Smith & Wesson Forum

Go Back   Smith & Wesson Forum > Smith & Wesson Semi-Automatic Pistols > Smith & Wesson Semi-Auto Pistols
o

Notices

Smith & Wesson Semi-Auto Pistols Other Smith & Wesson Semi-Automatic Pistols from the 1950's to Present


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 06-18-2011, 08:19 AM
Leo77 Leo77 is offline
Member
Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing? Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing? Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing? Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing? Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing?  
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times in 1 Post
Default Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing?

I posted a similar question previously.
Since Wayne Novak is no longer doing the smithing work at his shop, as of the past few years his assistant does all the work.
Im wondering if anyone has had any work done at Novaks shop recently and how was the Quality of work as good as Wayne Novaks work himself or Karl Sokols shop?
Sokol or Novak?
Thanks for the feedback.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 06-19-2011, 08:33 PM
jaysouth jaysouth is offline
US Veteran
Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing? Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing? Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing? Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing? Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing?  
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Nashville, TN
Posts: 276
Likes: 1
Liked 11 Times in 10 Posts
Default

The slickest 3G smith I ever held/shot was done up by Sokol's shop.

One of the slickest BHPs I ever shot was done by Novak's shop.

You probably don't have any responses because members are honest about honest comparisons. Probably no one has ever had a 3G smith done by both Sokol and Novaks. Absent that apples to apples comparison, no one is responding.

Good luck on which ever you decide. However, with the exception of a 6946, every Smith auto I have owned gets better with practice. Shoot your's a whole bunch before you decide that it needs custom work.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 06-22-2011, 01:31 AM
Forsmithers's Avatar
Forsmithers Forsmithers is offline
Member
Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing? Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing? Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing? Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing? Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing?  
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 398
Likes: 168
Liked 95 Times in 52 Posts
Default

+2 on Karl Sokol of Chestnut Mountain Sports. I met him in 1993, worked at his shop a little while we were on the same PD in Mass. and have tried to stay in contact with him while I moved south and he moved north. He does GREAT work and has had quite a few write-ups in gun magazines. He has also been a Smith armorer for more than two decades and knows his Smith pistols and revolvers like the back of his hand.

One of my favorite projects he did for me was a customized 3914. Karl built this one for my wife and it was the second in a series of orders that was similar to the ASP version on a 39 series, minus the guttersnipe sight. And to be honest, while the guttersnipe sight is intriguing the Novak night sights were more practical and didn't create holster issues.

This pistol is STILL one of my all time favorites and the "melting" he did on the slide, frame and controls as well as the action job are slick as you know what! If anyone wants to know more specifically about the work he did on this just say something and I can go into more detail.

I don't have a high resolution picture on this computer but the photo below will give you an idea of what this pistol looks like. It's also the one in my avitar.

If you do ask Karl to work on your project let me/us know if you are pleased with the outcome.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 3914 Left-1.jpg (35.6 KB, 244 views)
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 03-30-2012, 10:57 PM
Hawgleg44 Hawgleg44 is offline
Member
Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing? Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing? Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing? Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing? Karl Sokol or Novaks gunsmithing?  
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: People's Republic of Mass
Posts: 136
Likes: 1
Liked 120 Times in 19 Posts
Default

I'd recommend Karl 100%. Karl is a very rare modern gunsmith in the sense that he does EVERYTHING on your project, unless you want some custom finish he doesn't do in shop or engraving. You would be surprised at the shops that people think are one-man shops that aren't. Most of them farm out almost every aspect of the job to other "sub contractors". Not Karl.

I currenty own 4 S&W revolvers worked over by Karl to different levels. One 5" 625 that I had him just chamfer the chambers and slick out the action a little. Also an early 6" 686 that was one of the first handguns he ever built when he began doing gunsmithing work that my father had built as a pin and plate gun.

The other two are carry K-frames. I had him build me a 3" M13 and a P&R 2-1/2" M66.

