Hey all so I have been looking into gunsmiths all over the state. Just trying to get a feel for what's already there. Is there anything that you guys would like to see or hope not to see?

I ask because I am a gunsmith who is looking to open a full gunsmith/machine shop. We looked at Portland but I think a town close by might be better like salem. So please chime in with any input you have for services you want or locations. One big thing I do want to push is having parts in stock for common firearms. As well as try to carry stuff you generally only find on line. And I also want to have a "try it on" line up for every ccw holster we would carry where you could bring in you unloaded pistol and try it on before you buy one brand new.

Thanks for any input

Funny you should post this.  I was playing with the idea of having a new barrel put on one if my rem 700's.  Maybe having the new barrel drilled and tapped for irons.

I actually just did 2 custom barrels recently. A green mountain for a Mauser with 2 1/2 contour and the other was a pacnor on a marlin 336.

But it looks like we are gonna do either Colorado or Oregon. Just trying to get a feel for the firearm community out there.

What do you typically charge for a barrel swap on a Rm 700?

like you just want the barrel you have on there taken off and another one put on and nothing else done to it? or do you need it turned down, threaded, ect?

It was my understanding I could already buy the barrel profile I wanted on a rem 700.  Am I wrong?

If not I would need it turned down to a standard hunting contour, old barrel off, new barrel on, and maybe drilled and tapped for irons.

so you can buy a barrel already at a contour you want. but generally they still need to be threaded and chambered... now if you have a barrel that you know will just screw on cause its already been head spaced to your action, and just need it swapped I could do that for $20.  if you need it threaded, chambered, head spaced, crowned, fit to the action, your probably looking $150. and if you have all your work done through me I can hot salt blue it, park it, or Cerakote it. and the price would vary based on which you would want done but I could lower the price a little as a package deal.

figure if you want to add on more work to the gun I can reduce the costs slightly to help you out if needed. like if you also wanted it threaded for a brake, trigger job (either changing the trigger, changing the weight, or just cleaning the one up that's in there), stuff like that I would be able to work to do "package" deals for the individual customer if you have multiple services you wanted done.

We are still looking into locations at both OR and CO. just trying to find out which place would be best to open up a full service shop, and we want to have room for a classroom as well.. and our hope is within 12 months of being open as long as things go well we want to start on a indoor shooting rage.

if you have any other questions I will do my best to answer them

Really reasonable prices.  Hope you come out to OR.  PM me if you do, I'll send some buisnes your way.

You'll do well here.  Rich's GS, in Donald, charges $85 just to drill a hole.....

Tri-county GC is in Sherwood.  Open up nearby and there is a huge market of competitive shooters.

thanks for the input guys... the way I figure it if I takes me lets say 30 minutes to drill and tap for the scope you want, for the other 30 min I can throw it in a sonic cleaner, or you can pay me a little more and throw in a trigger job, maybe install new sights... if your paying me for 1 hours worth of work ill get in as much as I can for that hour your paying for...

or find a deal that works for both you and me(the business) where you can walk away with a better product than what you came in with, be happy about it, and I can make some money without having to worry about breaking someone bank. and after 10 years in the army I require anything that leaves my bench or shop to meet, or hopefully exceed industry standards. I really want to make a gunsmithing, firearm, and firearm accessories store, that works for everyone... and like I said before my big thing for the retail side is I really want to have products (like the CCW holsters, slings, ect) that you normally have to buy find out they suck and are stuck with them, I want to have those items in a showroom where you can come in and try them before you buy them. and I want to have guns that either myself or other employed gunsmiths have worked on that we can showcase to the customers(you guys) so you can se what your getting in your hands before you ever pull out your wallet..

There is a place in Clackamas County for you.    We need a real gunsmith out here.   Several ranges, Douglas Ridge, Esacada Rod and gun  and few others.    You don't want to move to Salem.....  To close to  those people that consume tax payer money and do nothing but make our lives harder....

Just out of curiosity, why would you take a gun-related business to Colorado?  I was under the impression that gun-related businesses were looking at leaving Colorado, but maybe I'm wrong.

A small town with a population of about 25K, is south of Portland by about 10 miles and resides at the intersection of two interstate freeways (5 and 205), Tualatin is what I think is a good choice.

It's very industrial  and the city government seems to favor it.  That said, there are many manufacturing facilities as well as industrial / light industrial parks throughout so there would be plenty of places to open shop.

The town itself is a good town to live in.  It's laws are reasonable (no open container law so you can have a wine Wednesday party, walking between neighbor's houses for example) , there are no slums and no high concentrations of apartment dwellings - they're distributed around the city center with neighborhoods beyond that.

One of the states best gun clubs is just outside the city (TGCG), a few knife manufactures are close by with Warne scope mounts and Kershaw knifes being in the heart of town.   Cabela's is currently building a store here too - the second one in Oregon.

Being close to the two interstates, it takes less than 10 minutes usually from anywhere in town to get on the interstate.  From there it is a 20 minute drive to Portland, 30 to the PDX airport, 30 minutes to Salem and 90 minutes to both the coast (west) or mountains (east)

If you like the NBA, the Portland Trail Blazers practice here and many of the players / ex-players call this their home.

It's school district is shared with the neighboring town to the north, Tigard,  but Tualatin has only one high school.

Lastly, it has way more churches than it does bars (my english professor once said you can judge a town - good or bad - by that radio, haha!!)

Here are a few links for more information:


http://tualatinchamber.com/

http://www.tcgc.org/

http://www.tualatinoregon.gov/

http://www.bridgeport-village.com/

http://choosewashingtonstate.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Tualatin_EDPM_Spec-2013.pdf

We do need a good gunsmith here in the Portland metro.

First off thanks for the replies... I have been swamped lately. Thanks who posted above with all the info.. you make a good case and I will have to look into it. and to the guy who asked about Colorado. Colorado has just been a option because me and my old lady both are out doorsy people. I like the country. and the big thing is finding a market I can be successful in and not push someone else out on their butt.

. just finished up a 1911. I have a small thing I have left that I want to do... But a list of work would be:

-Wilson combat hammer (fitted to sear at .020)
-Sear stoned to the hammer. 4.5lbs trigger pull with no creep
-EGW trigger stoned to fit the frame (just full trigger job really)
-smith and alexander grip safety (fitted to the ears on the frame)
-Bobtailed with a chain link main spring
-rails tightened for a slide to frame fit just over .001 (its a made to be a carry gun)
-EGW barrel bushing with carry cut fit to .001
- dehorned the whole way through for carrying
- Trijicon HD sights
-Kart barrel hand fitted
-VZ grips
-Cerakoted
-and my own custom work done to the front strap which I have been told is " that's freaking amazing!"

sorry for crappy cell phone picks I asked my girl friend to just take pics real quick.