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Pistolsmith Travis Strahan / Ringgold, GA - anybody know of his work?

Thank you gentlemen for bumping this thread while I was AWOL on walkabout. I dropped off ODT for a year or two, but returned recently just after January 1st.

I appreciate the additional information on this gun and on Travis. I will probably be looking for a new home for it in the not too distant future and have no idea where it's current value should be. Feel free to message me.

Z


Hey Zoid, congratulations on getting one of Travis’s tack drivers. Yes, I own one of his acculock pistols, but mine is the only one of its kind. It shoots much better than I can. It is a Beretta 96 which is a .40 S&W. As far as I know all the other pistols are 1911s like yours. Travis was famous before I met him and before he came up with his “dragon teeth” that he used in his Accu-lock system. Massad Ayoob had one of his “pocket pistols.” It was a K framed S&W in .357 mag that Travis cut down the barrel, the trigger guard, and the butt length to make it more concealable for deep cover carry. I met Travis in 1986 when I was a deputy sheriff. Over the years he worked on three of my handguns and I know of no better gunsmith. He retired as an armorer in the army and I believe he served in Korea as well as Vietnam. He was the official gunsmith for the US Army Shooting Team. And after retirement, he still supplied World Champion Shooters with firearms that could “shoot the wings off flies at 100 yards.” I would visit him periodically as he was developing the Accu-Lock system and getting the patent on it, which took several years and frustrated him quite often. If I recall correctly, he made his own match barrels to put in his firearms. I remember seeing him machining a barrel on his lathe in his shop. I do not know exactly how the Accu-Lock was made, but I do know that it is a revolutionary system that can make a winner out of a shooter. Enjoy his legacy! If you ever want to sale the pistol, his daughter would love to have one, as she has told me several times.

If you need any support for your Accu-Lock if you go to a monthly Bullseye match at River Bend Gun Club some of the local shooters can help you out as a couple of them worked with Travis. I got to shoot an Accu-Lock at RBGC and while somewhat heavy it shot softly with the hotter 185 JHP target loads. Reportedly they have never had a barrel separate and the shop had freshened up several high use competition pistols.

Travis's shop did an action job on my Colt E frame revolver and piece-parted a low end Bullseye 1911 for me, but these were small jobs with no markings, just great results.

Hello gentlemen ,
Recently enjoyed the comments about
Travis. He was a good personal friend of mind
the last five years of his life. I own several of his
firearms and myself and my business partner own
the patents and all of his machinery. I did see
a post where his daughter wanted one of his firearms
she has one now and it’s a beauty. My partner and I
had the opportunity to learn from him and spend many
enjoyable days with him and Hershel Anderson. I find
myself having thoughts of those times often.

How did you find one? Those are so rare and I’ve never been able to find one for sale.

That is beautiful. I have not seen anything like that before. Takes some true skill
 
I guess a more appropriate question should have been, "What was the approximate original cost of one of Travis Strahan's guns when he was crafting them?"

Z
Originally, they started at $3,000.00 with the accu lock system. I think you also had to supply the firearm. If you wanted additional gunsmithing work (like a trigger job) that would add to the cost. When he handed the Beretta 96 back to me, he said, “That’s a $3000 gun!” He was a good man and his wife is a great lady.
 
Originally, they started at $3,000.00 with the accu lock system. I think you also had to supply the firearm. If you wanted additional gunsmithing work (like a trigger job) that would add to the cost. When he handed the Beretta 96 back to me, he said, “That’s a $3000 gun!” He was a good man and his wife is a great lady.

Appreciate that information. I'm wondering if the build gun plays any part in their current values? This one being a pristine 1944 Remington Rand should have importance, no?

I'm also wondering if anyone from the family has any records of how many builds he did, and what base guns were supplied?

Z
 
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