Very cool; mills, lathes, tools, guns! The "Pattern room" was worth the whole day...If you dream of Africa or appreciate fine rifles this is a the place. 51o Wells ... Fred Wells Bullpup Enfield in 300 H&H...Mannlicher-Schoenauer carbines... One of the many joys of being back in Prescott! Fred's Widow, Rachel Wells is still doing her fantastic engraving...I have a date to drop off my cherished 629 Mountain Gun, for some of her excellent work.

This blog entry by Robert H. Boatman sums up my visit;

"Fred Wells’ Old Place: Hallowed Ground

Fred is not with us anymore. But he will not be forgotten."

http://fredwellsoldplace.blogspot.com/2009/04/octogenarian-riflemaker-whos-got-10.html
Obit on Fred Wells
http://prescottdailycourier.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=38417&SectionID=1&a...

I am honored to have had the opportunity to get to know Fred's Wife, Rachel, one of his sons, Rube and grandson, Todd (We went to Prescott High together).
I am very glad to see that Fred's legacy lives on the Well Gun Shop is still making fine rifles in their hard to find little shop.

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Of the Troops & For the Troops

Rob, spent many a happy hour in Freds shop, discussing all manner of ballistics, cartridges, rifles and handguns. Rachel did a beautiful job on an early Howdah for me. Used it in my ads in early "Handloader " magazines. Like Fred used to say, walk out the back door for a Beer and the best Mexican food in Prescott. Those were the days. At one time anybody who was anybody in the firearms industry was located near or already there.

Danny Pederson's Rifle Shop which is about 100 yards from J&G...And I'll bet there is more I am missing.
Was that the Howda that was on Display at J&G Sales? I seem, to remember that it was engraved...

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Of the Troops & For the Troops

Yea Rob that was the one.

Rob, did you ever her the story on how Fred and Rachel met ??? There was a substancial age difference. Lee

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Of the Troops & For the Troops

The story around Prescott from a number of sources was that, Fred was a school bus driver and Rachel was the last house on the route, way out. as 15 y.o. she came up pregnant. Fred being the Gentleman that he was did the only reasonable thing. When I first met the Son, I thought he was her younger brother?. She told me she was just a housekeeper and clean up girl and ran errands. Started her engraving on pocket knives, Zippo lighters and an occasional set of spurs. When she did my Howdah it was like the 8-10th gun she had worked on. Was $100. seemed fair to me. I don't know how Fred treated he in later years, but it wasn't very nice for 20 or so years.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=394629976