D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
April
2008
Right on Target
Curt Hardcastle restores classic firearms and gives target-shooters a better shot at hitting the mark. Plus new Marketplace owners, businesses on the move, Dromos done for, and more.
Curt Hardcastle, a gunsmith who opened Hardcastle Custom Machining in Silver City one year ago, pulls a rifle from the gun safe in his workshop. He runs a hand along the long, sleek barrel, fingers the hammer and trigger, and points out the distinctive mottling of colors in the steel trigger-housing mechanism.
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Curt Hardcastle |
He describes the mechanical, technical process of how he restored the old firearm to shooting functionality. Then the tall, silver-haired gentleman gets a wistful look and his voice takes on a different tone.
"You know, it just suddenly hit me one day," he says. "Here I was, restoring this gun, and I thought to myself, 125, maybe 140 years ago, there was a guy just like me doing exactly what I was doing with this exact same weapon — and he had no idea that some 125, 140 years down the road, I would be holding it in my hands, working on it, maintaining it as a working firearm, just like he was doing." Hardcastle shakes his head. "In his wildest dreams, he could not have imagined me holding his gun, valuing his gun. It was quite a realization."
A restorer of antique firearms for more than 20 years, Hardcastle specializes in single-shot antique rifles from the Civil War era to the 1890s, returning both the guns' luster and their full shooting capability.
"When I'm done with it, it's as good as or better than when it was new," he says.
The gun he holds in his hands is, in a word, beautiful — perhaps not a word some would use to describe a weapon. Hardcastle explains that beauty, in fact, is a prime focus in his work, an aspect of firearm restoration that he finds especially rewarding.
"A lot of folks can do the machining. Let's face it, there are a lot of gunsmiths around," he says. "But the cosmetics are particularly important to me." With a laugh, he adds, "My wife says, 'Life's too short to shoot with an ugly rifle.' I spend a lot of time on the details, making a rifle as beautiful as I can. It's about the pride of ownership. When I give that gun back to the customer, it's something they will use and handle and display with pride."
Hardcastle's passion for guns began some 30 years ago when he got into competitive shooting as a hobby. He wanted a specialized gun and sought out a gunsmith who made weapons "match-ready."
"But he was really backed up with work orders," Hardcastle says. "I mean, he was three years behind schedule!" So Hardcastle, with a machining background from years of professional mold making, explored doing his own gun work and "things just sort of snowballed from there," he says with a laugh. Before opening his Silver City business, he worked in firearms restoration for nearly a dozen years in the Midwest, and with his wife owned a handgun sales business through which he sold and customized 300 to 350 guns per year.
Asked why a new gun needs alterations to make it "match-ready," Hardcastle explains that competitors often shoot up to 80 rounds per day over the course of two days. Repeated recoil of the rifle into the shoulder muscle can cause the shooter to "flinch," impairing his or her accuracy. Rifles must meet certain size and weight standards. Increasing barrel size — making it the longest and heaviest it can be and still come within those standards — lessens recoil and increases steadiness. Trigger pull — the pounds of pressure required to fire the gun — also comes into play. Having to pull with something like 12 pounds of pressure, over and over, can fatigue the shooter. Hardcastle reworks the geometry of the trigger mechanism, he explains, making the gun less tiring for the competitor to fire and improving his or her control.
In addition to making firearms ready for competition, Hardcastle says his work encompasses everything from replacing a single part, like a broken hammer, to completely rebuilding and upgrading what he calls "rusty relics."
"I do as much or as little work as the customer wants," he says, pointing out a gun on his workshop table to illustrate his point. "I'm just replacing the barrel on this one, for example, and the owner is going to do all the polishing himself." He points out another job that is "just a caliber change," he says, demonstrating the parts that will transform the firearm from a .40-.65 Winchester to a .45-.90.
And there are jobs that take plenty more effort. He relates his "most unusual restoration" story of a gun that came to him following a house fire. The rifle — or what was left of it — had been rusting away in the wet ash of the house's ruins for several months. The stock was completely burned away, the barrel was rusted, and all metal mechanisms seemed welded into immobility, beyond any hope of ever being functional again — at least to the gun's then-owner.
Hardcastle did a complete rebuild of the firearm, then brought the restored and functioning rifle to a shooting match.
"Everybody who shot it wanted to own one," he says with a smile, adding that he has since made many more just like it for customers. In fact, that most unusual restoration job has become his most popular customized product.
