As to the superb photos of the Louis Smith rifle, I too have one of these fine shooting rifles, a .45. I purchased mine over time for about two-thousand dollars in the 80s. I went as far as to take it deer hunting one year and after the first day I put it away for safe keeping. The information about Louis Smith is usually very sparse, I am glad to see him mentioned. His partner never gets a mention, or perhaps he does and no one is aware that they worked together as a team. The two worked side by side in the same shop, and with each firearm built, they would change the maker's name back and forth. Louis one time, the other the next. I am sorry that I cannot remember his name at the moment, CRS you know. I talked to him several times by phone and sent him pictures of the rifle. His thought was my rifle was built around circa 1958. At the time I was working with him, he was having health issues, in his 80s or 90s. So I cut it short and left him alone, not to put a burden on him. He may have passed. I would be glad to post the information that I have, I know exactly where the notes I kept are. Louis did the lock work from scratch and I believe setting the barrel, the other person is responsible for the stock carving, fitting, inlays and engraving. I hope this helps someone, Ed Whitson Worley, Idaho 208-686-1045
When Robert Weil started collecting images for the Contemporary Makers book in 1973 the challenge to record contemporary gun work was daunting. Gathering material was difficult and time consuming. Few makers thought that there was any value in published documentation of their work. Electronic publishing has changed all that. Having a website or having one's work available to view on the internet is becoming a necessity. In spite of all the potential to finally have a true overview of what's being produced by the artists of today, a great deal of work still remains covered up and basically unknown. Our role is to make an effort to document some portion of what’s going on today. To comment on the established makers and to uncover the unknown. We welcome your comments and suggestions and look to you our readers to make us aware of the talented makers out there. Art and Jan Riser Robert Weil and The Makers
As to the superb photos of the Louis Smith rifle, I too have one of these fine shooting rifles, a .45. I purchased mine over time for about two-thousand dollars in the 80s. I went as far as to take it deer hunting one year and after the first day I put it away for safe keeping. The information about Louis Smith is usually very sparse, I am glad to see him mentioned. His partner never gets a mention, or perhaps he does and no one is aware that they worked together as a team. The two worked side by side in the same shop, and with each firearm built, they would change the maker's name back and forth. Louis one time, the other the next. I am sorry that I cannot remember his name at the moment, CRS you know. I talked to him several times by phone and sent him pictures of the rifle. His thought was my rifle was built around circa 1958. At the time I was working with him, he was having health issues, in his 80s or 90s. So I cut it short and left him alone, not to put a burden on him. He may have passed. I would be glad to post the information that I have, I know exactly where the notes I kept are. Louis did the lock work from scratch and I believe setting the barrel, the other person is responsible for the stock carving, fitting, inlays and engraving. I hope this helps someone, Ed Whitson Worley, Idaho 208-686-1045
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