Announcing Crispin Arms, and Crispin Fabrication

[Netpackrat]

Wow. I wish you the best of success in your new ventures. It isn't easy to make a living hanging out your shingle as a skilled craftsman... I'm certainly not giving up MY day job to pursue my own similar interests. Insert comment regarding giant brass ones here.

[cageym]

I also wish you the best. I'll keep you in mind for anything I need, and anything I come accross that you can do for others.

[tfbncc]

Chris, my best wishes for your success. I won't say good luck, because I believe you'll make your own luck.

Ray

[Les Nessman]

Best wishes Chris. Your kind of drive and self-determination are sorely needed in this country.

[Rod]

Chris, contact me. I need a hammer fabricated for a Merwin Baby Pocket Pistol in .38 S&W. The firing pin broke off. Dibs on first customer.

[blackeagle603]

Bonzai! God grant you success and good reputation. Gotta be some stock work around here to send you that can ship as is while you wait on the FFL.

I remember telling my dad how conflicted I felt about continuing college and how much I wanted to learn a trade. He pointed to the example of Bezalel and quoted Proverbs 22:29 to me, "Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings, he will not stand before obscure men." He never wanted to go to MIT that much but his Skipper gave him a shot at the V-12 program. He was perfectly happy being a Motor Machinists Mate and just wanted to go back and work his old job at the Chevy dealer shop in Oskaloosa.

[blackeagle603]

I've been thinking about extending the length of pull on my son's .270 back to original. Like to put on a block that matches the grip and forearm caps and a new pad. I'm way backed up on bench projects so it's about #372 on my list.

It's the one with the curly maple custom stock -- would make a nice promo pic for you.

[blackeagle603]

I don't know that it would need completely refinished. It's in nice shape otherwise -- esp for a field gun. I presume it's tung oil so shouldn't that be OK to recoat/refresh and blend transition from a new butt block?

[Rod]

Chris, contact me. I need a hammer fabricated for a Merwin Baby Pocket Pistol in .38 S&W. The firing pin broke off. Dibs on first customer.

Do you have the original piece(s) still? Drawings? Did you want it color case hardened or just torch hardened?

It's likely that my machining and fitting time (I'd guess two hours shop time total, plus a couple hours bench time) is likely to cost a fair bit more than the piece is worth.

I have the original piece, I think it was torch hardened. I can remove the hammer and send it to you. Don't forget this gun was built in the 1880s so, unless it'd cost around 900 bucks to make a piece that's maybe 1 1/2 inches by 3/4 of an inch, I'll pay to have it made. Can't shoot the damn thing as is and there are NO parts available.

[rightisright]

Excellent.

Do you have a long term rent agreement?

A note on the residential plowing: I gave it up a few years ago (and I was getting $50 for a 100' driveway) because the insurance went through the roof and winters here are unpredictable. I would expect the people in your area are less litigious than those in NJ, but you need to CYA as far as slip and fall accidents go.

[McClarkus]

Glad to hear and I hope you do well. I was nervous as could be when I lost a job 12 years ago and was forced into self-employment but it was the best thing that could have happened. Furniture refinishing and repairs is what I am still doing by word of mouth only now so I know you can get it going with Crispin. Best of luck.

[cageym]

Just for laughs google Crispin Arms and this will be one of the first that come up. So when do you open the 12 taps Chris?

[Steamforger]

It scored well, too!

[Nicodemus]

Glad you pursuing your passion. I think the fact that your maintain willingness and ability to do so part time will bring you good fortune. If nothing else for the simple fact that it shows your willingness to be flexible and maintain realistic expectations.

I have recently done the opposite. In September I became a sub contracted technician for uber-mega television signal distribution company and closed the doors on my martial arts training facility temporarily. Between economy, timing and local market finding financial success was a struggle and I realized that for now, until the better half finishes her degree and is employed with it and the two and one year old are in school, my focus should be on providing a stable living for the family.

Opposite still I am happier now as a reliable provider than a chaser of passion. Unfortunately I am often tied up with work between 5am and 7pm or later 5-6 days a week so doing both isn't an option or I would.

I wish you good luck but believe the sum of your experiences and abilities will prevent you from needing it.

