I had the privilege of doing all of Bill's stock work for the last 8 years of his life. I have done Dale Tate's major stock work for the past 15 years. Both men are/were men of integrity. I was honored by Betty Hanus to dispose of all of Bill's shop materials. I bought Bill's quail gun, a DS Lefever 20" Cyl/Cyl shotgun. It is murder on quail (if I do my part). Bill did indeed like small shot at higher speeds. I was given some shells with #9 shot which was used by several people at Flatwater. Good shooting and softer than anyone thought possible for the speed and size of the shot. Many inkballed the targets in the sporting clay course.
Bill had dealing with several gun companies in his 50 years in business. He explained to me that most of his associations with gun companies had to deal with price point for his clients. He wanted quality, reliability in service, and something he could be proud to have his name on. He was very picky in what he accepted. I got to see several of the newer offerings from several companies he dealt with. He was always conscious of the weight and handling properties of the guns. He was not adverse to looking at all brands during the SHOT Show each year to see if he could find a better value for his brand. I miss talking to Bill. He was a fountain of knowledge and experience that I drew upon often for my meeting of customer needs in stockmaking/repairing.
