Kingston Brothers Gunsmiths

Improving and repairing firearms. Rifle bedding, barrel work, stock replacement and other ways to improve your firearms.

Kingston Brothers Gunsmiths

Post by Bill » 18 Apr 2019, 7:00 pm

So I took a gamble on a Husky 98 small ring Mauser 270 Win off usedguns just recently, got it for a good price. Any way turns out it has a 26 inch tube not the 24 inch it was advertised so pretty happy . Rebarreled before put away in a safe and it appears to have done swfa work. Barrel is stamped Kingston and a quick google search reveals Kingston Bros Gunsmiths who operated for over 50 years.

Did they do good work ? any one know of this Gunsmith an their reputation ?
When a guy is digging his own grave, you don’t fight him for the shovel.

Success leaves clues, Fools follow failure !

20 Hornet, 218 Bee, 222 Rem, 256 WM, 6mm ARC, 6.5 Grendel, 6.5x55 Scan, 270 Win, 357 Mag, 358 Win, 9.3x62, 500 A Square
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Re: Kingston Bros Gunsmith

Post by Rod_outbak » 19 Apr 2019, 10:06 am

We had a number of firearms re-barrelled and repaired by Kingston Brothers; my grandfather had a P14 sourced and re-barrelled in the late 1950's by Jim Kingston.

They also re-built a Colt Woodsman .22LR pistol for my father in the mid-1970's, after a squib round cycled the action, with one still half-way down the barrel. Slightly disastorous when the next round fired...
As they couldnt source a replacement barrel from Colt at that point, Kingston fitted a shortened rifle barrel, so we had a woodsman with a ~12 inch barrel for most of my life.
Until I started looking into the history of the Colt Woodsman, I had no idea that all Woodsmans didnt have the same barrel setup.

I bought a .30-30 Win 94 in 1986, and found I preferred the older style of ramped iron sights that my mate had on his older 94. Kingston brothers sourced and fitted the older style of sights for me (That would have been around 1990 or so).

I think I only ever visited the shop in West-End twice in my life, and by that stage I know Jim Kingston had passed away. I know my grandfather(an elec. engineer by trade) used Kingstons as his gunsmith of choice when he was alive.
[On an aside; When my grandparents toured Europe in the mid-1950's, they were given grand tours of both FN in Belgium, and Beretta in Italy. Apparently
I dont recall any of the work here had Kingstons stamped on the barrels; I should remove the wood off the P14 and take a look.

Everything I saw of Kingtons brothers work was quality work, but I have only seen 3 or 4 weapons that were worked on by them. However, I know both my father, grandfather, and uncle set great store by their work.

My 2 cents.

Rod.
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Re: Kingston Brothers Gunsmiths

Post by Bill » 20 Apr 2019, 5:23 pm

thanks Rod, I loaded up some 150gr Nosler BT for testing, Alliant RL26 so Im expecting some good speed, accuracy well lets just wait and see.
When a guy is digging his own grave, you don’t fight him for the shovel.

Success leaves clues, Fools follow failure !

20 Hornet, 218 Bee, 222 Rem, 256 WM, 6mm ARC, 6.5 Grendel, 6.5x55 Scan, 270 Win, 357 Mag, 358 Win, 9.3x62, 500 A Square
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Re: Kingston Brothers Gunsmiths

Post by Blr243 » 20 Apr 2019, 8:14 pm

I used them once for something minor and found them to be dedicated to care and safety in respect to the job I needed doing
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Re: Kingston Brothers Gunsmiths

Post by GQshayne » 26 Apr 2019, 8:32 pm

I remember going there once in the 1980's. Dad had a 94 Winchester in 30/30 that would hang fire. Someone local said it had excessive head space and we should use it for an anchor. Dad took it to Kingstons, and we waited while the bloke took it out the back for a look. "Fixed" he said when he came back. Charged us $5 to adjust the hammer spring tension.

Last time I was down that way, I think there was a cafe where the shop used to be.
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