[Odahi]

May God bless you and your family, and this new venture. I may even get to your area sometime. I hope to "retire" to the general area in a decade or two- La Grande, OR, in fact. A little south and west of you, but within reach, I think. I truly wish the best for you and your family, with your skill, talent, and drive the business should flourish in no time.

[Rich Jordan]

Best wishes in this. Wish I could be an early customer but I just finished spending a chunk of long-saved money on some hard to get Challenger parts...

[Mike OTDP]

Chris, will you be doing custom rifle cases? I've got a Romano 1st Model Maynard carbine I want a working - not display - case for. And some ideas for a percussion revolver shooter's case, too.

[Mud_Dog]

Good to hear it man! Best of luck with your shop!

[slowpoke]

Hmm;

I was just googling around for a 1911 smith to do a little on my Springfield GI.
I'll have to get back to you after Christmas about that.

[HTRN]

Chris, I hate to say it, but I don't think you're gonna hit that 15k number for the first 90 days. You may or may not do it for the period after that, but the first 90 is where everything is a mess, waiting for paperwork, setting up advertising, etc.

If you want a suggestion - once you get an FFL, buy up some of those new Savage Axis rifles as cheap as possible in 223, and put 300 blackout barrels on them, then put 'em on Gunbroker for 50-100 bucks more than parts - BFG cartridges sells the barrels for around 170 bucks for the 16" ones. All you'd need is the AAC headspace gauges(PTG is having a sale on Blackout stuff right now, I think) and a barrel wrench. You can probably change the whole thing from start to finish in 10 minutes or less. I would look into seeing if this falls under the 50 gun rule(I don't think so, because you're starting with a whole rifle, but don't quote me) to make sure you don't run afoul of BATFE if you wind up selling alot of them.

[slowpoke]

Chris, I hate to say it, but I don't think you're gonna hit that 15k number for the first 90 days. You may or may not do it for the period after that, but the first 90 is where everything is a mess, waiting for paperwork, setting up advertising, etc.

If you want a suggestion - once you get an FFL, buy up some of those new Savage Axis rifles as cheap as possible in 223, and put 300 blackout barrels on them, then put 'em on Gunbroker for 50-100 bucks more than parts - BFG cartridges sells the barrels for around 170 bucks for the 16" ones. All you'd need is the AAC headspace gauges(PTG is having a sale on Blackout stuff right now, I think) and a barrel wrench. You can probably change the whole thing from start to finish in 10 minutes or less. I would look into seeing if this falls under the 50 gun rule(I don't think so, because you're starting with a whole rifle, but don't quote me) to make sure you don't run afoul of BATFE if you wind up selling alot of them.

I thought the edge/axis rifles were threaded differently than the standard Savages?

[HTRN]

It's sorta complicated. Up until 2001, Savage used a smaller thread size, 1.05"x . When they introduced The WSM cartridge in their rifles, they gradually switched to the current, larger 1.125" thread diameter. The Axis uses the older, smaller thread size. Read this for more in depth information.

To add to the headache, Savage introduced a new style barrel nut, ostensibly because the older one was supposedly kind of unappealing visually.

The reason I suggested the axis barrel swap, is it would probably be about the cheapest way to get into a bolt action blackout, and has the added bonus of threading for a suppressor.

And oh, because I forgot to in the other post..

Good luck Chris! I hope you succeed at this.

[Combat Controller]

Sounds interesting. Give me a call soon.

[Kommander]

Will you be able to make cans at some point?

[blackeagle603]

Where's the financial tipping (likely) come for a sole proprietor of this type enterprise? When you get enough work flowing to support use of sub's and direct labor whose time you can mark up and bill?

[Dub_James]

Nice! Best of Luck!!

[mekender]

1) If you want to have me put you in as a referral where I work, let me know.

2) Sometime over the next few (say 6) months, I would like to get a nice, quality bolt gun... Perhaps something comparable to the M40A5 but without having to pay the $5k + that McMillian wants for one. From the sounds of the announcement, that may be a possibility.

3) Are you looking at making your own class 3 items?

[arctictom]

Good luck on your new venture, looks like fun.

[Greg]

And here is Crispin Fabrications first official product for sale:

http://anarchangel.blogspot.com/2011/12 ... oduct.html

By jove, you've got your pot rack in my rafter!
No, you've got your rafter in my pot rack!

