What gunsmithing or repairs have you done today

troy fairweather

troy fairweather

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2018
Messages
13,793
Location
Up State New York
I thought this would be a nice thread in the gunsmithing and repairs forum, like the What have you done in the reloading room or what new gun threads for example. I think many would like to see on here what others are working on and I'm sure we all will learn more which is always nice, big or small work your doing on a project or just a little repair all are welcome to be shared. Pictures would be nice to, even the ones as bad as mine lol.

guess I'll start,
today I did some work on a 1909 Argentine mauser bottom metal, this is for a rifle I am building. I did some sanding and file work to remove some markings and clean up the bottom metal for this sporter, I still have a big to do shaping the trigger guard im just not sure the exact way I want it done yet.

pictures to come.





IMG_20220328_140252.jpg IMG_20220328_140322.jpg
 
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Repairing a neglected Remington Model 10 shotgun that was bubba'd (albeit functional), then turned into a lamp, then sat in a warehouse for 5 or 6 years...

Got it torn apart yesterday.

index.php
 
BigBlue 94 said:
Repairing a neglected Remington Model 10 shotgun that was bubba'd (albeit functional), then turned into a lamp, then sat in a warehouse for 5 or 6 years...

Got it torn apart yesterday.

index.php
Click to expand...
The bubba guns are sometimes easier to work on them something all warn out of beat to death.that would be a nice gun to rust blue.
 
troy fairweather said:
The bubba guns are sometimes easier to work on them something all warn out of beat to death.that would be a nice gun to rust blue.
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This one had the mag tube (takedown model) brass brazed to the receiver and barrel lug. Im missing a few parts too. But the gun itself seems to function well. Bore is in really good shape too, after some kroil soaked patches.

I was intending to just 0000 steel wool and kroil all the rust spots off, then oil it. Just doesnt seem like a refinish would do this 102 year old gun any justice. Its possible though.
 
BigBlue 94 said:
This one had the mag tube (takedown model) brass brazed to the receiver and barrel lug. Im missing a few parts too. But the gun itself seems to function well. Bore is in really good shape too, after some kroil soaked patches.

I was intending to just 0000 steel wool and kroil all the rust spots off, then oil it. Just doesnt seem like a refinish would do this 102 year old gun any justice. Its possible though.
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Could steam it to stop anymore rust and blacken the rust.
 
Most all the rust is just surface rust from sitting in a huge metal building in the humid kansas summers. I remember it as a lamp, having that beautiful antique brown color.

But yeah, im just kinda playing it by ear, if you will. Once i get it cleaned up ill decide.

A future project will be fixing the lockup and timing on an 1897 mfg Colt New Navy DA in 32-20.

Why are all my projects on difficult-to-smith guns!?! Lol
 
BigBlue 94 said:
Most all the rust is just surface rust from sitting in a huge metal building in the humid kansas summers. I remember it as a lamp, having that beautiful antique brown color.

But yeah, im just kinda playing it by ear, if you will. Once i get it cleaned up ill decide.

A future project will be fixing the lockup and timing on an 1897 mfg Colt New Navy DA in 32-20.

Why are all my projects on difficult-to-smith guns!?! Lol
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I did a reblue on a s&w 41 one time, gun looked fine when stripping the old blue, amazing how s&w could hide all the grind marks lol.
 
Trying to find time to finish up rebuilding a really old Iver Johnson Champion 12 ga shotgun for a customer. And when I say old, I mean prior to anything using parts found at any of the
current gun parts companies. Got a mainspring I’ve never even seen one like before. I having to custom make three of the major parts.
Oh well the fun continues.
 
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Catpop said:
Trying to find time to finish up rebuilding a really old Iver Johnson Champion 12 ga shotgun. And when I say old, I mean prior to anything using parts found at any of the
current gun parts companies. Got a mainspring I’ve never even seen one like before. I having to custom make three of the major parts.
Oh well the fun continues.
Click to expand...
I've got a Hopkins and Allen sxs project, same kinda deal. Need the top lever spring, only picture I can find is crud and I made one like it and I can't see how in the world the spring works. The top lever needs repair to,be easy if I had a mill.
 
earlthegoat2 said:
Boring AR stuff. Can hardly be called gunsmithing really.

Cleaning out my parts bin by making one to sell.

View attachment 1068687
Click to expand...
Looks clean I really like it, I'm trying to do the same but to use. Looking at picking up a aero m4e1 lower for the upper I've got. Want a 6 arc barrel but slim pickings. Looking for a 18-20" 556 barrel just for shooting the rmr 69 gr bthp.
 
I replaced the action slide spring, action slide handle retaining spring, and firing pin on a poor bubba'd 12ga 1941 Winchester model 12. I also had to fiddle around with the adjusting sleeve/adjusting sleeve lock and screw as they were installed incorrectly. It seems that the original magazine tube was damaged in some way and replaced by a fool who didnt know what he was doing. The barrel on it has also been cut off at around 23 inches with a hacksaw, and not a very square cut at all. I will be cutting it back to 20" and installing a bead sight. The real shame of it is the gun is otherwise in extremely good condition both cosmetically and mechanically, i'd be surprised if it ever had more than a few boxes through it.
 
