,

  Gonna have to disagree with you about CPA's turn around time as far as I'm concerned. I ordered a butt stock, forend, and butt plate from them three months ago. They told me at the time they would deliver in one month. About ready to call them and cancel the order.

PETE

I have shot a CPA in the 52 configeration for years and have won my share of bench matchs with it. Finding the correct hold on the gun is the trick. Today if I wanted a rifle for all around I would have the rifle stocked in the #49 patern. 

40 Rod

boats,

  I'm not familiar with whether CPA does their stock making in house or not. I was under the impression they did. I'm not faulting them since they seem to be like most gunsmiths. Tell you one thing deliver another. They told me one month and it's been over three now and I haven't heard anything from them one way or the other.

  Now I would like to have the stock so my gunsmith can get it on the gun, and I can finish it before next Spring when I need it. If I have to wait much longer I'll have to find another source.

  I normally would have went with Treebone because I've always had real good luck with them. George has always delivered when, or before, he said. But, CPA had the other parts and work I wanted so went with them instead.

  This has just been my experience, and as they say.... YMMV.

PETE

Boats,

  I should, but I believe in not pestering anybody about their products or their delivery times. I don't chase after people to do what they say. If I don't get it, and when I get fed up, I'll just call and cancel the order. They're all adults there and I expect adults to keep their word, or give a good a reason why.... by letter, email, whatever.

PETE

40_Rod,

  Good points.

  Not being in the gunsmith business I would expect tho that a gunsmith would have a reasonable idea of when he will have the work done. When I was working (nuclear welder) and was asked about when a job would be done, that I'd done similar work several times before, I could give them an estimate within an hour or two, a day at most. If I didn't deliver when promised I would usually hear about it. $100,000 to $400,000 a day penalty clauses don't make the bosses happy.

  So, going by your "twice as long as quoted" I have waited an additional month on top of that, and haven't received a letter from them. I guess they want me to call them. Guess you also answered my other thought. When I give them a call it will be to cancel the order.

  I sometimes get the feeling that gunsmiths give you a short lead time because they know what the competition will do and want to beat or equal it. Once they have your order then they can deliver any old time they feel like it. Like you say...... your project might not be something they really want to do.

  Here's a good example of the BS attitude some of these people have.

  Many years ago I ordered a mould from CSS. Was told it would be about 3 months. Ok. No big deal as the 1/2 doz. I'd ordered before from them and Richard Hoch, took about as long. 9 months later I called to asked about it and was told I would have to wait till after the Coor's shoot as they had priority over everyone else. Took another 3 months to get it. Needless to say I've never ordered another one from them, and don't give them any good press. They make top notch moulds, but their service is not customer oriented.

  Possibly it's changed now that there are several nose pour mould makers around but I don't think Richard Hoch would have let that happen when he owned the business. I always got moulds from him before quoted delivery time!

PETE

boats,

  Don't really want to disagree with you on this, and I might have compared apples to oranges in my nuclear comparison. But I thought it was valid since we donn't build many nuclear valves, and only on a one off basis, which would be about how most gunsmiths do it. Actually we did not estimate our lead times. It was dictated by the customer, and we had to figure out how to meet it. So to predict the amount of time that was needed to get stuff from our suppliers...... 18 months for body castings...... out in the weld shop we were asked how long it would take to do the job. If we were of by even a day that had to be made up somewhere else by the supplier, machine shop, or assembly.

  In this regard any gunsmith, stock, and mould maker should be able to give a resonable estimate of the time needed to make their product.

  Now, don't get me wrong. I'm just relating my experiences and everyone can take it for what it's worth. As I said before YMMV!

  There are a LOT of 'smiths and mould makers who deliver on, or before, time quoted. Treebone for stocks, Steve Brooks for moulds, Clark, and Les Baer for custom made handguns, are people I've dealt with that delivered when they said they would, or before. A few others that are deceased now like Richard Hoch and Royland Southgate would be added to that list. I'm sure there are many others I don't know about.

  Again... I know there are sometimes reasons for not delivering when quoted. But, responsible businesses make sure the customer knows about it. It's just plain good business sense! Happy customers are repeat customers. CSS lost a customer that usually gets two or three moulds a year, and CPA's response will make me think long and hard before dealing with them again.

PETE