Mag-na-port's Playground

Around 10 years ago, or so, Roy Huntington sent me up Mag-na-port. He told me to bring a gun, or two, and have Ken Kelly work his magic on them so I could write an article about them, Ken Kelly and the history of Mag-na-port itself. Since I was driving through Pittsburgh anyway, I dragged Doc Barranti of Barranti Leather along, figuring he’d enjoy a sixgunner road trip.

Dashing All the Way

Time flew, as it always does during a fun road trip. We left Doc’s before the sun came up and followed the rest of the Pennsylvania Turnpike to most of the Ohio Turnpike. When entering Michigan, we didn’t have to wait long before we passed through Detroit, with its rough roads and heavy traffic. As the traffic cleared, the scenery got better. For now, instead of urban decay, we saw sprawling country with bait shops, gun stores and outdoor centers popping up along the road, displaying the true outdoor nature Michiganians are famous for.

Doc hit the radio “seek” button, killing the static from a radio station we had tuned in a couple of hundred miles back. The GPS showed we were 20 minutes from our destination, and the FM receiver magically started belting out Christmas tunes from a local station, filling the Suburban with holiday cheer — as if we weren’t already giddy being so close to Mag-na-port. It added to the excitement and festive mood after the long drive from Doc’s house.

Arrival

Before we knew it, we were walking through the doors of the famous Mag-na-port. A large brick structure, with a large American flag blowing in the breeze, it was eye-opening to say the least. The huge lobby has two important, noteworthy features. The first being Larry Kelly’s trophy room, displaying a smidgeon of some of his trophies taken from around the world — all with a handgun. Over 200 mounted animals are on display, including deer, elk, grizzly, caribou, antelope, Dall sheep, Cape Buffalo, kudu, eland, gemsbok, and even an elephant Larry took with his .44 Magnum, to name but a few.

Handgunner Hall of Fame

The lobby also houses Handgunner’s Hall of Fame. Signed pictures of some of the greatest handgunners whoever lived adorned the walls, including Skeeter Skelton, Bill Jordan, Elmer Keith, Bill Jordan, Bob Milek, as well as large display cases housing some of Larry’s guns used on his hunts. Skeeter Skelton’s American Handgunner of the Year trophy is also on display.

Kenny

Meeting Ken Kelly was a pure pleasure. He treated Doc and me as long-lost friends. After a quick tour and explanation of some of the magic the lobby held, he brought us into the office to meet his hardworking sisters, Donna and Darlene, who run the front office. From there, Ken showed us his dad’s office. That was a real treat. Then it was off to my favorite part of the of the tour — the Mag-na-port shop, where thousands of guns are ported, along with custom Stalkers and Predators were made back in the day.

The Shop

This huge shop occupies over half of the building’s 11,000 Square feet. Being the heart and soul of Mag-na-port, the shop’s entrance bombards your olfactory lobe with a mix of the aromas of coffee, cutting oil, burnt metal and other products. It’s a pleasant smell that’s welcoming in an odd sort of way, letting you know that great things happen here.

The shop houses 7 or 8 EDM machines used to cut barrel ports. There are a few huge Bridgeport mills, a couple of metal band saws, a sand blasting room, and rows upon rows of tools used for measuring, cutting, drilling, polishing, or finishing metal parts.

Thousands of hand tools consisting of hammers, punches, plyers, screw drivers, clamps, jigs, drill bits, calipers, and any other gizmo or gadget, round out the melee. Then there are the guns, guns for service, porting, action jobs, or new factory guns awaiting Ken’s ministrations of the Mag-na-port kind. The shop is a busy place! Ken handles the shop chores like a mad scientist, running several machines at once and carefully checking dials and gauges with the precision and smoothness of a ballet dancer. He is constantly on the move in the shop, while Donna and Doreen package, label, and ship the wares, with help from Holly. They are a hardworking crew for sure!

Ken is a confessed scrounger — and is great at it. He prowls yard sales, auctions and other means to buy parts related to guns, for later use. He also uses some of the found goodies for future bartering stock. After spending the day at the shop watching him perform his magic, tradition had us eating dinner at the famed Adair Inn for the best cup of chili and fried perch.

Final Word

Mag-na-port is one of my favorite places to visit. You can tell a lot about a person from their shop. In this case, Ken Kelly’s wealth of knowledge, obtained from running the shop since he was a teenager, is well displayed. Sisters Donna and Doreen are just as talented, knowing how to run the front office, while Larry was hunting around the world, checking in periodically.

Mag-na-port is of huge historical significance for handgun hunters, as Larry Kelly was one of the best. He certainly promoted the sport and made people aware of what can be done with a handgun. Ken Kelly and his sisters carry on the family tradition. Whenever I leave there, I always feel refreshed from having spent time with them, rooting around the shop and taking in the history of handgun hunting at both the museum and the Hall of Fame. Schedule a gun to be ported there and take in the sights as Ken does his thing. You won’t be sorry.

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