Bill Schwab Posted October 19, 2002 Share Posted October 19, 2002 I just bought a Matt McLearn built single stack open gun which I hope to shoot steel with. Does anyone have any experience with Matt's guns, good, bad, or otherwise?? And where is he now? I read a bit on the web about him and it seemed he was a very talented shooter. Thanks, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted October 19, 2002 Share Posted October 19, 2002 I think he is in Oklamhoma somewhere. His guns are top notch from everything that I have heard (and experienced). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j1b Posted October 19, 2002 Share Posted October 19, 2002 Matt still lives in Claremore, OK to the best of my knowledge. I talked to him not too long ago - he'd shot one or two IDPA matches but wasn't doing much beyond that. I do know that after his shop burned down (the second time) that he pretty much hung it up. I believe he went into construction. Matt's guns were really about as good as they come. I have one that I obtained years ago and although I don't shoot it much - it is incredibly well built. The great thing about Matt is his heart. To be frank - they don't make them any better. I'd be willing to bet he'd still stand up for his work - even though he's been out of the business for many years. Top notch guy - the sport is missing something without him. JB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Schwab Posted October 21, 2002 Author Share Posted October 21, 2002 Wow, those are powerful words. It sounds unfortunate for us that he didn't stick with ipsic and gunsmithng, but it's a tough living. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j1b Posted October 26, 2002 Share Posted October 26, 2002 There was a time when I was trying to find my place in the sport . . . and Matt really took me under his wing and offered a lot of council. I was putting too many non-factors in the equation and thinking too much about the end result. Fact is when you're amongst a group of really competitive guys you find yourself in a quarry of whether or not help the young guy who has talent and if you show him too much he just might beat you. Matt never thought about it - he simply helped me out. He was a friend - which I discovered I needed a hell of a lot more than a win. JB P.S. I would also note that the host of this site did the exact same thing with me. Although Brian and I do not talk much these days - I consider him a dear friend that helped me through more issues than I would bet he realized. Brian - if you read this - Thank You!!! (Edited by j1b at 6:26 pm on Oct. 25, 2002) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSeevers Posted October 26, 2002 Share Posted October 26, 2002 Matt was taught by George Smith of EGW and John Nowlin. If he had worked for John Browning I don't think he would know any more about guns. Its too bad he left. Also he was a great shooter and even has a World Shoot win in his cap along with a Nationals! (Edited by BSeevers at 7:35 am on Oct. 26, 2002) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcmgun Posted February 21, 2003 Share Posted February 21, 2003 Matt still lives in Claremore, OK. His last big match was the 1998th North Amerian Championship, so he is more than 4 years out of the IPSC "business". We were together at the 2003 SHOT show and maybe (and hopefully) we will see him again in any shooting related activity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmaass Posted February 22, 2003 Share Posted February 22, 2003 Quote: from BSeevers on 5:34 am on Oct. 26, 2002 Matt was taught by George Smith of EGW and John Nowlin. If he had worked for John Browning I don't think he would know any more about guns. Its too bad he left. Also he was a great shooter and even has a World Shoot win in his cap along with a Nationals! (Edited by BSeevers at 7:35 am on Oct. 26, 2002) Actually, Matt McLearn and George Smith both trained together to learn to craft guns under Austin Behlert (the elder) at Behlert Precision in PA, and then Matt went to work with Nowlin in Oklahoma before setting out on his own. I consider myself lucky to own and use two nearly identical McLearn Custom Machine (MCM) Signature Models in caliber 9x21. I had a chance to visit him at the shop in Claremore while he was building the second and installing a matching barrel in the first, and spent a little time with him and his (minimal) staff at the time. http://home.columbus.rr.com/jmaass/images/mcm70.jpg After my sad experience with the slime criminal gunsmith Chuck Warner Junior <<spit!