Chris Simmons

 

Chris Simmons is an Essex based gunsmith who will turn his hand to almost anything in order to service, repair or restore your gun to prime condition.

Chris works for many famous names like Chris Potter and Avalon Guns and most of the big names in the London trade where he is renown for his expertise in ejector work on old English Side-by-Sides; Chris also has the capacity to manufacture new parts from scratch when they are no longer available and he will even make you a brand new set of barrels in keeping with the style and dimensions of any gun.

A speciality is in Stock Adjustment where Chris deploys his gun-fitting and wood bending skills using a special method of infra red lights and cooling fans so that he can turn around a stock from start to finish within just an hour! He regularly visits Francis Lovell on their gun-fitting and instruction days to offer this unique express service.

 

 

Chris is currently much in demand for his work on Top Ribs where he will typically replace an old wide trap rib with a narrower sporting one; this work can take 12 to 14 hours for a ventilated rib but it will transform something like an old Browning A1 into a modern-looking and fashionable object of desire.

Another speciality is his Resleeving work where he will take an old wreck and see it through to a new lease of life complete with re-proof with all joints and rims re-welded and finished so a resleeved gun can be indiscernible from a rebarrelled one.

Chris Simmons’ charges are very reasonable, his workshop is based in Clacton-on-sea and you can reach him on 01255 435 797.

 

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Jim Spalding - the Woodman

    

Jim Spalding is the man for wood in Essex. There isn't much Jim has not come across in making, manipulating and adjusting stocks since he first started in the trade back in 1969.

Jim is best known for his skill in creating adjustable stocks to achieve the perfect gunfit but he can also make you a bespoke one-off stock hewn from a walnut blank. 

    

"Stock in trade" products are:- 

Kick-EEZ  sorbothane Recoil Pads from £73.

Fully Adjustable Combs from £180.

Recoil Reducers from £230.

Jim's main workshop is at home in East Mersea but he is also a regular visitor to the Fennes at Braintree on Saturday mornings where he will assess jobs, advise on the best course of action and perform basic tasks in his workshop there. You can reach Jim on 01206 382477.