Some of his work comes from business referrals, such as from Treebone Carving, a custom gunstock company in Cimarron, NM, from which Hardcastle buys gunstocks. Some of Hardcastle's work is shown on Treebone's Web site, www.treebonecarving.com California gun parts vendor Kenn Womack, from whom Hardcastle buys specialty replacement parts for antique guns, also sends clients his way, and he has individual clients, referred by word of mouth.
Turn-around and cost of jobs vary widely, depending on the amount of work requested. A simple repair can be turned around in as little as a week, he says. Rebuilds usually take six to nine months, sometimes more when he's backed up. Pointing out the full gun safe in his shop, Hardcastle notes that he's got 15 different projects going on at present. If a simple repair job comes in, he'll shuffle it into the mix rather than making it wait for a rebuild to be completed.
Simple parts replacements, like that broken hammer, for example, run about $75-$80. Re-barreling will run around $350 for the labor and anywhere from $250 to $400 for the steel itself. A full rebuild — with a new barrel, stock, necessary parts and full finishing — usually runs around $3,500 to $4,000.
"Oh, it's not an inexpensive proposition," Hardcastle says, laughing, "but that's not what it's about. To the person who loves his gun — or her gun," he quickly puts in with a smile, "it's that pride of ownership. A gun is a uniquely enjoyable possession, often with sentimental value involved. It's often a family heirloom, a piece of family history handed down." He smiles at some of the comments he's gotten, particularly from some of the more involved projects he's done.
"Some people just can't believe it when they get their gun back — it's such a transformation," he says. "It feels good to know I've made them that happy."
Hardcastle Custom Machining, 3839 W. Tom Lyons Dr., Silver City.
By appointment. 574-8825.
Ch-ch-changes
Ruth Olsson and Jeff Schadel, owners of Fun Resale & Rental at the Hub Plaza in Silver City, have bought The Marketplace, the eclectic and constantly expanding retail business with some two-dozen merchants, just a few doors down at The Hub. Olsson and Schadel take over The Marketplace business by mid-month and will move their R&R business' stock of costumes, tuxedos and vintage clothing into the Marketplace's front storefront — the space previously occupied by the Young family's business — by around April 15. Olsson says the space is fully occupied with business tenants. Fun R & R rents party equipment, performance equipment, theatrical costumes, camping gear and more, and, as the name indicates, resells as well. Olsson says they plan to continue with the live weekly music series the Youngs initiated at The Marketplace earlier this year, and will add other events to draw customers and have fun. "We want to have dances. . . period dances like disco dances, costume parties and theme parties so people have someplace to wear their wonderful costumes and dress-up stuff." She adds that the deal came about when the Youngs inherited a family mansion in Eureka, Calif., and Arthur Young presented the opportunity to buy The Marketplace to her and Schadel. "We realized it was a wonderful opportunity. We've been encouraged by our business' success already in less than a year, and we think this expansion will only add to our momentum," Olsson says. 601 N. Bullard, 388-2897, fun@funrandr.com, www.funrandr.com
NYN Imports, a purveyor of jewelry, home furnishings and other decorative items from around the world, has closed down its retail storefront at 1245 El Paseo Road in Las Cruces and is using that space for storing its larger furniture items. The company still sells items online through its Web site (www.nynimports.com), and smaller items like jewelry and lamps through International Delights Cafe, which the proprietors also own. 647-5956.
After having repainted just about every surface in sight, Melinda Austin, who co-owns Silver Imaging Photo Lab and Portrait Studio with her husband George, confirms that the Silver City business is ensconced in its new digs at 1008 Pope St., between Comcast and the Document Center. "The doors are open and we're up and running," she says. The new space has more room for the business' growing portrait studio needs. Stop by and help the Austins celebrate, April 19 at Silver Imaging's relocation celebration. 538-8658.
Update
Jane Alley checks in to say that her plans to move her shop, A Bead or Two, into downtown Silver City have changed. Last month's Business Exposure reported that Alley planned to leave her Adobe Plaza location to move down the hill onto Bullard Street by July, coming under the roof of the old Western Stationer's, soon to be occupied by Thunder Creek Quilts. "Things are just too hectic with my getting married and spending 3 1/2 days in Las Cruces and 3 1/2 days in my store," Alley explains. "Also the landlord does not want to let me out of my two-year contract. I really am sorry. It would have been a great location."
New in Town
Teresa P. McBride, ND, has opened a Silver City business offering consulting and information services on diet and lifestyle for improved health. A doctor of naturopathy, McBride focuses on homeopathy and sells nutritional supplements. 956-7625.
Judith Clawson Kenney invites people to come back to center at her new yoga center, Desert Willow Studios, 510 W. Market St. in Silver City. 388-5419.