The M13 was an ex-French police trade-in reimported by Century Arms. It was definately dropped more than fired (it is French) and the front sight was bent in a few directions. I had Karl mill off the sight and dovetail in a Millet blank, chamfer the chambers, round the trigger and install an overtravel stop, bob the hammer, slick the action without lightening it (per my request) and dehor every sharp edge. It was extremely beat up so I had Karl bead blast and parkerize it. My friend just bought a Sokol M10 that has his "Mountain Tuff" finish. It's an extremely tough epoxy finish baked on over parkerization, and I'm thinking about sending my M13 back for that treatment since it's really showing it's time spent in a holster and training.

The P&R M66, no dash, was bought from a local cop and had some honest finish wear, but not abused at all. I had Karl do pretty much the same mods to that one as the M13, but since it's recessed, he didn't do anything to the chambers. The front sight wasn't damaged, so I just had him run a dovetail mill through it and add an orange inlay. For a finish, I had him bead blast it after a full dehorning treatment. Both of them wear hard nylon grips.

I've known Karl since before he opened his first shop. We both grew up in the same small farm town in W. MA. Back when I was younger, we could get our LTC's in MA at 18, but we couldn't buy a handgun until 21 per federal law. So I was carrying one of my father's handguns from 18 until I turned 21. On my 21's birthday, Karl built me my first handgun that I personally owned. It was a 3" M65 that I bought new from him. Karl chamfered the chambers, slicked the action, bobbed the hammer, installed the orange inlay in the front sight and put on the same hard nylon grips I still use. I can't even guess how many rounds of my max cast bullet .357mag reloads I fired out of it (in my younger days, I felt that every round I fired had to be max. I've "matured" out of that) and I really shot it loose. It had some flame cutting on the face of the cylinder and on the topstrap. I traded it away in a weak moment and still regret it. If someone has a custom 3" M65, fairly worn, SN BPS 1861, I'd like to buy it back! Honestly, it felt good shooting enough to wear a gun out!

My friends have several Sokol customs, too. Several S&W revolvers, a few BHP's, some .45acp 1911's, and a nice SA 9mm 1911. He's working on a custom Commander sized .357 Sig 1911 that I got to try out last summer. Nice gun. Karl also did an action job on a Winchester Trapper Carbine for me a few years back, too.

Here are my two current S&W K-frames. You can't go wrong with him. Let us know what you decide.

__________________
Will work for ammo.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 03-30-2012, 11:05 PM
MONGO45 MONGO45 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 34
Likes: 3
Liked 8 Times in 3 Posts
Default

Karl has done several SW revolvers for me and I always send him my newer purchases for lock removal, night sight, and trigger smoothing. He built me two 1911s as well. All my work goes to him because I trust his advice and he knows I use my guns for work....
Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
1911, 3914, 45acp, 686, carbine, commander, gunsmith, lock, m10, m13, m65, m66, millet, model 10, model 625, model 65, model 66, novak, overtravel, recessed, smith & wesson, smith and wesson, winchester

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Why send a Smith revolver to Karl Sokol? Hawgleg44 S&W Revolvers: 1980 to the Present 30 04-15-2015 06:14 PM
Karl Sokol replaced my original sights on S&W 4506 cporfe S&W-Smithing 0 02-06-2014 07:51 PM
Karl Sokol of Chestnut Mountain Sports Hawgleg44 S&W-Smithing 1 03-10-2009 05:07 PM
More on Karl Sokol okie john S&W Revolvers: 1961 to 1980 4 01-18-2009 04:06 PM
Karl Sokol to the Rescue okie john S&W Revolvers: 1961 to 1980 4 11-17-2008 06:40 AM

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
smith-wessonforum.com tested by Norton Internet Security smith-wessonforum.com tested by McAfee Internet Security

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:49 AM.


Smith-WessonForum.com is not affiliated with Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select: SWHC)