Alex Wheeler and Schneider Rifle Barrels
August 25, 2017
Hosted by Kelly McMillan
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Guest Information
Episode Description
Alex Wheeler started competitive shooting at local, long range club matches, and was hooked from the start. In 2014 he was lucky enough to set two 1,000 yard world records under the Williamsport Benchrest rules at Deep Creek in Montana. As a drag racer and mechanic for 14 years Alex did a lot of his own work on his rifles as well as for friends; when the time was right he decided to make it his career.
Gary Schneider, became interested in barrel making as a teen, when Remington was developing processes for barrel making and contracted his neighbor to make the tools. His neighbor had many experimental tools that Gary enjoyed learning about and got to study some of the rejected barrels and that piqued his interest.
Taking Stock with Kelly McMillan
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McMillan Fiberglass Stocks (MFS) began on the dining room table of Gale and Gloria McMillan in 1973. Making benchrest stocks for competitors soon forced the business into what started out as a carport and storage shed but was soon turn into a garage shop. By 1975 MFS was ready to hire its first employee, Kelly McMillan. From day one, every time Gale showed Kelly how to do something, it became his job, with the intent of freeing up Gale to build rifles.
By 1979 Kelly was made a partner, and by 1984 Kelly was in charge of running the stock shop. Since that time MFS has continued to grow with innovation and design. Today McMillan Fiberglass Stocks has a 15,000 sq. ft. facility and 65 employees. Over half of the employees have worked for MFS for over 15 years while a dozen have reached or are near 30 years with the company. MFS manufactures around 12,000 stocks per year, most of which are individual customers ordering one custom built stock at a time.
Kelly McMillan
Kelly McMillan started working for his father Gale McMillan shortly after the company began in 1975. He immediately started learning all aspects of manufacturing fiberglass stock from design to marketing as well as personnel management. Under his guidance, the company has grown continuously setting new company records for sales and number of stocks produced nearly every year. In 2016 MFS surpassed the 12,000 stock total for the year and set a new annual sales record.
In his spare time, Kelly is an avid saltwater fisherman having fished the waters off Baja, Panama and Nicaragua. In addition, he has hunted all over North America as well as South Africa and Mozambique. He is a lifetime member of the NRA, Wild Sheep Foundation, Arizona Bighorn Sheep Society, Dallas Safari Club, Safari Club International, National Sporting Clays Association and the National Predator Hunters Association. He routinely sponsors shooting competitions as well as Shooters in many different disciplines.
He has competed in Sporting Clays at the National as well as Sportsman Team Challenge where he and his team won the B Class National Championship. Today he enjoys hunting with his children and his grandchildren.
