Gunsmith

There are NO gunsmiths anywhere near me. Any gun work has to be sent off for a lengthy wait. The better the gunsmith...the longer the wait. The alternative is to do it yourself and I do.

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^ This.

TIP!!! Stay away from the Dremel tools.

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Nothing wrong with a Dremel tool. There are a number of jobs made much faster and easier by the judicious use of a Dremel tool. Stock work and certain polishing jobs come quickly to mind.

jimmyraythomason said:

Nothing wrong with a Dremel tool. There are a number of jobs made much faster and easier by the judicious use of a Dremel tool. Stock work and certain polishing jobs come quickly to mind.

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No doubt! The KEY word in your post however is "judicious" !
Use with care!

Use with care!

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Also key words and they apply to ALL tools for ALL purposes. It doesn't matter if they are Harbor Freight specials or Brownell's Elite Edition. The user is the multiplying factor.

Interesting first post, wonder if the OP will be back to respond to his question.





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Depends on whether someone has basic understanding of tools and mechanics in general. If you do, then reading parts schematics, gunsmithing books, fitting parts, etc. make sense. Then acquire the tools and apply them to tasks that you desire.

Even those who do not plan on working on their firearms should make some attempt to understand basic gunsmithing/mechanical/material science principles. If you can narrow the diagnosis to a few issues via prior knowledge, then you can talk to a gunsmith about potential possible remedies rather than ignorant opinion such as the possibility of changing Grandpa's WWII captured k98 Mauser into a semi-automatic 9mm blaster with detachable magazines.

If you have to ask the question, then maybe you shouldn't.

boom boom said:

Depends on whether someone has basic understanding of tools and mechanics in general. If you do, then reading parts schematics, gunsmithing books, fitting parts, etc. make sense. Then acquire the tools and apply them to tasks that you desire.

Even those who do not plan on working on their firearms should make some attempt to understand basic gunsmithing/mechanical/material science principles. If you can narrow the diagnosis to a few issues via prior knowledge, then you can talk to a gunsmith about potential possible remedies rather than ignorant opinion such as the possibility of changing Grandpa's WWII captured k98 Mauser into a semi-automatic 9mm blaster with detachable magazines.

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Non sequitur aside, that's been done already- John Pedersen, WWI, .32 instead of 9mm, and the '03, not the K98. (Or G98, to be period correct.)

If one actually thinks one could make a 98K into a 9mm semi, one either already knows they could do it, ( but hopefully wouldn't want to) or said person should no do any work on their guns, beyond loading firing, and maybe cleaning them......

If you happen to be a guy like Mr. Pederson, Mr. Browning, Mr. Garand, etc., as you say, they would not be asking such questions.

Generally speaking, almost anything is possible to make if time, knowledge, materials, and costs are no issue. But, many things given constraints that usually exist are impractical.

Me, I want a shark with a friggin laser beam to protect my house. And a moat with a drawbridge, to go with the castle.

I see the occasional "Mythbuster" project proposed on the gunboards, you just can't get there from here. Class 4.

I see a lot of Class 3 projects. You say "I will pay three times the going rate for exactly what I want." Gunsmith says "No deal, I can do four regular jobs in the time your gimmick would take."

I do a lot of stuff on a "free" basis for many friends , stuff like mounting scopes, sighting in, recoil pads, and minor repair. I enjoy doing it and it keeps me friendly with folks!

ndjpow74 said:

Should gun owners have basic gun smith tools?

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Should car owners have basic mechanic's tools?

Pretty much the same arguments and answers.

Jeff

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4v50 Gary said:

Not to knock you njkpow but that question reminds me of a student mechanic who feels that the workplace should provide all the tools he needs to do the job. He borrows everything he needs from his classmates and should he ever find a job (and he's not competent at all), he'll be unable to do the job because he doesn't have any tools.

A gunsmith should have his own tools and how else does he do his job? Different screwdrivers, different punches (brass, roll pin, roll pin starters, steel), different hammers, as well as specialized tools for specific firearms.

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Except the question was about gun owners, not gunsmiths.

Jeff

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I've been a gun nut since I was a child. Got my first 1911 at age 10 (a gift from my dad's first cousin) and still have it. I'm 62 now. Got started working on my own guns after some bad experiences with the local "gunsmiths." Began my other hobby of accumulating gunsmithing tools then. I owned a small gun shop for about 10 years (closed after 9-11 when uncle called me back to active duty) as a side/hobby job and built a few IPSC pistols for the locals, but I don't consider myself a gunsmith. I have accumulated a huge amount of gunsmith specific tools as well as mill, lathe, and surface grinder. Most purchased, some shop built. Replacement cost would buy a really, really nice new car or a small house.