East Taylor LLC repro handguards?

[madsenshooter]

Larry E. Price used to make the forearms with the cleaning rod slot Mark. I would guess installing a filler would be up to the buyer. I had some fitting problems with one I got from him, rear was a little small, but I had some extra still on the old stock. The splice is barely under the band rather than at the rear of it where I'd prefer.

[Dick Hosmer]

I would not buy anything from that scumbag if he were the last parts supplier around. Poster boy for putting up flaky stuff with no return allowed, then absolutely refusing to answer questions, even though (to look like a nice guy, I guess) he solicits same in his boilerplate.

[madsenshooter]

I got the same cold shoulder when it came to asking a question, or offering feedback on his product. No reply.

[Dick Hosmer]

F**k him - he's not worth any further transmission of electrons - there's other fish in the sea!

[Dick Hosmer]

Ben Rice was a master.

Yes, he was, except for that weird pinkish color on his early work - but the fit was always good.

[Rick the Librarian]

F**k him - he's not worth any further transmission of electrons - there's other fish in the sea!

Now, Dick, don't hide your feelings, tell us how you really feel!!

[Mark Daiute]

Larry E. Price used to make the forearms with the cleaning rod slot Mark. I would guess installing a filler would be up to the buyer. I had some fitting problems with one I got from him, rear was a little small, but I had some extra still on the old stock. The splice is barely under the band rather than at the rear of it where I'd prefer.

The rifle doesn't deserve that level of, level of.... well I don't know what to call it. Restoration will have to do until I come up with something better. My point was that the stretching of that one went well, so well I forgot it was stretched back, even if it was only for a while. The rifle has a wonderful, tight barrel. I wonder if it was re-barreled while still in service. What's that late cartouche? BA? FA? the one in the very square box? This rifle has the remnants of one of those and as posted before, one day as I was picking it up I realized there had been a cartouche on the starboard side of the wrist. This rifle came to me with a scope with a weaver mount. The scope and the mount are now on a rifbine I assembled from parts. The two holes in the 1892 receiver have been filled and aren't overly obnoxious. Certainly not as obnoxious as the scope and mount. for now it's as close as I'm gonna get to an 1892.

[madsenshooter]

Starboard side, S.W.P. 1894 between serial #s 1177 and 1932. I think most of the 92s got re-barreled at some point in their service. Course not all or we wouldn't have any original examples left. BA was the Benica Arsenal's refurb cartouche, the BA usually followed by the inspector's initials. I guess there were also SA and RIA refurb cartouches, and someday I might figure out what the J mark on some of them are. They didn't start using the refurb cartouches until 1908. That would have been after barrel making got tightened up a bit by the invention of the star-gage, circa 1905.

From the first, great concern over the uniformity of the bore diameter of the new service rifle prompted the use of a mechanical bore measuring device known as the "star gage"... (yes, that's "gage", not "gauge")... the device had "fingers" that extended into the lands and grooves to measure the size of the barrel. The Krag Rifles had suffered from a lack of uniformity and the "star gage" (circa 1905) was designed to correct the deficiency. By 1909 it was discovered that the more modern methods of rifling the '03's barrels had resulted in a product that would pass the "star gage" test in well over 90% of all the new rifles.

[madsenshooter]

Look what yahoo saved for me!

East Taylor handguard. I was wrong, the ill fitting one was for the 1898/1902 sight. Guy swore up and down it fit, my stock must've been sanded. So I sent him a pic of a GI handguard on it, no gap. Was told not to buy from him anymore and he reluctantly refunded my money. 2008 pic, coming back to haunt him. Problem was the sight slot was cut off, I probably could have fixed it it, but for the money didn't feel I should have to.

[Mark Daiute]

Bummer. So who does that leave us with for good replacements? Especially sad since, IIRC, Jack Schwartz is a member of the KCA.

[Dick Hosmer]

Perhaps we should just pay the price of real ones? They CAN be had, just not on the cheap. I recall Bob's (who is a decent guy) case, and the seller seems to have forgotten the prime directive.

I'll re-state an earlier position: There is absolutely NO reason why the suppliers cannot provide PERFECT handguards - period. If they do not, f**k'em!

Actually, I'm simply turned off by the name "East Taylor LLC" - sounds (and apparently acts like) like a law firm. Who tells a customer - when they've given them a substandard product - that they won't sell to them again? I'd tell you, but the answer wouldn't be PC.

[Rick the Librarian]

Bottom line ... (since I started this thread) - I'll continue to look for a broken handguard that I can have Rick Borecky piece together with the one on the carbine currently. The more I think about it, a reproduction handguard of whatever quality, just wouldn't look right with the condition my carbine is in.