>> (in which I lost $2800 in cash and gun parts), I was understandably "gunshy" when looking for someone to build me a gun the next time around. I did a **lot** of research, and talked to a lot of shooters and gunsmiths before I settled on Matt. Great choice: honest, skilled, and a true Nice Guy ! Matt's "thing" was reliability, accuracy, and reliability, in that order. My guns have been remarkably reliable. In the year that I moved from B to A in Open, I shot a *lot* of local matches, FIPT, Florida Open, Area 5, and probably some I've forgotten. I fired roughly 25,000 rounds that year, and had only five (5) jams/stoppages! For three of those, I recovered the round causing the problem, and confirmed reloading errors (not crimped) as the cause of the jam. Two of the rounds I was unable to recover. I also scheduled a class with Matt at our local club (Pickaway County Sportsmen, Circleville OH), and ten of us got to experience Matt as an instructor. Also a good choice! If you have access to them, watch the 1993 USPSA Nationals and World Shoot X videos. Matt won both of those matches in 1993. If you can't find them, picture a big Dudley Do-Right-like fellow gliding quickly and smoothly through each course of fire, and you have an accurate image of Matt's shooting! When Matt left gunsmithing, he recommended George Smith at EGW for the continuing maintenance of my guns. There hasn't been much work required, but I consider myself lucky to have found two of the best gunsmiths around! I've always considered it unfortunate that Matt had to reset his priorities, and left shooting. He was fun to watch, and a challenger whenever he competed. ("mcmgun": Is that you, Georg, hiding behind that screen name?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38supPat Posted February 22, 2003 Share Posted February 22, 2003 I was fortunate enough to take Matts course back in '95. He's a great teacher, makes it all very easy to understand the whats and whys. I shot with him again at the '98 Canadian Nationals. I don't think he ever got as much credit as a shooter as he deserved. So much natural talent, so smooth. He is truly one of the greats...and he's Canadian too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Anderson Posted February 23, 2003 Share Posted February 23, 2003 I bought a Matt Mclearn Caspian from Flex and it's wonderful. It's been ridden hard and put away wet for years before me, and just keeps chuggin' away. Must be built right. SA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcmgun Posted February 24, 2003 Share Posted February 24, 2003 @jmaas: yes, it´s me, good to "talk" to you again! http://www.gf-shooting.de Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattmclearn Posted February 24, 2003 Share Posted February 24, 2003 Thanks for all the kind words. I will tell you a little history about myself. I started gunsmithing for Behlert precision in PA. George Smith was the boss and the most compitent gunsmith in the place. Even better than old Austin himself. George taught me everything he could before he started his own business in 1990. (EGW) I shot for EGW and continued to learn gunsmithing from him. In feb 1992 I met John Nowlin at FIPT in Florida. He offered me a job gunsmithing and shooting for his firm. I started for him on April 1/92. I met my wife on june 23/92 and married her on Nov 7/92. I started my own business in March/93. Kevin Toothman joined me in June/93. The shop burned down on April 19/95, the same day the Oklahoma city bombing took place. I bought a new building and continued building guns. In Jan./97 my shop was severly vandalized and robbed. In August/97 U.S. customs took $11000.00 from me at Memphis airport. I stopped gunsmithing and shooting the following year. Ten years later I still have the same wife and four children. Couldn't ask the good Lord for anything else on earth. I have shot a few matches since just for fun but my hobbies have turned to Hunting. Not to start any rumors but I am thinking about full time involvement in the shooting industry again but not in the competition arena. I will keep you posted. By the way. Brian Enos was one of the few guys who would help the new guys out at matches. He would help me analyze stages and never played mind games with me. If you have any gunsmithing ?? about 1911's or shooting ??'s please feel free to e-mail me. remember, a jamless gun is a winning gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSeevers Posted February 24, 2003 Share Posted February 24, 2003 Matt Welcome to the forum and welcome back to shooting in any way you can. Sorry about the bad luck in the past. Hey hang around here we could use the help. My gunsmith, Buddy Runner the Grand National guy, says hi. Good luck. (Edited by BSeevers at 7:10 pm on Feb. 24, 2003) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rishii Posted February 25, 2003 Share Posted February 25, 2003 Matt, welcome to the forums. I got a question for you. I've been shooting one of your caspian raceguns for a couple of years, and the gun runs flawlessly, even with a broken accu-rail, which fell out the last time I cleaned it. . I'm just wondering who did the accu-rails for you, I want to order a replacement set. Thanks (Edited by rishii at 3:51 am on Feb. 25, 2003) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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