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Man parlays perfectionism into gunsmithing career
McCOOK, Neb. — Sometimes, it pays to be a perfectionist.
For proof, stop by the slate-gray building at 107 East A Street, across from Mead Lumber, and meet Matt Owens, the owner and only employee of Owens Ordnance, a gun shop which not only caters to hunters in the Tri-State Region but also serves competitive hunters from all across the United States.
The skill that sets Matt apart is his talent for building rifles to exacting specifications.
The path to perfection started in 2005 when Matt and his Dad, Dr. Mike Owens, began competing in American Rimfire Association shooting events. Quickly, they discovered that precision was required for shooting success. But there was a problem. “Competitive shooters were waiting up to two years for gunsmiths to build rifles, and, even then, were disappointed with the results,” Matt said.
So Matt took matters into his own hands. He started building rifles.
Fortunately, he was in a position to do so because he was trained as a tool-and-die maker at Southeast Community College and had five years experience working as a mold maker for Front Range Tool & Machine in Longmont, Colo.
Add to that Matt’s penchant for perfectionism and, very soon, his reputation for building precision rifles was established.
“What I value most is the feedback I get from the shooters for whom I build rifles,” he said. This includes many shooters who have placed in the Top Five and Top Ten of competitive events. And, most impressive of all, the results with Matt’s rifles include two perfect scores of 2,500 in the American Rimfire Association 50-yard bench-rest shoots. That’s a feat equaled by very few other shooters in ARA history.
Since venturing into the rifle-building business, Matt’s life has changed. He moved back to McCook from Longmont, opening the gun shop on the northwest corner of the East A and East First Street in 2009 and continuing to expand to the present day.
On the retail side, Owens Ordnance offers a wide range of products and services, including Bennelli and Stoeger shotguns, Uberti rifles and pistols, Smith & Wesson revolvers, Kimber pistols and handguns, Night Force and Steiner optics and Pro Shot cleaning supplies, as well as ammunition and reloading supplies.
The other big part of the Owens Ordnance enterprise is the machine shop work.
With a Romi M-17 lathe and a Chevelier vertical machining center, Matt builds and repairs a wide range of firearms. Tasks include threading for a muzzle break for $125 and threading and chambering for $250 and on up from there to the original rifle creations which have marked Matt’s career.
Owens Ordnance is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. The phone number is 308-345-8859. The e-mail address is owensordnance@gmail.com