To create this list, I asked top-level shooters, instructors and riflemen to name custom gunsmiths they relied on to build their high-performance rifles.
There are gunsmiths on this list you may have never heard of before. I tried to list professionals in different parts of the country who might operate small shops but do great work.
If your favorite isn’t on this list, don’t be offended—it isn’t meant to be a slight to other builders. Nor is it a “top 10” list. It’s meant to be a list of gunsmiths who will do top-notch work, build what you want, give good advice and provide honest turnaround times. In the end, those are the things that really matter when it comes to your shooting!
Scroll through our list of custom gunsmiths below. Also, be sure to let us know who you use in the comment section.
Custom Gunsmiths
American Precision Arms
- 55 Lyle Field Road, Jefferson, Ga., 30549
- americanprecisionarms.com; 706-367-8881
- Its Paragon and hunting rifles are standouts on APA’s list.
Match Armorers Shop
- 27349 County Road 31, Springfield, Colo., 81073
- 719-353-2515
- This shop specializes in M1A, competition and hunting rifles.
Preece Precision
- 7984 S. 2250 E. South Weber, Utah 84405
- 801-425-0436
- Preece is best known for PRS rifles.
Saltzman Gun Works
- 3896 S. 400 W., Tipton, Ind., 46072
- saltzmangunworks.com; 765-675-2040
- This shop is known for tactical and competition rifles.
Sawtooth Rifles
- 4500 Pacific Avenue SE, Lacey, Wash., 98503
- sawtoothrifles.com; 970-213-5039
- Sawtooth specializes in PRS, ELR and hunting rifles.
Ski Rifles
- 204 Lucky Lane, Pendleton, Ind., 46064
- polishavenger358@comcast.net; 317-401-6222
- This shop is known for bench rest, hunting and long-range rifles.
Snowy Mountain Rifles
- 2935 Stockyard Road, Missoula, Mont., 59808
- snowymountainrifles.com; 406-546-8732
- This shop specializes in long-range hunting and tactical rifles.
Spartan Precision Rifles
- 2128 N. First Street, San Jose, Calif., 95131
- spartanrifles.com; 408-451-9850
- Spartan is known for its F-class/bench rest and PRS rifles.
Stewart Rifles
- 479 Whitefish Road, Watson, Okla., 74963
- stewartrifles.com; 580-703-3442
- Stewart is best known for tactical and hunting rifles.
Walker Custom Rifles
- 19234 Inglewood Road, Culpeper, Va., 22701
- walkercustomrifles.com; 540-399-1632
- Walker specializes in match, hunting and tactical rifles.
This story is from the 2019 Precision edition of Ballistic Magazine. Grab a digital or physical copy over at OutdoorGroupStore.com.
