OHIO ADDICTS ...Has anyone here heard of STEELHEART TACTICAL out of Alliance, OH?

DWPW said:

I found these guys when I was checking out this customized Springer on GB. I called them up and spoke to the manager Allan and he let me know they did all the custom work to the couple of Springfield pistols they have up on GB and told me both of their gunsmiths (one FT, one PT) are 1911 fanatics. He said he could do just about anything and gave me a quote for a bunch of work I was looking to have done to my Springfield EMP4CCC.

Problem is, they don't have much of a rep. Aside from great ratings on GB.... all for parts and small stuff... I've never ever heard of them. The work they did on these Springfields looks pretty quality... if in fact they did do the work there. The have more pictures and media up on their google profile than on their website.

Has anyone in Ohio, or anywhere, had any dealings with them?

Some of pics of their work:

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DWPW said:

@Karl Beining Thanks for stopping by with this.

Well, I have enough here to go ahead and render an opinion:

I've had several phone conversations with Allan, just chatting and talking about guns and 1911's specifically. I haven't ever really asked him many questions about himself or his business, just talking about gun stuff and gun parts and metallurgy and things and letting the convo go where it will. Here's my take; Allan is the owner, and the primary gunsmith. SOMEBODY did all that work in all those pictures, and that somebody rates as a capable gunsmith. Let's all remember that there are a lot of people out there who have been quietly doing incredible work for many years, and whom none of us have ever heard of, even in our own areas. On the other hand, there are some smiths that get a lot of attention around here who I feel really don't deserve it.... every picture that gets posted of their work has GLARING issues for a $5k-$7k gun.... but hey, that's just one man's opinion. Allan at Steelheart Tactical sounds very much sounds like he just broke out on his own a few years back, is getting his business rolling, supplements it by selling parts and accessories available to him from distributors, and thankfully has enough work to sustain him because 1) he's a capable smith and 2) anyone who is a capable smith and works on 1911's has enough work right now.

So, while we're waiting to hear from @FranklinBullitt about what he's got cooking, I'm gonna go ahead and be the guinea pig and send a gun to Steelheart Tactical for some work and see what happens. Worst case scenario, I'm only asking for some services which would take a lot of effort to really mess up beyond correction, best case scenario... maybe this amazing community here can help, over time, to make a deserving talented smith and hardworking small businessperson a success story in the manner of Integrity Arms and others. But a lot can happen in the meantime!

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Karl Beining said:

Certainly don't take my 'Never heard of her' as a knock, I discover new and talented folks seemingly weekly out here on the Gunternet, some have been putting out work since I was a wee lad and some are genuinely just getting started. I will admit to having seen his work selling on Gunbroker but never pursued them to learn more as I'm not really in the market for ported or polished Springfields haha. But looking at the nuts and bolts of their work in pictures they certainly seem capable mechanic's of the platform. Keep us posted on yalls projects, I need more names to send folks for light customization jobs.

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