Twin Cities, Minnesota: Any gunsmiths? Black powder shotgunners?

[toggy]

I am looking for "official" or amateur gunsmiths to barter with just for simple stuff like confirming chamber lengths and shotshell reloading advice. It'd be cool to have someone in the area to ask questions. I am a decent hunter but not as good of a gunner. I am willing to barter computer help and custom knives among other things.

Currently I am (slowly) working on shooting a 1900 L C Smith sxs 12 gauge...

Tom

 

[DaleA]

It might be worth while to check with Magnum Wheel Man. He made a .25 caliber Ruger Blackhawk.

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=549476&highlight=25+blackhawk

You might try Joe’s Sporting Goods. They have an in house gunsmith. I have very little experience with the gunsmith there but he did mount a scope on a new rifle and that turned out just fine.

I have NOT had much experience with gunsmith’s in the Twin Cities but a couple poor examples were a garage gunsmith that tried to fix a leading problem with a Colt .22 conversion unit for a 1911 where the floating chamber was leading up something fierce. His fix didn’t fix it but it didn’t harm the gun and he offered to try again for no charge (I turned him down) so no harm no foul there…

A small gun shop that is no longer in business took in a revolver to have the rear sight blade replaced. It had come out of the adjustable rear sight. I just needed the blade. Six weeks went by and I went in and took the gun back, they had never looked at it and didn’t charge me anything so again, no harm no foul. FWIW I found a thin piece of scrap metal and cut and ground and filed myself a replacement sight blade (actually four or five of them) in a couple hours. I don’t think they fit as well as the original but they do work and of course with several spares available the first one I made has never failed.