Pioneer Gun Works

PIONEER GUN WORKS INC.

Old World Craftsmanship ~ New World Technology

About Us

Pioneer Gun Works was founded in 2004 as a company dedicated to bringing the finest custom firearms parts to the cowboy action shooter. Joe Alves (Will Shootem), the founder of the company, has spent 42 years in the manufacturing business as a machinist, senior mechanical designer, and machine tool programmer.

An interest in guns and gunsmithing spawned the desire to apply a lifetime of accumulated knowledge of manufacturing and designing, to the development of the finest custom and high performance rifle parts available to the cowboy action shooter today. We specialize in Uberti made replicas of the Model 66 and 73 Winchesters, and the model 1860 Henry. In the summer of 2003, at the urging of my good friend Big Lou, I designed the original Pioneer Gun Works short stroke kit (now known as the standard kit). In January of 2004, I established Pioneer Gun Works and started offering this kit for sale to cowboy action shooters everywhere. At the time, it was the shortest kit you could buy, and it soon became the choice of champions. Badlands Bud and Colt McAllister used PGW short stroke kits to place first and second at End of Trail in 2005. These champions knew that to perform at their best, they needed the highest quality, most reliable equipment available. They both chose Pioneer Gun Works short stroke kits for their rifles.

In January 2006, we started offering Competition Ready rifles to cowboy action shooters. These rifles are the best that money can buy, and come right out of the box with an action job, short stroke kit, aluminum carrier, our own Speed Sight front sight, stainless steel magazine tube and follower, our own longer and stronger firing pin, a light weight firing pin extension, and a leather lever wrap. Since then, we have sold about 1000 of these fine rifles.

At End of Trail 2006, I displayed the prototype of the Super Short Stroke kit and started taking orders. Since then, we have sold over 4000 of these short stroke kits. In January 2008, we announced the expansion of our parts business, with the addition of many competition parts for the model 73 & 66 rifles. More parts will be added in the near future, so check back often.

What will be next for Pioneer Gun Works? You never know!