GRRW Australia

[plmeek]

In the thread Costs of custom built muzzleloaders... The subject of GRRW Australia came up. Buck Conner made the following comment:

"GRRW Australia" is not the same company as Green River Rifle Works in Roosevelt UT, those guys used Doc White's name and copied the guns the American firm had built. Phil Meek can probably tell the whole story on this firm.

Here is a note a friend shared with me from Allen Vaisham who last owned GRRW Autralia:

December 10, 2017

G'day Gale!
I remember sending the rifles to you.

Mal Wade started importing GRRW guns about 1978 to sell to the Australian shooters, when Neil came over there were still a few kits and parts available and Mal (trading as Charles Hunter & Co) bought up all the parts he could find for him to assemble. I was at that time just starting to assembling rifles for Mal. and learned a lot from Neil! When GRRW Roosevelt closed Mal continued building as GRRW Australia, that was about 1982.
I took over GRRW Australia 1984 and by then GRRW parts were impossible to find so we bought the closest parts we could get from such as North Star, Dixie, Track, etc. Barrels also came from other reputable makes, Douglas, Getz and Sharon, among them. I eventually settled on Green Mountain barrels an stayed with them.

I closed the shop last year [2016] and no longer build guns. The reasons are several but old age, failing eyes, decline in muzzleloading shooters and ridiculous firearms legislation all played their part.

The Serial number is 11 January 1987, the date the rifle was finished in the white, I always used the date as the serial number, at that stage the gun was deemed to be fireable and therefor had to be stamped and entered in our books. (What would happen on 1st November you ask? I would use the next day the 2nd to make it 21187)
Hope this helps!
Allan

The Neil person that Vaisham mentions is Neill Fields of Vernal, Utah that had worked for GRRW Roosevelt until they closed. He then went to Australia and worked for Mal Wade at Charles Hunter & Co. I know of two or three rifles that Neill Fields made while working for Charles Hunter & Co. I've also seen pictures of a couple rifles made by Vaisham.

Leman Indian Rifle made by Neill Fields in Australia


Apparently, Charles Hunter & Co. were an official agent for GRRW Roosevelt. An individual in Australia was kind enough to send me a GRRW price list distributed by the Charles Hunter & Co.

1979 Price List for GRRW Rifles - Charles Hunter & Co. Australian Agent


Here are some images of Allan Viasham's 2004 Catalog.




GRRW of Roosevelt had been out of business for over four years when Vaisham borrowed the name and started calling his company Green River Rifle Works of Australia. Doc White had not registered the name outside of the US, so he couldn't do much about it and didn't really care, anyway.

I know there are some other folks from Australia that post here like Heelerau that may be able to add to this story.

 

[flinter2]

In the thread Costs of custom built muzzleloaders... The subject of GRRW Australia came up. Phil Meek made the following comment:

Here is a note a friend shared with me from Allen Vaisham who last owned GRRW Autralia:

The Neil person that Vaisham mentions is Neill Fields of Vernal, Utah that had worked for GRRW Roosevelt until they closed. He then went to Australia and worked for Mal Wade at Charles Hunter & Co. I know of two or three rifles that Neill Fields made while working for Charles Hunter & Co. I've also seen pictures of a couple rifles made by Vaisham.

Leman Indian Rifle made by Neill Fields in Australia
View attachment 156

Apparently, Charles Hunter & Co. were an official agent for GRRW Roosevelt. An individual in Australia was kind enough to send me a GRRW price list distributed by the Charles Hunter & Co.

1979 Price List for GRRW Rifles - Charles Hunter & Co. Australian Agent
View attachment 157

Here are some images of Allan Viasham's 2004 Catalog.
View attachment 158
View attachment 159


GRRW of Roosevelt had been out of business for over four years when Vaisham borrowed the name and started calling his company Green River Rifle Works of Australia. Doc White had not registered the name outside of the US, so he couldn't do much about it and didn't really care, anyway.

I know there are some other folks from Australia that post here like Heelerau that may be able to add to this story.

HI, All I had two rifles made by Alan Vaisham both were hi quality rifles and both have been used at the MLAIC champs further the very first time I shot one of these guns at the regular Vetterli match scored a possible Alan meek told me that a shooter in his club went from club joke to club champ using one of Vaishams rfiles ,he did good work

 

[Mike in Oz]

Its just a crying shame that Alan has now retired with no protege to step into his shoes.

 

[heelerau]

I have two of Niels' rifles, one he made as a gift for my late father and one he made for me in exchange for an English hunting rifle. Neil used to stay at my parents place, a small farm at Inman Valley, we used to hunt together . A lovely bloke, I have stayed in contact with him ever since and stayed with him when I was last in the US. I still speak to him regularly on the phone.

 

[plmeek]

Thanks, heelerau.

I don't know if this rifle is still available, but I saw it the other day when I was surfing the web. Another Hawken rifle made by Alan Vaisham. This is obviously one he made after the GRRW parts ran out. He used a Griffith Tool Co. breech and lock on it. The date the rifle was finished in the white is encoded in the serial number 23390. I think this translates to 23 March 1990.

Here is the link to the OZ Gun Sales site where it's listed.
OZ GUN SALES - Online Firearms Classifieds - » Green River Rifle Works .50 Calibre Hawken

 

[heelerau]

I remember Mal W used to add sales tax after the stated price. Phil are you down under or in the US. Alan still does a little lock work if you are not in a hurry. He really knows how to tune a flintlock. It is a pity he did not take on an apprentice. There are a number of good private builders of muzzle loading rifles in SA. We need a few young blokes to get interested.
Mal W invited Niel and his wife down under to build rifles under the Green River Banner, as part of Chas Hunter and Co. Niel was to help out our local builders of whom we had a small number who were already doing good work. Niel was able to give them a few tips to enable them to work more efficiently , the sort of tricks you learn when you build a lot of rifles. Neil stayed for about 2 years before moving home to the US and continued to build rifles under the name of Badger Flats, when he was in California, he later moved to Vernal where he still lives and builds rifles, pistols and smoothies upon request. I stayed with Neil and his lovely wife Lynne for a couple of weeks about 20 years ago. He and his wife Lynne came back out to SA earlier this year for a couple of weeks and caught up with a lot o people, unfortunately I did not get a chance to see them my self, but they did see my mother. He is a ver nice gentle bloke and a ver good craftsman.

Cheers

Gordon