Chris Maynes has opened two building businesses, Pyramid Metal Fabricators and Maynes Construction, under one roof at 106 Copper St. in Bayard. Maynes provides on-site fabrication of standing seam metal and snap-lock roofing and seamless gutters, with installation package or ready for you to do it yourself. The business also does metal fascia and all metal roof trim, serving clientele in Silver City, Deming, Bayard, Lordsburg and surrounding areas. 313-2411.
Erin Miller, LMT, has opened Knott to Worry, a massage practice at 704 N. Bullard St. in Silver City, near Domino's Pizza. Miller specializes in deep tissue, lymphatic, therapeutic, myofascial release and neuromuscular sports massage. 313-9237.
Teddy Bear Heaven, a new daycare center at 3608 Tracy Circle in Silver City, is welcoming little ones. Proprietor is Krystal Vasquez. 388-1493.
Kenneth Stailey has opened Integrity Auto Service, an auto-repair business at 3130 Hwy 180 E., Unit H2, in Silver City. Stailey works on just about any kind of car there is and specializes in auto economy — bring your wheels in and get a tune-up to increase your gas mileage and get more life out of your vehicle. 534-7516.
Richard Olson has opened Double R, a residential and commercial inspection business at 3373 Hwy. 90 S. in Silver City. Olson has been in the business for 30-plus years and is a master electrician and plumber, certified in HVAC. He's worked in five other states. Double R serves clients across most of southwest New Mexico. 313-4753.
Coming soon. . .
And yet more Subway outlets! It's hard to keep up with all the Subways that have just opened, are opening soon or are planned for Las Cruces, either as free-standing stores or in the Pic Quik locations that are sprouting up. The newest Subway free-standing restaurant opened at 1846 N. Valley Dr. at the end of last month. And Pic Quik locations include 3955 S. Main St., at the Sonoma Ranch Road exit off Hwy. 70, and at the corner of University Avenue and Telshor Boulevard. According to the company's Web site, there are now eight Subway locations in the Las Cruces area.
As Business Exposure reported in December, Allen Theatres, in addition to upgrading its existing theaters to state-of-the-art digital technology, plans to add another multiplex in Las Cruces in 2008. Well, construction is set to commence on the new theater this spring, according to company vice president Russell Allen, with a grand opening anticipated in late 2008. The new 10-screen facility — to be called Cineport 10 — will be a free-standing structure located at the Mesilla Valley Mall, near the Shoe Pavilion entry, and will feature stadium seating and digital cinema screens. The Allen four-screen theater at the Mall will close upon the new theater's opening. The Telshor 12 at 2811 N. Telshor Blvd. and the Video 4 on El Paseo will remain open.
. . .and Still Waiting
Way back in June 2007, we reported that the extended-stay hotel Value Place hoped to open by the end of the year at the corner of Triviz Drive and Wisconsin Avenue in Las Cruces. But now that's been delayed. A company spokesperson reports the new projected opening is a couple more months down the road. The four-story facility currently under construction, costing somewhere between $3 million and $4 million, will have 133 rooms, all offering full kitchens, housekeeping twice a week and a deluxe television package — amenities desired by that longer-term clientele the company courts and aims to serve.
Happy Return
And from the "heart-warming good news" department. . . Tim Weber, owner of Xi'an Antiquities in Deming, reports that he's back in his shop full time. For the past number of months, the shop had been staffed as well as possible by a posse of Weber's kind friends, keeping Xi'an afloat, as he cared for his mother. She has recently passed on, and Weber says he looks forward to seeing his old customers again and invites one and all to drop by, see his stock of precious and unusual Asian religious antiquities, and to just chat and visit. 121 E. Spruce St., 546 9223, tim@zianet.com
Going, going, gone. . .
Susie Jerome, co-owner of Mule Creek Adobe with her husband, Alex, confirms that they closed down the business at the end of last month, canceling the slate of classes in building and adobe block making they'd recently set in motion. Jerome would say only that the change was "sudden."
The screen's gone dark at Beta Tech Solutions, the computer set-up and repair service that last November moved to 1800 Hwy. 180 E., Suite C, in Silver City, next to A Better Chimney. Beta Tech's storefront is cleaned out and the business' phone number is no longer in service.
It's the end of the road for Dromos de Mesilla, the global-themed home design business at 1802 Avenida de Mesilla. Business Exposure announced the store's opening by Rick Hammrick and Gregg Gantner in June 2007. The duo have been in the business more than 25 years, opening Dromos stores in Colorado, Arizona, Utah and California prior to the Las Cruces store. The partners report they have no plans to open another store at this time and are liquidating stock, anticipating April 30 as the store's last day of business. 525-0525.