Another gunsmith artist retiring

[Robb Barnes]

I just read the announcement of Hamilton Bowens upcoming retirement. It is posted on his website and he states they will be accepting work until June first of this year. Once those jobs are completed, he hopes to continue to supplying parts and sights but no more custom revolver work. Our list of artists who can do full blown custom revolvers is rapidly shrinking. His book "The Custom Revolver" is a stand alone tome to the obscure world of custom revolvers and I blame he and John Taffin for my personal affliction with customrevolveritis.

 

[Wvfarrier]

A lot of them are getting to the age where its retirement or.....the other

 

[rugerguy]

Sad news to hear, we set up next to him , many years ago and he was and is , truly an 'artist" in the gun works realm,,,at least hes going out at the top of his game

 

[mhblaw]

Lucky me. I have several samples of his work made to my specifications. Good fortune Hamilton!

 

[protoolman]

Ben Forkin is the man to go to. I believe he trained years ago with Bowen.

 

[Robb Barnes]

Ben did start in Hamilton's shop but Ben is no spring chicken and has his own set of factors that make his gunsmithing workload pretty stacked. If a guy wants something from Forkin Custom Classics you better get it in line and prepare to wait. I talked to him last week and he's up to his neck with work too.

 

[Cyrus]

I had the pleasure of spending a week with Hamilton in Troy NC at his gunsmithing class. This was back in 2002 or 2003. What a gentleman and amazing artist/gunsmith. I own a Redhawk .45 Convertible that he tuned to perfection along with custom sights and black powder chamfer. Best to him in his retirement.

 

[dobegrant.45]

I met him in 2003 at John Linebaugh's Sixgun Seminar, got to talk to him quite a bit, his book was brand new and I was able to get an autographed copy