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August 2023 by Christopher Miranda
Very talented gunsmith,and a good person
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May 2023 by Gregory Cavanaugh
I have had John do a few smithing jobs for me. He has installed a number of barrels to Mauser actions, 4 so far and has installed M1 barrels to several rifles. If he says they are true I believe him. He has also done trigger work on my 1911, it is now perfect. I have a friend who always takes his firearms to John. Never a problem, he is my go to guy when I can't fix it myself.
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April 2023 by James Looney
John is an incredible gun smith who clearly knows his trade very well and has practiced for a long time. He’s done work on a few shotguns of mine as well as multiple after market sight installs on a few different pistols. His work has been consistently excellent and his prices are extremely reasonable. Service is prompt as well. Would recommend and he is the only gun smith I use when I need one. Carters also had a good selection of shotguns.
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April 2023 by Denis Chernyshov
This was well worth the drive. He fixed the Lugar before I could return to the counter from perusing his classic old time shop. A grand place. Then, he took my old 1870’s Winchester Into the back room where he fixed the forearm stock from sliding around . He customized a part, and did it while I waited. Cool guy. I respect him.
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September 2022 by John C Sprinkle
Good old-fashioned shop with high values I would not think of taking any of my guns to anyone else.
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September 2022 by Joe Haggard
Carters handled a gun transfer for a 22 I won in a auction. Things from the start were red flags of problems to come. The phone was out of order and could not reach them. Then when I come in on Monday. I was informed he holds guns for 4 days just to make sure everything is legal. So I show up Thursday and he says "I don't think it's ready". Then asks me which gun was mine. If you don't know which gun is mine. Then I wonder how he could think it's not ready.so I said you told me Thursday and he kinda sighed. I would like to know how he thinks he can hold guns longer then the legal 72hrs. To be honest he makes you feel like your bothering him. So I will never enter his place ever again. If this is how he acts for a transfer. It might take a year buying one from him directly. So I would avoid and buy elsewhere.
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October 2020 by Joe S.
This Man does great work at a more than fair price,I have taken several guns to him and he has always fixed them promptly and they were fixed properly.On several occasions I brought the needed parts with me and he repaired my gun while I ate at a nearby restaurant.
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March 2020 by Christopher Partida
This place is one of my favorites! Affordable pricing, large dishes and the staff members are always nice.
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July 2019 by Nicholas Vuletich
I have taken a shotgun, rifle, and a pistol in for repairs. All three were fixed right in front of me while I waited. I was not charged. The pistol was a Sig P320 and bad ammunition was sending brass shavings into the striker channel and clogging the spring. The shotgun was an old Ithica and was really jammed. The gunsmith (carter?) cleared the jam quickly. The rifle needed head space milling and though this was an involved process, I was not charged. I did insist he take some money from me to pay for his lunch. The dogs he keeps around the shop are always great to see and Carter is very reasonable with his FFL transfer fees. The Sig P320 had only been commercially available for a few months, but Carter knew his way around it and also took the time to show me how to clear the striker channel in the event of oil or more brass clogging it up. This is a level of takedown that is not in the manual for the Sig P320 and I was grateful for his very patient and knowledgeable instruction. We do all our FFL transfers through this gun shop and hope to be doing business with him for a long time. My father recently brought in a home defense 12 gauge that was made in China. He offered to give it to me, but I don't want to trust my life or even my fingers to a Chinese shotgun. Carter gave him a good price for it, more than my father was expecting. I have yet to purchase a gun from Carter, but he has some excellent condition shotguns, rifles, and pistols on display for reasonable prices.
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May 2019 by Andrew Schroeder
I went to here to turn the barrel in my M1 Garand in a touch. Front sight was on the left side and rear sight is favoring the right side. The “ Gun Smith “ came out of the back room with a torpedo level. He says according to my level it looks good. He didn't have any more precise tooling to check it or want to use the smart level i had. I suggested to use a drill rod laying on the rear sight bridge and the flat spot for the front sight. That way you can see if the barrel lines up with the receiver. All he did was move the front sight to the center. I wouldn't recommend anyone come here for any gun smithing or anything else.
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March 2019 by Ed Marshall
I've been going there since 1965. Very reasonable.At times did the work while I waited and saved me another trip
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December 2018 by Eric
Been doing business there for the last 15 years. Bought, sold, traded and had a lot of work done on older rifles. Some were rebarrel and others had to be reamed out for another cartridge. I have also had him up grade sights and do trigger jobs.
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December 2018 by Rick Gilman
Had some problems fitting my barrel to the new receiver. Had it done in no time and very reasonable price. Will go back with any other needs I have.
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March 2018 by Jim K.
I took a 22/410 over and under in 1992, that was my father's before he died, to Carter's to have it rebuilt and the broken OE plastic stock replaced with a customed wooden stock and forearm... the young man who owned the shop really didn't want to do the job. After 15 minutes the young man agreed to restore it but he warned me it wasn't going to a "show gun"... we shook hands on it and the shotgun/ rifle was left with him... After couple months Carter's called and told me my dad's firearm was finished and to come pick it up.. it was BEATUIFUL! In my eyes it was A SHOW GUN.. The gun looked and function like new!! I still have my father's shotgun... it has been stored inside my gun room as nice as when Carter's showed it to me 25 years ago... I just looked up Carter's online and I believe the young man may have been named John, not sure. Whoever rebuilt my dad's firearm at Carter's in Feb 1992...."I Thank You". The shotgun will be passed down to my son after I'm gone.. Sincerely, Jim Kennedy Jr.
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July 2017 by Chris Johnsen
I own several single action Rugers. One had a trigger best described as having a half inch of creep. I took it to Carter's. When I got it back (not a long time) the trigger was perfect. Just a hair of takeup followed by a crisp letoff. Not too light, not too heavy. In addition, the custom stocks I had on it had a gap between the halves, and they fixed that too. Other smiths I tried are more like mechanics than smiths. These guys understand the art of it. You won't find a better gunsmith experience anywhere. It is well worth the time to drive to this place, which is a little further west and south than Dekalb. I might add they have a lot of double barrel shotguns there, more than I have seen elsewhere. So if you're looking for one... I am adding to this review. I purchased a S&W 10 shot .22 revolver. It came with a poor single action trigger and an awful double action trigger. It also deposited a lot of lead on the top strap. Sent it back to S&W. They recut the forcing cone. Took it to Carter's and had them do an action job. OH MY! Well worth the time and money. It now is smooth in DA and crisp in SA to the point of perfection.
