Bill's Custom Automatics

Bill's Custom Automatics sits in a nondescript white building in Shelby—a town the highway now bypasses. Inside is gunsmith knowledge rarely found today. What separates Thompson builds from factory firearms is straightforward: every part is CNC machined from bar stock, then hand-fitted. No cast parts. No shortcuts.

The lineage runs deep. Bill Thompson, a former Anchorage Police Officer, opened the shop in 1991 after working as a gunsmith in Alaska. His son Tim, a Navy vet who apprenticed under Jim West of Wild West Guns, took over the bench in 2003 and full ownership in 2013. Now Tim's son Hunter—only nineteen—is learning the trade, mastering the lathe and handling barrel work, chamberings, and crownings.

Tim spends three to four months on each handgun run, building eight to ten guns per cycle. It's not a quick operation.

"The machining aspect is about four days of a three-week process. And then the next two and half weeks is all hand work."

He takes video throughout each build—customers see their gun being fitted, tested, and perfected before delivery. That's not marketing theater. It's documentation of real work.

Custom Carry Pistols – Thompson's signature line features his own frames (CNCs'd in Texas to his specs) and in-house slides. Calibers: 9mm, 10mm, .38, .40, and .45 ACP. Finishes include blue, polished blue, and stainless. The signature grade adds exotic finishes and creative metalwork. Price range: $5,500–$6,000.

Hunting & Competition Rifles – Production action builds start at $3,000 (no optics). Custom action rifles start at $5,200. Tim schedules rifle work for winter to avoid deer hunting season conflicts.

Thompson Touches – His Tri-Top slide cuts and side pockets for cocking are his signature design elements.

Following his father's tradition, Tim cleans all local law enforcement sidearms at no charge—same-day service while officers wait. It's gunsmith excellence applied to the people who need reliable firearms most.

ATF Regulated – Thompson's work is consistently audited by federal firearms authorities. Quality is enforced by law and by pride.

Tim's Background – High school metal shop through Navy metalsmithing school (aircraft work). That foundation shows in every rifle and pistol that leaves the bench.