Shooters Letters

Come By And Visit Arrington Accuracy @ Camp Perry, 2010 National Matches, Commercial Row Bldg 910A, We Got Boyd Stocks, AAW T-Shirts and More July 27th - Aug 10th, 2010 See You There!

2 out of 10 National Champions at Camp Perry, 1998 used Arrington Accuracy National Match Service Rifles.

Phil

Just a note to say I got 1 coat of Tru Oil on the Garand stock, I got from you. You were not kidding, the wood is beautiful. I thank you very much for a top notch product. I will keep you in mind for my next stock.

Ron

Phil, I got my M1 back last week, but didn't get to shoot it until this morning. I went through 50 rounds rapid fire sitting and prone without a hitch, and every shot -barring the two 9s I pulled -- went into the 10 or X-ring.

Many thanks! Remember Texas has a regional match and a State match before Perry, but if you don't make them, I'll see you on commercial row.

Again, Thanks! Jim Booker

Phil,
Just wanted to say once again what a fine craftsman you are. The 1903a3 you reconditioned for me help me receive a gold medal at Camp Perry this year. I appreciate the excellent work you do.

Thanks,
B. Gildea

Mr. Arrington,

I'd just like to thank you for the fine accurizing work you did to my M14 a couple months ago.

I shot a 4-shot group at 100 yards that measured 0.318, outside to outside, including bullet diamter. It was a five shot string and I went down range only to find 2 holes in the paper (I boogered up the 5th shot, knowing I had pulled it down and to the right).

At first I assumed I had completely missed the paper, then noticed one hole was ever so slightly larger than the other. It showed just the hints of burn and tear from 3 other impacts.

I don't normally shoot like that and this was a fluke group for my current skill level, but you do quality work sir and I'm grateful for it.

Regards,

Kelly Connor

Hi Phil, Just a quick note to let you know that after 8 years of shooting the M1A that you built for me, I finally earned my rifle distinguished badge at the Navy Fleet/All-Navy matches! I had a personal goal to leg out with the M1A even though it repeatedly was the boss during rapid-fire sitting! Thank you for all the support over the years. Look forward to many more. Regards, LT Vincent Jansen US Coast Guard Sector San Diego

Phil, You finished rebuilding my M1 Garand about 12 years ago. I had already had a .308 heavy contour Douglas ultra-match barrel, op-rod fit, NM trigger, and re-parkerized metal done by Springfield Armory prior to your working on my rifle, SA #3718193. Subsequently, you metal epoxy bedded a laminated wood stock, added NM sights front and rear, and did a checkout and overall fit. I have sent 4,000+ .308 rounds down range since that time, 80% of which were match hand loads. Man, what a superb rifle and experience this has been. If I had only one rifle, this is the one I would take with me! On many occasions at the Zia Range south of Albuquerque, NM, I have had WWII and Korean vets (and others) approach me to admire this beautiful Garand. I encourage them to shoot this old comrade of theirs. One +70 year old guy just busted out in tears when he held this rifle, and said it had "saved my ass" more times than I knew. Thanx again for a great rifle, Wayne Lawson gorgeguy@msn.com<mailto:gorgeguy@msn.com>

Mr. Arrington,

this is Ted Potter. I recently bought a rifle that you built for me, and I just wanted to say thank you very much. I've been shooting it a fair amount, and it's quickly become my favorite rifle, let alone favorite possession I currently own. I haven't really pulled it out past 200 yards, just because I'm trying to get a comfortable feeling with it at 100 and 200 yards. I really want to learn how these rifles work, and I'm beginning to gain a better grasp in operating it. I just had one question, and it's kind of been frustrating me, and I know that you'd be able to help me out. I'm trying to compile the MOA calculations for elevation and windage, and I've been having some trouble. I'm assuming that you put a 1/2 MOA adjustment rear sight on the rifle (versus a 1/4moa), but I totally forgot, which, as you know, doesn't help me any haha. If you could let me know, that'd be great, and I'd feel a hell of a lot more confident in making the adjustments. Once again, Thanks a lot, and I do truly love this rifle, it really is a work of art, and I'm glad I've gotten into this style of shooting.

Thanks a lot,

Ted Potter

Phil,
You are a magician! Not a gunsmith. not a metal working engineer guy. A Magician. That RRA .223 is the best shooting, never-fail-to-cycle rifle I have ever seen, Somethin' else, I tell ya... Oh, and by the way, it shoots a lot better than I EVER will!.

Hope you're having a good summer. We're trying to stay cool.

