New Maker of Cowboy Guns incl. Henries

[Long Johns Wolf]

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Stumbled over Great Gun: www.greatgun.eu. They are a small outfit run by gunsmith dad and son in the Southwest corner of the Czech Republic on the Austrian Border. Gun production is done on CNC machinery.
The make among others:
# Henries in all calibers your heart desires incl. the .45 ACP which seems to be a favorite round in these parts, or .38 Special
# SAA's
# Win 73s
Great Gun offers a life long warranty on their guns.
The Czech Republic was always famous for their quality gun making and they steel!
Even if you don't read the language scroll down on the website and check out the pics of the Henries: their dimensions seem to be closer to the original then Italian clones.
Did some research on them. According to Czech cowboy competition shooters their guns are excellent quality.
Talked to them on the phone the other day through an interpreter: delivery time against firm order is ca. 2 months. Plan to visit them at the end of October to get some first hand impression and see if they will make me a .44 Colt cal. Henry in correct dimensions. If they can make the Henry in .45 ACP there should be no issues  with the carrier block in a .44 Colt version.
Will share my impression when I am back.
Long Johns Wolf

[Coffinmaker]

LJW,

Look forward to your report.  The "Transitional" Henrys look real interesting.  Side plate attachment resembles the '66.
I didn't see any pictures of the '66 or '73.  Very interesting they are making a Henry in .45 ACP. 
It would be very nice if they were making the Henry and the '66 in .44 Russian.  Very close to a .44 Henry Central Fire.  Now to see if someone here finds out enough about them to begin import .................

Coffinmaker

[Fox Creek Kid]

Fellas, are you SURE they are MAKING guns from scratch or am I confused? The photos in the main gallery are stock Uberti photos. Perhaps they are altering stock Uberti rifles(?). 

[Long Johns Wolf]

FCK: you are right about the catalogue type pics. They seem to be copies from Uberti or Army Sport.
But the other pics are for real. There was a report about this outfit in the September issue of one of our 2 gun magazines.
The jounalists had visited the little plants, took pics of rifles in various stages of production, and wrote that the Henry, Henry Traditional, Win 66 & 73 and SAAs were made on CNC machinery and from scratch.
The latter was confrmed by a few Czech owners of these guns that are members of the European CAS community.
The writers did not comment on the Win 92.
None of the Great Gun guns have surfaced in Germany or Austria yet.
I am curious and like to learn more. I like to find out what they are really doing and visit them at the end of next month.
Long Johns Wolf

[Bow View Haymaker]

I already want a stainless 92 trapper in .45 ACP

[Fox Creek Kid]

FCK: you are right about the catalogue type pics. They seem to be copies from Uberti or Army Sport.
But the other pics are for real. There was a report about this outfit in the September issue of one of our 2 gun magazines.
The jounalists had visited the little plants, took pics of rifles in various stages of production, and wrote that the Henry, Henry Traditional, Win 66 & 73 and SAAs were made on CNC machinery and from scratch.
The latter was confrmed by a few Czech owners of these guns that are members of the European CAS community.
The writers did not comment on the Win 92.
None of the Great Gun guns have surfaced in Germany or Austria yet.
I am curious and like to learn more. I like to find out what they are really doing and visit them at the end of next month.
Long Johns Wolf

OK, thanks. I found the correct section and they look GREAT!!  

http://www.greatgun.eu/index.php?/fotogalerie/vyroba-westernovych-zbrani-great-gun-4

Notice how they are making the '66 receiver with a shorter ejection port like an original!! WOW!! 

[Pettifogger]

I like the 66 with the correct size carrier.  Wonder if it comes with a short stroke kit? 

[Mako]

I like the 66 with the correct size carrier.  Wonder if it comes with a short stroke kit? 

Doesn't look like it, look at the link pivot point.  But, they are using a coil mainspring... (and they have an odd angle on the trigger)



~Mako

[Coffinmaker]

So far, I haven't seen Pictures of a '73 or '66.  Those brass frames with loading gates are Transitional Henrys.  Still, pretty close to the correct size carrier.  I do like the Coil Main Spring.
The links are also quite different from Uberti.  I'm sure a Short Stroke could be jenned up but wonder if anyone would bother unless the '73 becomes reality and a popular import.  We also don't know if they will standardize.
Could also be they will only make a few hundred of each and then quit.

I WANT a Transitional Henry in .45 ACP!!!!

Coffinmaker

[wildman1]

I don't know anything about that gun, but it appears ta me the trigger would move forward when it is cocked. WM

[Major 2]

I'll watch for these with interrest...but something (maybe the ghost of PT Barmum) and the fact they used (saw that right off, my ownself) Ubreti's photo's has me going Hmmmmmm..... Fletcher Bidwell 

Course they are make a better stab at suggesting they are for real , than say the Merwin Hurbert bunch ( note: I did not say Company )

I'll be very interested in LJW's site tour.

