Randy's Custom Rifles

Randy is an experienced gunsmith, custom rifle maker, hand-loader, machinist and tool and die maker. Learn more:

 

 

 

Early History
Randy learned from an early age by the example of his Granddad, Earl Brahler, who was a lodge owner 13 miles from the east gate of Yellowstone National Park,  West of Cody, Wyoming. His Granddad was also, among other talents, a gunsmith and hand loader. Randy was also fortunate to live nearby and have as a close friend, the late Les Bowman who lived on the South Fork, Southeast of Cody on the L-B Ranch, as an outfitter and guide. He tested and wrote magazine articles for all of the major firearms companies, including Colt, Remington, Winchester, Weatherby and others. As a trained engineer, gun tester and expert ballistician he also tested products for the major scope manufacturers and reloading component companies, writing the results in industry magazines here and abroad. Randy spent thousands of hours, while in Cody and later years in the different locations where Les was living, helping and learning from Les as he was testing firearms, scopes and components starting at the tender age of 8 until Les’s death in 1987 when Randy was 36. Les was one of the most qualified men in this country to test rifles and the large gun companies and gunsmiths sent their rifles to Les for product testing.

 

   Certification
Randy spent two years, 1969-1971, earning an Associate Degree in Applied Sciences with a major in Gun Smithing, in the department founded by P. O. Ackley, at Trinidad State Junior College. He studied under the direction of Bill Prator, Ed Shulin and Warren Key.
In the late 70’s he worked for Speer, Inc., founded by Vernon Speer, located in Lewiston ID, and was instrumental in developing machinery to produce their line of boat-tailed bullets. He built a variety of accuracy and pressure testing rifles for Speer.
From there he worked for Don Burris of Burris Scope Company, formerly of Redfield, in Greeley, Colorado as their prototype tool & die maker and machinist. At the same time, through all of years of school and then working for these two companies and others, he was building accurate precision rifles and doing extensive ballistic testing. He has saved a record of all of the results of his ballistic testing from all of these years.

 

 

   More About Randy
Randy has been building rifles since 1969 and is a very experienced gun maker, hand-loader, machinist and tool and die maker. He learned from an early, by example of his Granddad, Earl Brahler, who was also a gunsmith, hand-loader and lodge owner. Randy was also fortunate to live near the late Les Bowan as his mentor and close friend. Les lived on the lower South fork L-B Ranch and he wrote for many publications and tested firearms for all of the major firearm companies, including Cold, Remington, Winchester, Weatherby and others. Les was a trained engineer, firearms tester and hand-loader. Randy spent thousands of hours, starting at 8 years old, helping and learning from Les, very hands-on, as Les was testing firearms. Also, when he was 8, Les introduced him to Col. Townsend Whelen. Les was the most qualified of all the men in this country to test rifles and the large gun companies and gunsmiths sent their rifles to les for product testing. Much of what Randy does and knows is from the foundation learned from Les’ friendship and tutoring. His schooling and many years of experience since has grown from that formative and fortunate foundation.

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