GUNSMITHING

THE INSIDE SCOOP ON PISTOLSMITHING TECHNIQUES
Making A TactiCool Colt...

A Tacticool Gold Cup. The thirst for tactical guns can never be quenched these days. I got a project in from Jess Hancock of Wichita Guns for a custom...
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Muzzle Crowns: Be a Square

I wrote about some experimenting I did with a S&W Model 10. I fired groups with the stock muzzle chamfer, then put an accurate 11-degree chamfer and fired...
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Pistolsmithing Let’s...

Let’s just focus on iron sights, no pun intended. Included in this category are night sights, fiber optics and gold beads etc.
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Pistolsmithing: My Name is...

Jigs are my life. Like many gunsmiths, jigs are a must-have, particularly for repetitive work. They save time and build consistency. Not every process has a...
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Gunnysack: American...

I wanna be a gunsmith. No, not professionally; I have plenty to do here, and my work will be on my guns for my use. But how? I work full-time and have a...
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Pistolsmithing: Carry...

Small and light S&W J-frames are perfect for everyday carry. Frames come in both steel and aluminum, exposed and hammerless versions.
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Pistolsmithing:...

There is the creative and innovative part of pistolsmithing. Modifying or creating parts to fit a need, adding features that never existed, or just plain...
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The Story Behind...

Wayne Novak designed the most influential — and most copied — fixed rear sight ever put on a handgun. Named the LoMount, it has appeared on factory...
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Retro Custom...

Custom gunsmiths are working overtime to create cool retro guns. The trend has been going on for a few years. It seems that gun owners are looking more to...
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Fine Guns Are...

Branding or signing work started in the ’40s with gunsmiths like Jesse Harpe in Florida who engraved his name on the 1911-barrel bushing.
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Handgunner...

The Infante Ultrasonic Gun Cleaner impressed with its quick work of carbon on an AR bolt carrier group and in revitalizing my gummed up .22 pistol. The...
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Vantage Point:...

In this issue's Vantage Point column, we discuss the great AR pistol brace conspiracy. What's the real motivation behind Uncle Spendy's desire to ban them?...
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Gunsmithing:...

What's the “funny three-tined spring thingy” in the 1911 grip? That’s the sear spring, so hang onto your seat and here we go for a simple explanation...
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Handgun Blues:...

The process of bluing firearms may have changed a bit in the last 300 years but the appeal to shooters has not.
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Building a Colt...

Once in a while it’s good to try new things, a challenge. I usually try to work on something new with my son Nick, who was recently selected as an...
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Best Gunsmiths...

Consult this list from the American Pistolsmiths Guild to find the top 25 gunsmiths in the United States.
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The Blockbuster...

In September 2019, Springfield Armory raised the bar for micro compact carry pistols with the Hellcat.
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Workbench Cameras

Not every tool in the shop cuts, drills, or grinds. One tool I use every day is my camera.
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Mag-na-port...

Loving Ruger revolvers doesn’t mean I’m not aware of their minor shortcomings.
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Enhance Your...

Special Assignments Editor Roy Huntington shows how easy it is to upgrade your Springfield Armory Hellcat by changing out the factory trigger for the APEX...
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Banish And...

Everyone hates a scratch. A scratch on your car, a tabletop and especially your gun.
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Don't Damage The...

It happens to everyone. A slip of the wrist and “bam!” — a buggered screw. I hate to see it when looking at the side plate of a classic S&W Registered...
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Back to the future

I tend to forget how creative gunsmiths from before I was born could be. Case in point: A client recently brought me a Colt slide and barrel.
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DIY Optic...

Drop In” should always have an asterisk* next to it. Yes, many parts are marketed as “drop in,” and many do just that.
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Lee Precision Dies

It was definitely an “I coulda’ had a V-8!” moment complete with the required hand slap to the forehead.
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Ker-Plunk Vs. Whoosh

For the custom pistolsmith it’s not always about cosmetics, the pistol has to function and be accurate.
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Toxic Tendencies

Working on firearms at any time has its risks. We in the craft typically think of an accidental discharge or damage from a faulty cartridge or action.
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Have Tools —...

Most gunsmiths who hang a shingle tend to have very spacious workspaces, room to roam, maybe pace once in a while. Not so for the Military Gunsmith.
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Fussing With A Fitz

Sometimes you just have to get out of your comfort zone. I work on a lot of 1911’s every year. So when I got a call from Mark Mason of Downers Grove,...
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Must-Haves For...

Every craftsman has his “go-to” piece of equipment or tool. That bit of “necessary” on the bench or in the toolbox, never loaned to or touched by...
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