Service
Smoother actions, honest timing, and dependable function for the cowboy action range.
Cowboy action shooting asks a great deal of guns designed generations ago. A stage is won or lost on how cleanly a single action revolver cocks, how far a lever gun has to travel to run a round, and whether a coach gun opens and ejects the same way every time. Custom Gunworks provides cowboy action gunsmithing for competitors, weekend enthusiasts, and collectors who want their firearms working the way the design intended.
Our approach to cowboy action work is mechanical rather than cosmetic. We look at timing, lockup, spring rates, bearing surfaces, and the fit between parts, then correct what is actually causing the roughness or the malfunction. Slicking up an action is not about removing metal until something feels light, it is about finding the surfaces that are dragging and addressing them without giving up safe, reliable function.
Whether you shoot a full match season across Southern Nevada or bring out a lever gun a few times a year, the goal is the same: a firearm that cycles smoothly, holds its timing, and behaves predictably every time you pick it up. Every cowboy action project leaving our bench in Pahrump is function tested before it goes back to you.
These are the issues cowboy action shooters most often describe when they bring a revolver, lever gun, or double gun to our bench.
Seeing one of these before a match? Contact our shop and we will help you sort out the right next step.
What We Do
Six areas of work that cover most of what a cowboy action shooter brings through the door, from a single revolver to a complete match set.
Single action revolvers live or die on timing. We check that each chamber carries up and locks before the hammer falls, correct indexing and lockup problems, and smooth the bearing surfaces that make a hammer stroke feel gritty. Spring rates are set for a lighter, cleaner cock without giving up positive engagement or reliable ignition.
Handgun Work
A lever gun that binds mid-stroke or short strokes under pressure costs time on every stage. We address rough carrier and bolt travel, correct feeding and extraction problems, check the loading gate and magazine tube, and smooth the action so the stroke is short, even, and predictable from the shoulder.
Rifle Work
Coach guns and side-by-sides are judged on how easily they open and how cleanly they clear. We service opening and closing feel, tune extractor and ejector timing so both hulls leave together, and check the trigger and safety function on double guns that have seen a long season of use.
Shotgun Work
Engagement surfaces are refined by hand and fitted, not simply cut down. The aim is a clean break with consistent take-up across every gun in your match set, so a revolver, a lever gun, and a shotgun feel like they belong together. Safe sear engagement is the limit we work to, on every job.
Gunsmithing
Period-correct sights are easy to knock out of alignment and are often the reason a familiar gun suddenly shoots off point of aim. We install, replace, and regulate front and rear sights, correct windage and elevation, and repair sight dovetails damaged in handling or transport.
Sight Installation
High round counts and black powder fouling wear an action down faster than most owners expect. We handle broken and worn part replacement, deep cleaning, and inspection, and we will tell you honestly when a component is past the point where tuning is the right answer.
Firearm CleaningThe Difference
Reliability first, then feel. An action that is light but unpredictable is no use to anyone standing on the line.
Need something outside cowboy action work? Our gun repair and firearm restoration services cover the rest of the collection.
Platforms
The platforms that come across our bench most often from shooters across Southern Nevada.
Traditional single actions and modern reproductions, including the timing, lockup, and hammer work that keep a pair matched to each other.
Pistol caliber lever guns used across most cowboy categories, serviced for smooth cycling, clean feeding, and reliable extraction.
Double guns with and without external hammers, tuned for consistent opening, closing, and hull clearance stage after stage.
Short-barrelled doubles built for match use, checked for ejector timing, lockup, and trigger and safety function.
Pump shotguns used in the appropriate categories, cap and ball revolvers, and period single shot rifles brought in for inspection or repair.
Local Service
Custom Gunworks is a full-service gunsmith shop at 5090 North David St, Pahrump, NV 89060, roughly an hour from the Las Vegas valley. Cowboy action shooters come to us from Pahrump, Las Vegas, Henderson, and the surrounding Southern Nevada communities, often between matches when a revolver has started dragging or a lever gun has begun short stroking.
Desert range conditions are unusually hard on cowboy action guns. Fine dust works into an action, and black powder shooters deal with fouling that will turn a smooth stroke gritty over a single weekend. Regular inspection and cleaning is not fussiness out here, it is what keeps a match set running through a season.
If you are travelling from Las Vegas, call ahead and we will have your paperwork ready so the drop-off is quick. Many customers bring their full match set in one trip rather than making the drive twice.
Questions
Common questions about cowboy action gunsmithing at Custom Gunworks.
It is gunsmithing focused on the firearms used in cowboy action shooting: single action revolvers, lever-action rifles, and side-by-side or coach shotguns. The work centers on smoothing actions, correcting timing, improving feed and ejection reliability, and keeping older or reproduction designs functioning safely and consistently.
Yes. Single action revolver tuning is one of our most common cowboy action requests. We check timing and lockup first, then address the bearing surfaces and spring rates that make a hammer feel gritty or heavy. We will not lighten an action past the point where it still functions safely and reliably.
Yes. Lever gun work includes smoothing the action stroke, addressing binding or short stroking, correcting feed and extraction problems, and general inspection. We service both original and modern reproduction lever-action rifles from most major manufacturers.
Yes. We service side-by-side and coach guns for opening and closing feel, ejector and extractor timing, and trigger and safety function. If a double gun is opening stiffly or leaving a hull behind, bring it in and we will diagnose it.
Yes. Cowboy action firearms see heavy round counts and, for black powder shooters, especially aggressive fouling. We offer deep cleaning, inspection, and preventive maintenance to keep an action smooth through a full season.
Calling ahead is always a good idea so we can plan for your visit and give you an accurate timeline. Quick inspections can often be handled as a walk-in, while full action jobs and multi-gun match sets are better scheduled in advance.
Yes. We are located in Pahrump and regularly work with cowboy action shooters travelling from Las Vegas, Henderson, and across Southern Nevada. Many customers drop off a full match set at once so everything is tuned to feel consistent.
Have a different question? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page or contact us directly.
Explore More
Custom Gunworks offers a full range of gunsmithing services beyond cowboy action work.
Tell us what your revolver, lever gun, or coach gun is doing and we will give you an honest assessment, a timeline, and a clear estimate before any work begins.
