doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Keith Kearcher?

I had Mike do barrels for two guns. One gun was done well, and the other very poorly, almost ruined. I won't use him again. I sent a friend's barrels up to Steve Bertram and the work was excellent. That would be my choice.

Ditto. His barrel jointing and trigger work seem to be first rate; damascus refinishing is "correct" for Brit guns but not for most American doubles; wood work is iffy.

Keith is not alone in his inconsistency. I had a gun refinished by a nationally known smith (he even has a plaque in the Cody Museum, so he must be good, eh?), and when I got it back it still needed several adjustments and corrections and replacements to make it right. Replacements included internal parts that had been poorly welded, and we had to rehead the stock to make it fit again. That's twice with that guy, so probably no more. I have only been unequivocally and completely satisfied with two guys, and they are hyper-expensive and backed up for maybe three years.

In Keith's defense, he stands behind his work and seems willing to re-do anything that is not satisfactory.

Restoration of my LeFever A drade was excellent. This included wood work, redoing checkering, Damascus barrel rebrowning and minor pit removal. He will get my next project.

I sent a Parker to him for a leather covered butt pad and to be tightened up. When I got it back the leather pad looked like a road apple that had been rolled sort of into the shape of a buttpad and then glued on with very visible super glue. To tighten the gun he'd soldered a piece of sheet metal to the roll pin. I didn't send it back or complain as it wasn't worth the trouble of returning it but I never sent him a gun again and whenever somebody asks me I tell them about this piece of work. As with everybody else, your experience will vary.


Destry

I hired him once. The bill came to $400 after the $25 discount he offered for a choke reaming he botched. Apparently he thought a correct choke job was worth $50, but a botched one was worth $25.

The gun came back with issues it did not leave with and those cost me $400 to have another gunsmith correct.

I think he is capable of very good work. He has browned barrels for me; one came out very well, one stunk.

That seems to be the problem, i.e., you never know which Keith will do the work on your gun. Before I sent my barrels to him for polish and blue, I looked closely at another set he had done for someone else (same make and grade of gun, same vintage). That set was perfect. Mine came back with multiple issues.

He did very well on the tubes of a high grade Parker, Blue, chokes,chamber length and polish bores.
bill

Sounds to me like Mr. Kearcher is a Jekyll and Hyde gunsmith. From what I've heard here, it's a roll of the dice with him. I wouldn't risk my gun with him.
JR

It reminds me of automotive painters. Every guy who has a paint shop will have a bunch of awards on his wall of car shows he won and photos of cars he's painted. There's no doubt the guy can paint.

But the real question is, "Will he that kind of work for YOU?"