Brent

Phil,

Good day to you. It has been a few years since we have been in touch, but my next PCS move has me driving through AZ and I don't want to miss the opportunity to have the M1A you built for me looked at. I went distinguished pistol in summer '04 and have only 6 points left for rifle. I have earned all 24 with your M1A and I plan on finishing off that way too. Most likely PACFLeets in '06. I am PCSing to Coast Guard Air Station San Diego so Pendleton is just around the corner.

Will you be in town for me to drop off a gun sometime 9-11 December? That's when I think I'll be rolling through AZ. I'm not sure what needs to be done, if anything, I'll leave that up to you. Thank you,

Regards,

LTJG Vincent Jansen

c: 702-219-4118

Subject: WE GOT A WINNER!!

Jeff…just in case you didn’t hear, Dennis DeMille is the 2005 National HighPower Champion, shooting a 2385-119X to win it. He is also the Match Rifle Champion and the Civilian Champion. He also won the Nevada Trophy with a 798-39X, the Navy cup with a 199-7X, took third in the Army Cup with a 200-12X, third in the Crescent Cup with a 193-7, second in the Coast Artillery Trophy with a 200-14X and third in the McCann Trophy match with a 1197-57X. Norm Houle took second with a 2383-119X and David Tubb was third with a 2376-123X.

Thought might you want to put this on the club website for all to hear and enjoy.

A number of club shoot regulars also faired well there, to mention: Ron Shaefer, Mike Barranco and Mike Miller.

All results can be seen on the NRA website. Click on to competitions and select the rifle and pistol championship icon.

Phil,

JUST WANTED TO DROP YOU A LINE ABOUT THE GREAT JOB YOU DID ON THE RIFLE YOU BUILT FOR ME. IT LOOKS GOOD AND SHOOTS BETTER.

MY WIFE SAYS IT SHOULD BE HANGING ON THE WALL AND NOT IN THE GUN SAFE (HIGH PRAISE FROM A WOMAN WITH ZERO INTEREST IN GUN STUFF).

ALWAYS DRAWS COMMENTS AND A CROWD WHEN AT THE RANGE. I LET THE R.O. SHOOT IT THE LAST TIME I HAD IT OUT. HE WAS SHOOTING A SCOPED BOLT GUN. HE SHOT A CLIP THROUGH IT AT HIS TARGET AND THEN WENT AND LOOKED AT IT THROUGH HIS SPOTTING SCOPE. HE CAME BACK AND SAID HE SHOOTS BETTER WITH MY GARAND THAN HE DOES WITH HIS BOLT GUN! AS I WAS LEAVING HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD TO GET HIM A GARAND OF HIS OWN! THANKS FOR THE GREAT JOB AND THE TIME YOU SPENT WITH ME AT THE START OF THE PROJECT! THANKS, MAURY SWISHER

From: goodwin.sk@verizon.net (Steve Goodwin)
To: ArAccuracy@aol.com

Phil, a few months ago you did some accuracy on a Garand of mine. I want to let you know how well it is shooting. Off the bench at 100 yards, I am popping 147gr ball bullets into a circle about the size of a quarter. It's a treat to shoot such a well-tuned piece.
Thanks!

Steve Goodwin

Phil,
    I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you, but my schedule and the schedule of the ROTC NCO just did not match for a while. Here is a picture of the stocks as they are now, still in the white. They have been stripped, sanded, bleached and then sanded again. We are deciding whether to use a hard poly finish, or a hand rubbed bees-wax. We still have to work on the hand guards. Our problem right now is that the Air Force, to make sure these were never used as a rifle again, not only put a rod in the bore and welded, and put a bead over the bolt face; they also filled in the op rod dismount notch, and welded the gas cylinder screw in place, so we can't get the upper hand guard off, so we are going to have to try and sand them in place. It will be a challenge. I watched the young men practice today, and saw one missed catch, and the stock became firewood. It was one that was cracked already, but this time it went into four seperate pieces. When the team starts competing this year, I'll try and get some pictures and let you see how thye look. Thanks again for the stocks you provided, and any more you can give us (after watching them today, I'm afraid I may need a dozen, rather than
a half dozen!)
Any hand guards you could spare would also be greatly appreciated. Since I messed around long enough for school to start again, anything can be sent to the Detachment at the school. That address is:                     Col. Dan Crum
                    Klein Collins High School
                    20811 Ella Blvd.
                    Spring, Texas 77388

Hi Phil:

I just wanted complement you on your work. I took the M1A to the club this
past Sunday for the second time and shot several magnificent groups, (< 0.5"
at 100yds) using the ammo loaded for my 40X. The trigger work you did is
tremendous and has caused serve envy amongst my friends at the club.

Yesterday I started creating specific loads for the rifle in hope of getting
a repeatable one holer.

Best regards,

Trevor