[Slowhand Bob]

When you go over, try to smuggle in a piece of cowboy45special brass and see what they think about it.

[Long Johns Wolf]

Just back from the Czech Republic and a visit to Great Gun.
Focus of their business are guns for CAS shooters.
They are producing against firm oders only. You can order the gun your heart desires in any finish or with any special feature like type of sights you desire.
In line with their business model they have no display guns.
Saw many semi finished guns laying around in the shop incl.
Colt SAA, Win 66, 73 and 92.
Regarding the SAA's they are using leaf springs for the hand. Regarding their Win 92 they make them for hunting primarily.
One Win 73 almost completed in the white in .357 cal. (below pics.). The .357 is the hottest caliber they make for their toggle link rifle class.
I was lucky and could handle a few rifles that were ready for shipment or in the shop for customs modifications. This included Henry Transitional in .45 ACP Special, Win 66 in .45 ACP/.45 Cowboy, Win 73 in .40 S&W, Win 73 in .44-40.
If what I saw & handled is they regular quality then they play in the Rolls Royce leaque.
Long Johns Wolf

[Long Johns Wolf]

More pics attached; 73 in .45 ACP, Henry in .45 ACP.
Long Johns Wolf

[Long Johns Wolf]

More pics: close-up of Henry in .45 ACP & Win 73 in .44-40
Long Johns Wolf

[Long Johns Wolf]

More pics: look at this sight option for the 73. Was installed at the request of a CAS shooter. This thing is windage adjustable. Look at the nice fot of metal to wood and at the beautiful grain of the stock ... which is no extra cost item.
The other rifle is their Win 66 version. They have made only 3 66s at customers' request with a brass frame. Their regular production 66s and 60s have steel frames that are "brass" plated...but you can have their Henry also "all in black".
Long Johns Wolf

[Long Johns Wolf]

And finally: Win 73 in .40 S&W cal.
Long Johns Wolf

[Coffinmaker]

LJW,

Would appear the guns are being built with two different receivers.  One for short cases and one for "long" cases ??

Any idea on prices?  Gonna cost a bundle I bet.

Now to find an importer 

Coffinmaker

[Long Johns Wolf]

Coffinmaker: regarding the receiver - their .45 Colt/.44-40 version is long, the .40 S&W&.45 ACP/.45 Cowboy version is short. However, I did not measure it the .40 S&W is different from the .45 ACP/.45 Cowboy version. The proof of the pudding will be their .44 Colt (inside lubed) version Henry they are going to make for me which should be somewhere in the middle, ha.
Regarding pricing: they all cost Czech crowns 33,000.00 which equals ca. € 1,320.00 which equals ca. $ 1,820,00. No matter if you order plane jane or fancy grained wood.
Long Johns Wolf

[Coffinmaker]

LJW,

I think I would have ordered .44 Russian.  Are you going "transitional" with a side loading gate or traditional front load magazine with maybe an 18 or 19 inch barrel?
Fun game we play!!!!!

Coffinmaker

[Coffinmaker]

Forgot.  That really is not abad price for a custom built rifle

Coffinmaker

[Long Johns Wolf]

I am going to stick to the traditional, not the transitional Henry, ha. It's going the be the early version with the rounded buttplate. Black widow finish, i. e. finish of barrel, receiver & buttplate all black.
Long Johns Wolf

[Mako]

Forgot.  That really is not abad price for a custom built rifle

Coffinmaker

Coffinmaker,
I was surprised as well, that really is a righteous price for a custom configuration.  Some people would pay what a Uberti Runs now ($1,100 -1,300) new and then pay a custom gunsmith to make a "conversion" and think they were getting a good deal.  Wolf is getting a purpose built rifle, that's really a cut above.

Congratulations LJW, I'm already anticipating the photos.  I hope you do a full break down with photos like below.

Regards,
Mako

P.S. I haven't forgotten about the illustrations for the book, and w44wcf says he's all on board.  Send me an Email.

[Capt, Woodrow F. Call]

OK, thanks. I found the correct section and they look GREAT!!  

http://www.greatgun.eu/index.php?/fotogalerie/vyroba-westernovych-zbrani-great-gun-4

Notice how they are making the '66 receiver with a shorter ejection port like an original!! WOW!!  

I have seen it, it is a very nice Henry rifle, but the price is fare beyond Uberti's price, The cost in US dollars is 1835.57$,
it is 33.000 Czech dollars after converting here on the internett  


http://www.convertworld.com/no/valuta/

[Steel Horse Bailey]

$1835  is pretty spectacular considering you're getting a full, hand-made custom gun for only $500 more.  And I'll bet it's even better steel than the Italians use (which ISN'T as cheap as we sometimes think of - especially for C&B guns.)

I'd say those Czechs have  darn good thing going!

Of course, the Czechs have been known for MANY decades to be fine gun makers!