Harold Broughton...Cohoma,Texas

E

eww1350

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I had a discussion with a local shooter today both he and I had Harold Broughton do a rifle for us in the past...(before his passing)...
My question is...did Harold Broughton make barrels at his small Cohoma, Texas shop...or did he have barrels made by a barrel maker to his specification and sell them as Broughton barrels.????
I had heard that he purchased a barrel rifling machine and was tutored by Ed Shilen on the finer art of making button rifled barrels...Just curious if anyone knew the whole/true story behind Broughton Barrels..??



Eddie in Texas
 
Harold originally had his barrels made by Shilen with his buttons, mainly 4 groove .22's and 6mm's. That didn't last but a few years until Harold started making his own barrels. If I remember correctly, Al Davidson made some of the machinery for Harold's barrel making. The first set of barrel making equipment that Harold had was sold to Kenny Jarrett when Kenny asked him to name a price for the equipment. Harold named a price and Kenny wound up with the equipment. When Kenny bought his equipment, Harold immediately started back making and acquiring the equipment to again make his own barrels. When his health got bad, he sold the second set of equipment to a company in New Mexico. Tim North bought the equipment from the company in New Mexico and moved it to Wisconsin and is still operating the business under the Broughton Rifle Barrels name. I don't remember the name of the purchaser that was in New Mexico, but am sure someone else can fill in that name.
 
Greg Richards

Greg Richards (From New Mexico) owned and made the barrels for a couple years before Mr. North bought the equipment,

I came real close to buying the equipment myself as Greg had become ill not really long into his ownership of the company. I've had 2 barrels i would call hummers out of about 100 and one of them Greg Richards built when he owned the company.. (I think he was calling them "Richards" barrels then).

incidently, the equipment was essentially new... as Mr. Jarrett of "Bean field rifle fame" made Harold an offer he couldn't refuse, so Harold sold to him and had all new equipment built not really long before his retirement.. (This from Greg Richards who worked for Mr. Broughton). Jarrett evidently traveled to the Broughton shop frequently to observe Harold's technique.. Jarrett was evidently having to cull too many barrels of his own making) and therefore bought Mr. Broughton's famous barrel making equipment.

Evidently the new equipment works fine as many fine barrels come from North Manufactureing As i understand it, Mr. North had absolutely no experience in this field, or even rifle shooting?

Sorry this is so long after the thread was posted,, hope you guys are still around to read this.

Kirk Ethridge
 
Kirk Ethridge said:
Evidently the new equipment works fine as many fine barrels come from North Manufactureing As i understand it, Mr. North had absolutely no experience in this field, or even rifle shooting?



Kirk Ethridge
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Tim North did travel around to sell barrels just after he started making them. I know he was an IBS Nats at Council Cup (Palmisanos) a few years ago.

BTW, someone for Lou has that range and his house for sale if anyone is interested in going into the benchrest range business. Lots of money to be made there, yhea!!
 
Harold Broughton

Mike Bryant said:
Harold originally had his barrels made by Shilen with his buttons, mainly 4 groove .22's and 6mm's. That didn't last but a few years until Harold started making his own barrels. If I remember correctly, Al Davidson made some of the machinery for Harold's barrel making. The first set of barrel making equipment that Harold had was sold to Kenny Jarrett when Kenny asked him to name a price for the equipment. Harold named a price and Kenny wound up with the equipment. When Kenny bought his equipment, Harold immediately started back making and acquiring the equipment to again make his own barrels. When his health got bad, he sold the second set of equipment to a company in New Mexico. Tim North bought the equipment from the company in New Mexico and moved it to Wisconsin and is still operating the business under the Broughton Rifle Barrels name. I don't remember the name of the purchaser that was in New Mexico, but am sure someone else can fill in that name.
Click to expand...

Greg Richards is the guy your looking for, He became ill and didn't use the new equipment too long before Mr. North bought it. (I knew this because i conversed with Greg quite a bit as i considered buying the equipment myself.)

Thanks for this info, as i couldn't remember who owned it before Greg,, (who worked for Harold & learned the craft directly from the master,,) The answer was staring me in the face,,, as Mr. North named his barrels after Harold!

Kirk
 
Broughton Barrels

The original brains in the North Manufacturing was Dan Muller. Dan left North Manufacturing in 2005 or 2006.
 
I believe

Rustystud said:
The original brains in the North Manufacturing was Dan Muller. Dan left North Manufacturing in 2005 or 2006.
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Mr. Muller is making barrels in Wisconsin now. At least he was a year ago when I received one of his 30 caliber barrels.
David
 
JerrySharrett said:
Lou Palmasanos place. The old Hart range. Council cup. Nescopec, Pa. just off I81/I80 junction.


Edit-oops, I just looked back, that was 3 years ago!


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Thanks, Jerry. I am looking to retire in a year or three. I will probably start looking around a little farther south (TN, KY). I don't really plan to open a range, I just need a place I can shoot and set up a gun related business.
 
SGS said:
Thanks, Jerry. I am looking to retire in a year or three. I will probably start looking around a little farther south (TN, KY). I don't really plan to open a range, I just need a place I can shoot and set up a gun related business.
Click to expand...

Come to the Tri cities. We have 4 gun clubs. Peaceful population too.

.
 
Mike Bryant said:
Harold originally had his barrels made by Shilen with his buttons, mainly 4 groove .22's and 6mm's. That didn't last but a few years until Harold started making his own barrels. If I remember correctly, Al Davidson made some of the machinery for Harold's barrel making. The first set of barrel making equipment that Harold had was sold to Kenny Jarrett when Kenny asked him to name a price for the equipment. Harold named a price and Kenny wound up with the equipment. When Kenny bought his equipment, Harold immediately started back making and acquiring the equipment to again make his own barrels. When his health got bad, he sold the second set of equipment to a company in New Mexico. Tim North bought the equipment from the company in New Mexico and moved it to Wisconsin and is still operating the business under the Broughton Rifle Barrels name. I don't remember the name of the purchaser that was in New Mexico, but am sure someone else can fill in that name.
Click to expand...

I remember an outfit called K&P barrels operating in Raton for a short period of time. Could that be the one in New Mexico you referenced?
 
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