That is clever, and useful, and a very low-hanging fruit (easy design, easy to make) with which to begin. And I can imagine who already has the prototype deployed, for 'testing'. Excellent.

[rightisright]

Oy! I just bought a small one to hang over my sink. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001X ... 00_details

You'd figure a guy who owns a contracting company would build his own. I just finished a beautiful 70K cedar siding job on a large house. You should see the siding on my house. Shoemaker's kids and all.

Had I known you were making them...

Don't know if you have one of these or not: http://www.amazon.com/Kreg-K4MS-Jig-Mas ... B0044BBOQK

They are awesome. I did a high-end mahogany screen room last year. I was able to blind-screw most of the wood to wood attachments. For the few I couldn't, that jig was indispensable. Great for picture frames and butt joints, too. Much stronger than a biscuit.

[HTRN]

Kreg makes interesting stuff - they now have a deck jig that puts the screws in the edge at an angle, hiding them.

[Durham68]

If I ever come into the money to add a beaver tail to my Hi-power it's heaed your way.

[rightisright]

they now have a deck jig that puts the screws in the edge at an angle, hiding them.

That's the only tool they make that I don't like. I build A LOT of decks. I use one of these: http://www.hid-fast.com/ or one of these: http://www.deckfastener.com/pages/produ ... on_gun.asp depending on the material.

The Kreg jig leaves very visible screw holes in the side of the decking and it's very labor intensive. If you want to use a method like that (I don't), the Camo system at least comes w. self-tapping screws that even work in Ipe (Ironwood). http://www.camofasteners.com/ I have a one I was given to test if anyone wants it!

Sorry, Chris!

[Frankingun]

Best of luck to you sir!

[JustinR]

Best wishes in your new endeavor, sir.

May I ask, in your experience with 1911's, have you ever performed a rounded "bobtail" conversion similar to the Kimber Super Carry Pro?

[JAG2955]

If I ever come into the money to add a beaver tail to my Hi-power it's headed your way.

I think those look awesome.

You can probably supplement your income by buying all those cheap guns up there and Gunbroker-ing them at 25% over what you paid as soon as your FFL comes in.

[HTRN]

If I had a choice between spindle boresize and space between centers, I'd take spindle bore size any day of the week. Most of the work on barrels is going to be in the head stock.

There are ways around the spindle bore issue - one of the more creative ones I came across was a spacer between the chuck and the mounting plate made from tube, thus extending the chuck 6" or so farther out, which allowed more of the barrel out of the spindle, and still fit.

Don't worry about the stress of spending money on machine tools. Before long, you'll be able to say "Only a thousand? Whata deal!"

[mousegun]

FWIW, if you can come up with a way to make Marlin Camp 9 & 45 trigger housings out of a solvent tolerant material economically, you will probably be able to tap a good niche market. Even though Numrich sells the factory guards for ~$15, anyone who has worked on one knows they are a serious PIA to put together. Why Marlin chose ABS for that part is anyones guess but plenty have been melted by cleaning solvents.

[JAG2955]

How about an extended charging handle for a Camp 45? Should be easy, and I'd want one...

[JustinR]

I have, and I am actually in the middle of another one right now. I'm going to do a series of blog posts on the subject in the next few weeks.

Awesome, I look forward to seeing that. I've been contemplating something along the lines of a Kimber SIS Pro with a rounded bobtail conversion as my next carry gun. Maybe with my tax return next year...

[HTRN]

I looked long and hard at the Camp 45 bottom metal isssue - and like Chris, it boiled down to money. If you could justify a large enough run, having them cast and then broaching the rough opening for the magazine would probably be the way to go, but you're talking tens of thousands of parts to justify that.

Machining from solid stock presents it's own issues - first is the mag well. unless you make it in multiple pieces and then weld/screw them together, you're probably going to have it wire edm'd. This is not cheap - it will probably cost you upwards of 30 bucks each to have it done by an outside jobshop, and that's not in volumes of one either.

The reason why they did it originally ABS is easy: It's cheap to do, especially in a complicated part. They can turn them out rapidly for little cost - I wouldn't be surprised if actual cost per part, even with amortizing the injection die(which are seriously not cheap, especially complicated ones like this would require).

