Gunboat Outfitters in Clarence Center (Erie County)

goosifer · November 27, 2019

Yesterday while in the stand I noticed that the housing for the trigger assembly for my Mossberg 930 automatic shotgun was a bit "loose". I decided to get it checked out by a gunsmith. In the past, I would go to Gander Mountain/Gander World in Tonawanda, but with that location going out of business, I wasn't sure if they still had a gunsmith. i did an online search for gunsmiths near me and found Gunboat Outfitters in Clarence Center on Salt Rd. That's not too far away, so I decided to go there. Doug Payne, the owner, runs his gunsmith and machinist business in an outbuilding behind his house. I took in my gun, explained my concerned and he said "Let's take a look". He popped out the two pins that hold the trigger assembly and showed it to me. He said that there was nothing wrong, and the manufacturer allows a certain tolerance or wiggle room for the assembly. He then put it and the pins back in place. I asked him how much I owed him (Noting the sign on the wall that said minimum charge of $35.) He graciously said, "How about just a gratuity?" So I jumped on that, and gave him $10 (My wife yelled at me and called me cheap when I told her this story afterwards.)

We then started talking, and he gave me a tour of his machinist shop. I know nothing about these things, but it looked cool. I said, "I will need to find something I need for you to make for me". He said, "Well, if you have your pistol permit, I can make a single shot black powder pistol for you". He then showed me a couple of (manufacturer-made) ones he had for sale to give me an idea of what they look like. (See pics below.) I don't think I will get something like that, but the point is Doug was a great guy, and if you ever need some gunsmithing or machinist services, I would recommend that you consider him. His facebook page is: here