Mr. Walter Womack

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ifldned

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Can anyone tell me any history about Walter Womack?
I have the good fortune of owning one of his very fine 52 Winchesters. I understand he passed on around 1990 and his gunsmith shop was in Shreveport, Louisiana. Any stories or history would be much appreciated.
ifldned
 
Womack

I know little about Womack other than he was one outstanding gunsmith. I have one barrel fitted by him. Other than barreling he made bedders and triggers and sights for smallbore rifles. I have a flyer out of the 60's at home that shows and lists his work at the time. If interested I can copy it when I return.

bjm
 
I'd go over to doublegunshop.com and find Michael Petrov, who hangs out there. I'd bet he can help you. I will tell you that Womack was very highly respected and built some top line .22's.
 
Womack

I don't know if he made barrels but I have a 37 Remington with the barrel marked "Womack 400"

I do have several Womack dual range front sights
Dan
 
WC Womack

When I first got out of the Army in late 1969, I wanted to build a Rifle. I had aquired a 6.5x55 Krag-Jorgenson, I sent it to him to have a Douglas Barrel installed, in 30-06.

He told me to not waste my time, that in his opinion, the Krag was not up to the potential of the 30-06. He said he had a nice reworked Mauser that he would be glad sell me. I went with that, and the barreled action I got was flawless. A beautiful polished blue, and all of the non blued parts were polished.

He did not call himself a "Gunsmith", he used the term "Riflesmith". I can't remember his age at that time, but I swear he was at least in his mid 60's. Of course, I was just over 20 at the time, so every body looked "old"

Back then, he was recognized as one of the top Riflesmiths in the Country. I put that barreled action in a Fajen Stock, and gave it to my oldest brother in later years. He still has it. It shoots great.

That is about all I know of him, I guess one great experience is not the basis for an overall opinion, but all I have is fond memories of WC Womack, "Riflesmith"........jackie.
 
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Walter Womack Riflesmith

I knew Walter.
Also his very fine work. In the Golden Age of Prone,his work won at Perry.The National Championship.
He made an action for me.Took a new 37 bolt he was famous for his 37 work.
He shortened the rear of the bolt did some firing pin work and put a Kenyon trigger on it. He used Dougles barrels to the point he had his own button.
His blue work was just out standing.
Great shooters used his work.He was "the Riflesmith" for a numer of years.
Walters son was a Marine who gave his life for our great country.He was never the same after that.
 
dhunt2@woh.rr.c

dhunt2@woh.rr.c said:
I don't know if he made barrels but I have a 37 Remington with the barrel marked "Womack 400"

I do have several Womack dual range front sights
Dan
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Howdy Dan,
By any chance, did you happen to get that rifle on gunbroker.com 2 or 3 years ago? I saw one with that stamp on the barrel that I wanted very much bad. Trouble was, I was very much broke. It looked extremely well done.

How does it shoot?
Where in SW Ohio do you live? I used to live in Waynesville when I was a kid.

Greg
 
"Womack 400"

My experiences with Mr. Womack were among the most memorable of my shooting years. I was shooting a 40X in prone competition and had reached a point at which I could not advance. A fellow competitor suggested I contact Mr. Womack. After a long and helpful conversation I mailed him my 40X for a new barrel. Eight days later I received my rifle back with a "Womack 400" barrel. I immediately advanced to the Master class. As I remember he used Douglas Premium barrels which he personally selected.I had a couple of other Womack "goodies". One was a cradle on which I would rest my rifle, when not shooting, as it lay on my shooting mat. I also had one of his front sights. Many of us in that day would use the Freeland "Twin Set", one sight for 50 yds. and one for 100 yds. The Womack would rotate 180 degrees and the adjustment was built into the sight and you only needed one sight. He had many new ideas. About that time Redfield, I believe, came out with a two step base to allow the use of only one sight. This thread brings back many memories.
Thanks
 
Womack 400

Walter indeed used Douglas barrels. In fact he had a special button cut and Douglas used it on his barrels.
Not that it means anything,I had that button in my hand.
Walter was a great smith. He was always thinking.
 
I'm not sure if I'm spelling the name right, but John Moschkau won the 1957 prone national match's with a Womack smithed Win. 52. My grandson now has the barrel from that rifle.
 
Womack barrels

In the early 1960's I met Walter Womack, and he made me a rifle for competition in Mexico. A 26" barrel, Sako action, in 7mm Rem Mag. It's stamped .285 Rem Mag, to comply with Mexican laws against 7mm (Mauser) firearms. It took every event I entered, and I still have it, and shoot it as a long range hunting rifle. He was quite a gentleman.
 
With much gratitude and thanks. I'm beholding to you for all the information I've received.
ifldned
 
57 & 58

B.Johnson said:
I'm not sure if I'm spelling the name right, but John Moschkau won the 1957 prone national match's with a Womack smithed Win. 52. My grandson now has the barrel from that rifle.
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In 1958 I shot beside Bob Moore at Perry. Bob shot a Womack barreld 37 and won the Nationals that year.
 
Good Morning,
I am new to this forum and read with interest about Mr Womack. I live in Shreveport. Would anyone by any chance have the old address to Mr Womack’s gunsmith shop? I was told it was on Meriwether Road but do not have the address. I would like to go by and see if his shop is still there. Thanks for any advice in advance.
Ted
 
Dittle said:
Good Morning,
I am new to this forum and read with interest about Mr Womack. I live in Shreveport. Would anyone by any chance have the old address to Mr Womack’s gunsmith shop? I was told it was on Meriwether Road but do not have the address. I would like to go by and see if his shop is still there. Thanks for any advice in advance.
Ted
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2124 Meriwether Rd is the address I had for him.
Steve
 
Thanks Steve. I will check it out and let y’all know. I thought it would be interesting to see if it’s still there since he was such a respected gunsmith. That part of town has had quite a bit of new highway construction over the years.
Ted
 
Mr Womack's son

"Walters son was a Marine who gave his life for our great country.He was never the same after that."

I knew Mr. Womack for years and pestered him every time I got a chance. I lived in Shreveport at the time and attended Louisiana Tech. He sold me a .219 Zipper Improved built by P. O. Ackley and had a Winchester converted from .25-20 to .357 Magnum. While I was in the Marines his son was killed. At the time he was building his son a .50 cal. heavy barreled muzzleloader out of a stainless steel aircraft machinegun barrel. On my next visit he gave it to me and we talked for quite a while about his choice to quit working on rifles because he had always planned for them to work together after the war. He went back to making specialty tooling for heavy machinery and did that until his retirement. I still have the .50 cal barrel but will never complete it or shoot it. One of my grandsons will inherit it along with the story behind it. He was a great inspiration to me and I will always wish I had been able to afford one of his custom .30 X .338 Magnum rifles like the one he built for himself for a polar bear hunt to Alaska. One shot; one kill!
 
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Mr. Womack was a legend in LA and elsewhere. Although I did not know him personally, I did once own a rifle that he built. It featured a pre-war Model 70 action (1937) and a Timken steel barrel by Douglas (in very heavy contour). It had a laminated wooden stock and a 6x-24X Bausch and Lomb scope (externally adjustable). It was chambered in .220 Swift as was the original factory barrel. I bought it used from the widow of a local crop duster (who used it to shoot hawks back in the day). It was the first truly super accurate rifle that I owned. It was capable of 3/4 inch groups at 300 yards. I sold it to a friend years ago and I believe he still has it. Mr. Womack was a great riflesmith and he would ask anyone who brought a shotgun or pistol to please leave his shop. Good shooting...James Mock
 
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