Webmaster's Testimonial - Tactical Style Rifle

Happy Customers:
Charles & Jennifer Of MemorablePlaces.com

The following testimonial for Nor-Cal Precision's Tactical Rifle was written by Charles & Jennifer of MemorablePlaces.com and has not been edited from the original version. Photographs courtesy of MemorablePlaces.com.

Nor-Cal Precision wishes to thank Charles & Jennifer for allowing us to place this note on the Nor-Cal Precision website.

Nor-Cal Precision

First Part From Charles:

When I was chosen to create Jerry Rice's website back in 1999 I had no idea just how much my shooting life was going to change. Heck, I had no idea how drastically plenty of other parts of my life were gonna change either, but that is another story...

When I was selected by Jerry to do his website, MemorablePlaces.com was in it's infancy, we did not have a a full time graphic artist, and we were still learning the ins and outs of commercial web design. Similarly, my training and experience with rifles was also in its infancy, having never had more than a passing interest in plinking with a 22 I was satisfied with my slowly rusting handgun skills. After having taken top-gun in the academy, I rarely made it to the range. I had no interest in rifles, particularly not high powered bolt action weapons.

That was about to change. Through Mike Miller of Tactical Intervention Specialists, I met one of the nicest and most knowledgeable gunsmiths in the precision tactical rifle business, a riflesmith by the name of Jerry Rice. Seems Jerry wanted a website built where he could showcase his product, particularly a weapon he dubbed the Nighthawk. After speaking with Jerry on the phone for a couple of hours, I decided to he might be a good client to take on and we arranged a meeting at his home a couple of weeks hence.

I met with Jerry at his home in California and found both he and his wife to be some of the nicest people you would ever want to meet. Jerry is a humble man about himself and though he loves to talk, he is reticent to sing his own praises. Jerry was obviously extremely knowledgeable in the field, but he did not wave around his credentials, drop the names of people he worked for, or flash his trophies. However when he did speak, you could tell it was with an authority on the subject matter that comes from really being immersed in and feeling confident in your work and your abilities.

I found Jerry to be PASSIONATE about his rifles. He was more than willing to sing the praises of other riflemsmiths for this brand or that model, but when it comes to wringing out the last bit of accuracy from a Remington, Jerry's manner and bearing speak to the fact he possesses an unspoken confidence in himself borne of repeatedly proven successes.

Jerry was willing and able to talk to myself, and other customers who he received calls from that day in a way that we could understand and with patience. This is not all that common in my experience as many 'mechanics' or 'technicians' just can not seem to break the barriers down between themselves and those with limited knowledge of their subjects. Jerry can speak to those on all levels, a customer service trait that you just do not find too often.

I was impressed and took the job.

As I built Jerry's website, I became more and more impressed. I visited him at his shop a couple of more times as I researched his products and interviewed him for what to put on his site. As with the first meeting I found him to be very easy to work with. I also observed him dealing with customers and not once did I detect any animosity or even less than cordial feelings from them.

Fast forward about 18 months!

After having developed Jerry's site and getting a chance to talk to some of his customers, fire several of the rifles he had built, and observing him work in his shop some, I decided that I really wanted to obtain one of his rifles. Certain events allowed this to happen and I have never been happier with a firearm.

I took delivery of it nearly a year after I had first laid hands on a Nor-Cal Rifle.

Jerry's technical expertise and exacting eye toward detail are present in every facet of his work. I would not begin to list all of the steps he goes through to tune one of these rifles here, but just a look at a list all of the items that are rebuilt, refined, or made better on even his most basic rifle should give you some idea of his pride in the work. "Little" extras such as dual venting every bolt for his customer's safety makes a BIG impression on this kid.

The one thing that I noticed on my rifle, as on all of the other Nor-Cal Precision rifles I have handled is that the things are built TOUGH. There is an old idiom that a Marine can destroy an anvil with a rubber mallet, but I'd put money to the bet that Jerry's rifles may even be Marine Proof. I know I am hard on equipment, but Jerry's work inspires a strange confidence in me. I am sure this rifle will outlast me easily. This is probably the most impressive aspect of his work aside from accuracy.

Oh did I just mention accuracy? I have never shot a more accurate weapon than Jerry's. Most precision rifles take some time to 'break in' and 'settle down'. My Winchester precision rifle took nearly 100 rounds to become predictable. Break in took nearly that long.

Jerry's rifle is different. In April of 2001 I FINALLY was able to get it out to the field and begin the break in process. I found the copper fouling to be much much less than the Winchester ever thought of being. The big surprise was the almost immediate 'settling' of the rifle. It is not even fully broken in yet, and it is already regularly printing groups just about 1/2 MOA in MY untrained hands! Keep in mind that I have only shot precision rifle about 12 times in my life. I consider this wildly successful!

Of course there is a downside to this... I will let my girlfriend and partner here at MemorablePlaces take over the story from this point:

Second Part From Jennifer:

As noted by Charles above, we went out to finish sighting in his new rifle in April. What my love failed to mention was that... well just keep reading... we'll get to the funny part soon enough. I had a brief but highly successful experience.

Being a partner and girlfriend of Jerry's webmaster: Charles (I assist with graphics for MemorablePlaces.com), I was able to use Charles' rifle one of the times we recently went shooting. Now being a neophyte to shooting rifle (only 4 times in the last six months in all of my life) I did not expect to do exceedingly well (esp compared to Charles who just completely kicks my rear with a handgun- of which I have only been shooting a few times as well).

That day I had been shooting a Mossburg .22 with iron sites and not doing particularly horrible in my opinion (my best being about a palm sized group at 100 yards) but no where near the tight groups Charles was getting with the Rice-rifle. Well Charles encouraged me to give it a try after he had shot a particularly beautiful group of about a half inch at 100 yards (all of the groups he shot were were pretty darn impressive)... However this particular group he was all excited to post on the site with a scan! Long story short - I sat down and bested him by about a tenth of an inch! I was extremely proud of myself!

Now if someone like me can sit down and get that out of that rifle......you can imagine what results a seasoned shooter can obtain. I was very pleased with not only how the Nor-Cal Rifle shot but how it felt as well. Even in my limited experience I am finding myself picky about what I shoot and Jerry's rifle felt balanced and had a terrific trigger on it.

Anyway though I am by no means an expert, for me to have gotten the results that I did with this fine rifle speaks for itself. A scan of MY target appears below. All I can say is Charles when do we get to go shooting next??!!

1/2 Inch Squares

Charles Responds:

Compare the targets love - they aint that much different. Care to bet a dinner at Hungry Hunter?

1/4 inch squares

I hope that as a NorCalPrecision.com reader you will allow us the silliness of going public with our little contest and take it in the spirit in which it was meant. Having said all of this however, I must go back into serious mode and very strongly suggest that if you are looking for the very best accuracy in a Remington rifle, from a guy that truly knows his stuff and is friendly to boot, you simply MUST consider Nor-Cal Precision when it comes time to select your riflesmith. Jerry Rice is a true craftsman, knows his stuff, and builds rifles to stand the test of time, and does so with pinpoint accuracy.

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