First time I met Don Franson (AKA Honeybee)...

[Mitch Rapp]

I had asked on the forum here about refinishing a stock on my Mosin M44. He was telling me how to do it, and finally just said "Why don't you just bring it over to the house, and WE can work on it together" Well I did, and the "we" quickly turned into him doing amazing work (for free) while I watched. That gun (which I sold to another member here after I got my Garand) is still the best looking Mosin I have ever seen. This was a year or two before he had a shop, and he had an old orange colored van he drove around doing touch up painting on cars. I went home with a beautiful rifle, a bag full of okra and feeling like I had met some real salt of the earth people in Don and Lia. I had a few other meetings with Don and Lia. He checked the headspace on a couple rifles for me, and bought a stock off me. I was able to send some people his way, and everyone one of them always left with the same experience I had. Really good and sweet people. I also had some conversations with him about raising bees a while back when looking into beekeeping. He was always ready to help, or give advice.



Don was a great guy, we as a community are surely diminished.






Here is the rifle he re did the stock on. Not my picture. He was a true craftsman as well as being a great person.

 

[mouthpiece]

I met him at his house when he asked for help from the forum, to unload a crate or 2 of guns. Possibly Mosins.
We waited for an hour or so IIRC and the truck never came. We chatted about guns and he showed me a few in his safe.
Anyway, it seemed like just a few months ago, Don and Lia were holding and playing with my granddaughter while visiting at FATBOY TACTICAL.
Good people for sure.

 

[been]

He was a great guy and did some really good work. He was always friendly and very helpful. Id go into his shop for just a quick look, and always end up loosing track of time talking to him and his wife, and petting their dog.

 

[chazroh]

Met don at his house and had a couple shotguns re blued, did great work and was always nice to talk to.

 

[SoonerBorn]

This thread makes me smile.


Sent from my meh, using my meh.

 

[Jon3830]

up until he closed the shop I stopped and talked with him almost everyday on my way home from work in the morning and it was real easy to spend a few hours talking with him and Lia and always having that silly dog trying to get under your feet, I will really miss him he had a great sense of humor too.

 

[tRidiot]

Great guy... I met him during the big OSA Mosin group buy, got a couple rifles on the deal. Talked a few times here and there. Helped with the move from his old place to the new one, moving that monster safe that ended up over in Bixby at FBT. He and Lia are great folks, and I was honored to be able to help out.

Godspeed, Don.

 

[bettingpython]

I met Don when he asked the forum for help moving a piano out of his house.

For some reason the thought of his passing brings tears to my eyes. God speed Don. May you rest peacefully in Gods house now.

 

[okie98]

I met Don and his bride when I had a table next to them at Super Dave's first show in Norman. Great people! Don will certainly be missed.

 

[Euclid]

I had Don act as my FFL transfer dealer when he had his shop open. It was almost like Don and Lia would not let you do business with them without getting to know them. They were that nice. Heck, Lia even gave me anniversary gift ideas for my wife while I was there! I pray Lia will find peace after what they must have went through.