Frankly, If I was going to make one, I'd offer a modified version that took grease gun mags or perhaps Glock Mags, considering both are available with much higher capacities than a single stack 1911 magazine.

[308Mike]

Chris, when do you envision being able to design & make knifes? Or perhaps to ease production, you make the blades and have someone else you trust finish the handles for your fixed-blade knives? Especially since the design and material selection for handles not using heavy industrial materials can take quite a while in the selection and design of such handles. Not too much concern when slapping on a rubber grip or such, but adding stag horn, turquoise, brass, bone, and/or materials takes time and consideration regarding which materials to put next to each other, how to mount them/secure them, their design, etc., etc.

From what I've seen, you could open a business devoted strictly to bladed items (NOTICE I did NOT saw weapon, since what makes a weapon is what you do with it, NOT the innate design of an object - since ALL weapons are simply tools which are used as weapons, some with greater efficiency & effectiveness than others' design, construction, and materials).

Over at the nearby Anza Knives factory in El Cajon (just over the hills and across the freeways from our house), I've seen some incredible handles - some which looked like they took FAR MORE work than making the blade itself!!

I suppose I should have posted this during the Christmas gift-buying season, that if anyone was looking to purchase a fixed-blade knife and wanted me to swing by the Anza knife factory to look for one of their "seconds" and pick it up at a GREATLY reduced price, to just let me know, telling me what you're looking for and how much to spend.

But I want to know when Crispin Arms might be looking to start making blades. My brother is getting out of prison in a little over a year, and I want to get him a special gift to show that we still believe in him, and now that he's clean, we're willing to trust him too. Something special which I can also have the blade engraved to let him know it was custom and made SPECIFICALLY FOR HIM for when he got out of prison (after more than a decade behind bars for drugs, but he refused to roll over on his partners and they stuck him with the full bill - otherwise he'd be dead and so would some of my family who wouldn't have been ready for shiiteheads to attack them). He spent more years behind bars to protect us from what he'd done and not involve the feds into the rest of our family's life. He wasn't worried about me, but he was worried about the others in the family who weren't as aware nor prepared to have to shoot someone at any time to protect themselves and/or others nearby.

Being a convicted felon, I can't get him a custom gun - at least not one he could ever enjoy other than looking at it behind a locked glass case which he doesn't have access to the key. So, I need to get him something else, something he can possess, something he can use, have, and enjoy, and that won't send him back to prison for having it.

Crispin Arms might have the solution to my problem regarding my brother and what I'd like to get him.

[308Mike]

Here's a couple of the Anza Knives handles I was talking about above:

IMG_3412_Turquois_Stag_Handle.JPG

And another:

IMG_3410.JPG

But I've also seen far more beautiful handles along with their VERY robust and incredibly sharp blades made from ground files. Anza Knives does quite well, considering they don't even have an advertizing budget and pay for no advertising. EVERYTHING is by word-of-mouth, and as far as the owner is concerned, that's just fine by him. They don't want to have to rush knife production, but they also wouldn't complain about a gradual increase in knives and special requests.

I got two knife blanks from Anza and sent them to CC for cryo work. He treated them and sent them back, but we haven't heard anything else from them about any changes in durability, longevity, holding an edge, etc., etc. Hopefully, he made them into some great knifes and they've gone on to really please their owners:

Knife Blanks.jpg

[308Mike]

Uhhh... I can do knives right now. At least stock removal knives; which are almost all knives made anywhere.

I have all the proper cutters and saws, grinders, and sanders.

I just don't have a forge set up yet.

If I wanted something made to be a Bowie-style knife, what should I send you, a piece of automotive frame rail (since your forge isn't available, axle pieces are out of the question), or something else large enough (and good enough steel) to cut & grind it down to workable size, like a 20"x8" piece of frame rail?? I know about frame rails, it took me a LONG time to drill through the ones on my RV to mount the scissors jacks to our RV frame, and no, I didn't use high-speed drilling, I learned that from a neighbor who worked down at NASSCO, working on ships they were building for the Navy - he taught me about slow-speed drilling through hardened steel.

My younger brother works in the auto repair industry and has access to a variety of auto-grade steel, so if you want me to get something specific, please let me know. Also, we have a LOT of time until he gets out, but I'd sure like to present him something nice when he gets home.

Ideas, thoughts, musings, ruminations, etc., etc.?