Catpop said:
Trying to find time to finish up rebuilding a really old Iver Johnson Champion 12 ga shotgun for a customer. And when I say old, I mean prior to anything using parts found at any of the
current gun parts companies. Got a mainspring I’ve never even seen one like before. I having to custom make three of the major parts.
Oh well the fun continues.
Click to expand...
Is it one of the old Iver Johnson top snaps that predated the champion? The ones that have the cast iron frame and v shaped mainsprings? Those were sometimes marked champion on top of the barrel. If so, it would be really interesting to see one in the wild. Not many left.
 
troy fairweather said:
I've got a Hopkins and Allen sxs project, same kinda deal. Need the top lever spring, only picture I can find is crud and I made one like it and I can't see how in the world the spring works. The top lever needs repair to,be easy if I had a mill.
Click to expand...
Is it a forehand patent sxs made by Hopkins and Allen or one of their sidelocks? I've made a few top lever springs for the forehand Hopkins and Allen's, I can post a picture if you need it
 
SixteenGauge said:
Is it one of the old Iver Johnson top snaps that predated the champion? The ones that have the cast iron frame and v shaped mainsprings? Those were sometimes marked champion on top of the barrel. If so, it would be really interesting to see one in the wild. Not many left.
Click to expand...
Yes on V mainspring model.
It’s pretty well worn, but i can still read Iver Johnson on side of receiver.
I can’t find anything on barrel except a number stamped on side of bottom lug.
A few of the other parts have numbers stamped on them, but since none match I assume they are part numbers vs serial numbers.
It does have a very small latch that retains the barrel pivot pin. And the 5/16” barrel pivot pin appears to have been a step pin. It had been crudely replaced in the past with a hammered in pin.
Fore end was held in place by a screw vs the sping snap type of later Champions.
I’ll try to post a pic when I’m finished with it.

Do you have any info on these old models? Like years produced? I haven’t found anything on them.
 
Catpop said:
Yes on V mainspring model.
It’s pretty well worn, but i can still read Iver Johnson on side of receiver.
I can’t find anything on barrel except a number stamped on side of bottom lug.
A few of the other parts have numbers stamped on them, but since none match I assume they are part numbers vs serial numbers.
It does have a very small latch that retains the barrel pivot pin. And the 5/16” barrel pivot pin appears to have been a step pin. It had been crudely replaced in the past with a hammered in pin.
Fore end was held in place by a screw vs the sping snap type of later Champions.
I’ll try to post a pic when I’m finished with it.

Do you have any info on these old models? Like years produced? I haven’t found anything on them.
Click to expand...
Does the receiver look like the one in the picture? If so it would be an iver Johnson champion top snap improved, made from 1902 to 1908. They were discontinued in 1908 to introduce the new Iver Johnson champion that we know today that was explicitly made for smokeless powder. If the frame doesn't look like the picture below, and narrows down significantly beneath the hammer/lever it would be an iver Johnson champion top snap made from 1880-1900
right_side_preclean.jpg
 
SixteenGauge said:
Is it a forehand patent sxs made by Hopkins and Allen or one of their sidelocks? I've made a few top lever springs for the forehand Hopkins and Allen's, I can post a picture if you need it
Click to expand...
For get what model it is, don't have the gun here. Think it's a 1915-1925 ish gun can't remember, the spring is round wide and bent live a v from what I can tell.
 
Not a gunsmith, would never purport to be one so skilled. Surgeon by trade, I have lots of firearms and been tinkering on them for a few decades now. Authored 27 Anatomy Series firearm technical manuals on various platforms. This particular project was that of a 1931 H&R .22LR family heirloom of an employee whom recalls shooting it with her grandpa almost 50 years ago. Something broke an she inherited a non-functional heirloom. The primary problem was the cylinder did not rotate with trigger pull. First step for me was disassembly without incurring any footprints, as someone before me apparently burred screws and bent assembly pins. Patience and Kano Kroil to the tasking. Complete disassembly identified a fractured cylinder hand wire spring, known to be the Achilles hell (or heel) of these designs. Fabricated a piano wire replacement spring and used the Bridgeport to create a more suitable location for the spring retention site than the factory choice. Final result was a nice cylinder rotation with trigger pull. Lot's of photo's for such a simple project on paper. Screen Shot 2022-03-29 at 6.22.31 PM.png IMG_9424 copy.jpg IMG_9423 copy.jpg IMG_9430 copy.jpg IMG_9432 copy.jpg IMG_9440 copy.jpg IMG_9442 copy.jpg IMG_9457 copy.jpg IMG_9459 copy 2.jpg
 
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