So You Wanna Be A Gunsmith?

For some of us, simply getting the grips off of our favorite 1911 without buggering-up the screw heads is an accomplishment notable for its rarity. Yet, at some level, hiding deep inside each of us, there lurks a genius gunsmith, versed in all manner of custom gunsmithing talents, elegant and artistic modifications and superlative finishwork — all possible at our slightest whim.

But not actually. Hate to burst bubbles here, but I’m compelled to save guns from being butchered down the road. But is there a happy medium? Maybe.

As a lady once said, “If your dreams don’t scare you, you’re not dreaming good enough.” Amateur gunsmithing can be scary, or at least should be. Casting our envious gazes in the direction of a Bowen Classic Arms big-bore revolver, or an Heirloom Precision Hi-Power, often lets us dream enough to imagine “Hey, I could do that!” And it’s at that particular point the Twilight Zone suddenly gets into sharp focus and that music plays in the background. Rod Serling’s pressed velvet voice reminds us we’re “… about to enter a realm not of reality, but of dream, inuendo and doubt.” You’re about to enter the Twilight Zone — of amateur gunsmithing. And it’s not always pretty.

When you pick up a file or turn on a Dremel tool, you’d better have a pretty good idea of what you’re doing, or as they say, “Put down the file and step away from the workbench.” And for good reasons.

I’ve been a “real” gunsmith’s best friend since I was about 15 — an amateur gunsmith. I’ve returned S&W revolvers to S&W (“Um … mind fitting a new hammer and trigger, maybe a trigger rebound bar too … oh, and a new mainspring might be a good idea too …”). I shoulda put the Dremel down.

I’ve even been forced to bring the famous “bag-o-gun” to my local gunsmith, hat in hand. “Uh … er … mind putting this back together for me? Mind if I watch … again?”

But over the years, and countless Gun Digest books of “Assembly/Disassembly” manuals (thank you J.B. Wood!), dozens of Brownells catalogs, untold thousands spent on better and better tools, buggering-up dozens of gunsmithing jobs (attempts might be a better word), having some successes — I’ve now reached a point where I pretty much know when I should or shouldn’t tackle something. Of course, I tackle it anyway, but at least now I know I shouldn’t be trying.

All this aside, what should you do when you get that hankering to “try something” for yourself? I’d say try it. But first, read up, visit with friends who’ve been there, done that, as it were; do some forum lurking (knowing most you read is baloney, likely), and whatever you do, only work on your own guns and better yet, your own, junk guns. At least at first. Messing up your own is bad, but messing up your buddy’s heirloom is, well … very bad.

Start with the very basics. Learn how to properly clean a gun. No, I mean it. Most people don’t know how. Watch our “Insider Tips” video on gun cleaning (www.americanhandgunner.com then click on “Insider Tips” at the top and nose around through ’em). Get a bunch of those assembly/disassembly books and start taking your guns apart. Get some good tools right off. Things like punches, decent screwdrivers for guns (Brownells Magna-Tips, for instance), a clean, well-lit place to work and time to do it is critical. Don’t rush, don’t take short cuts, do it right.

When you can detail strip your gun, know how to clean and oil it correctly — all without leaving a dismal trail of scratches, hammer pock marks, bent pins and dinged barrels — you’re on a good start. Oh, and you’ll learn the “gunsmith prayer” position — hands and knees on the floor in the garage, flashlight in hand, hoping beyond hope you’ll find that tiny pin. Usually performed at 2:37 in the morning on a Saturday night before the match on Sunday morning.

Next up is basic parts replacement. Read this month’s Pistolsmithing column where Ted talks about drop-in parts. Are they really drop-in? Sometimes, and sometimes not. Semi-autos, especially modern ones, tend to allow you to literally drop-in custom parts usually, but classic autos (like 1911’s and such) tend to need fitting even when using drop-in parts.

If you’re eyeing your revolver, stop right now. Revolvers and their actions are complicated and touchy and it literally only takes one pass with a stone or file to completely screw things up, leaving you with a revolver that not only doesn’t work, but is likely unsafe too. Revolvers come later.

Try changing out sights, or maybe a spring kit, trigger bar, action parts. Learn how to use touch-up blue, explore your way around the various grits of wet-or-dry sand paper (the backbone of gunsmithing). Crack the door to the mysterious world of polishing metal, buy a few excellent files (not a 16″ double-cut, half-round file from Home Depot).

Buy a broken .22 rifle and figure out what’s wrong with it. Spare parts can be found at “The Gun Parts Company” or “Jack First Gun Shop” and newer parts for modern guns can be had in the Brownells catalog. Need a firing pin? Break out the electric drill (poor man’s lathe …) and a regular metal nail and give it a try. Use the broken original (if it’s there) as a sample. Learn to polish the metal on that broken .22 and learn to re-blue with cold blue (you’ll be amazed at how good you can get with it if you experiment and practice). Refinish the wooden stock, replace wrong screws with correct gun-screws, maybe even try to put different sights on it (www.skinnersights.com for cool sights).

Got a beater stainless steel gun? Learn how to “refinish” it using “Scotchbrite” pads of the right grit. Refinish those beater wooden grips on your 1911. Get a basic checkering tool and go over the checkering on your rifle to sharpen the lines and restore them. Got some nicks, dings or scratches on your slide? Learn how to work them out with fine files, stones and a regimen of that wet/dry paper. Then break out the cold blue. I’ve found Brownells “Oxpho-Blue” to be easy to use and gives amazing results if you do it right. Watch their video on how to apply it on their website.

Get this sort of basic skill set down, and grow your tool kit at the same time. Learn to diagnose what’s wrong with a gun, then learn how to fix it, but don’t just guess at it. The old adage of “Measure twice, cut once” is rule one regarding guns. Don’t pick up that file, or stone, or bend a spring or “tweak” a sear until you know exactly what you’re doing and why. Practice on old parts, broken guns and spend hours, days and months reading. Brownells “Gunsmithing Kinks” books are a must-have. They are chock full of tricks and tips on about every facet of gunsmithing you can imagine.