Any basic gunsmithing projects for a 16 year old in NYC?

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EMC45 said:
I will be honest and say that I would not feel comfortable meeting up with you to shoot. I am a high school teacher and unfortunately in today's climate meeting up with a HS age young adult to take them to a shooting range is a no go. However, if we run into each other at an event sponsored by a local group you can shoot my guns, with some instruction and safety first of course, till your arm falls off.



This is disturbing to me. The amount of paranoia in that city/state is pathetic. It is a crying shame that a young man can't get mentored in this day and age. No offense to nyctpt at all. I know it is just the mindset in that area though. I grew up in NJ and the mindset is EXACTLY the same. It is almost a dirty thing to own firearms. I think you'd be more excepted there if you were a lecherous pervert than a gun owner. I had a love of firearms since a very young age. I actually started shooting at 6 years old in NJ. Had an uncle who was a gun guy and he would bring his guns up and we would shoot in the woods. Fun stuff. The thing was though you didn't mention that you owned guns or had an interest in them where I grew up. It was like leprosy. I had the same interests that this young man has. Wanting to tinker and learn more etc. Maybe you can go to Henry Repeating Arms. I think they are in Brooklyn. The old owner (who passed away) was very friendly from what I hear and now his kids own/run it. Let them know you would like to take a factory tour and see what they say. You never know young man.
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I looked it up and it turns out that they are located in New Jersey now. Thanks anyway. By the way, in the future, how would I be able to get a tour of a gun factory? Do I just call and ask? Even though I'm sure it's not that easy.
 
Just another suggestion along the lines of the excellent woodworking / refinishing ideas.

Learn to polish and refinish steel - it is very difficult and very very few do it really well any more, and I believe there would be a strong demand for truly first class work. Possibly also engraving. Look at old (Pre-war) Colt or S&W guns for an idea of what is possible when steel is expertly polished and blued.

There is one restoration company that I've heard of (name escapes me) and their work is first class and very expensive, and evidently there is a very long waiting list. I've also heard that the polishers were once the most highly skilled and paid workers at Colt.
 
Thanks guys, I'm going to pick up some pine, sandpaper, and some other things. After learning how to prepare and finish wood, I'm going to teach myself how to do checkering also. After I learn pistol grips, I want to move on to rifle stocks. Wouldn't I need some sort of cutting machine or circular saw to shape stock blanks?
 
If you haven't already done so, Go to www.brownells.com and order a copy of their print catalog. It is filled with all kinds of gunsmithing tools, supplies and information. A phone call or e-mail will usually bring a free copy of the "how to" instructions for various products. They especially like hearing from someone like you. :cool:

And of course you can shop the website... :)
 
Old Fuff said:
If you haven't already done so, Go to www.brownells.com and order a copy of their print catalog. It is filled with all kinds of gunsmithing tools, supplies and information. A phone call or e-mail will usually bring a free copy of the "how to" instructions for various products. They especially like hearing from someone like you. :cool:

And of course you can shop the website... :)
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Actually, I've ordered a catalog from them a while ago. I might get some oil to finish the wood from brownells. it's just a pain to find wood. At least where I live.
 
quote tmiller556
"since I'm from NYC, there's not that many guns around "
(tongue in cheek)
when did that happen..your idiot mayor has claimed NYC is afloat in illegally purchased guns from Georgia(and other states)
just had to do it
apologies..Bill
 
TMiller556 said:
I looked it up and it turns out that they are located in New Jersey now. Thanks anyway. By the way, in the future, how would I be able to get a tour of a gun factory? Do I just call and ask? Even though I'm sure it's not that easy.
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So Henry Repeating Arms moved from Brooklyn NYC to Bayonne, NJ. Sounds to me like moving from North Dakota to South Dakota where it's warmer. :rolleyes:

Once heard of a woman who actually did that!

Anyway TM, if you can't get to Bayonne, maybe you can get a tour of the Kimber factory.

Yeah call and ask nicely. Tell them you're impressed with their reputation and you plan on getting small arms training when you can join the Marines, engineering after that, etc.

Other thoughts for your self education.

Go to the library and see if they have any books on firearms repair or gunsmithing.

If you can afford it, look for smithing books on ebay. Check the new prices on Amazon, Brownell's, Lindsay's (sey's?) etc. so you don't pay too much.

Do your parents approve of you having gun books and magazines? I have lots of duplicates.

I can also recommend some smithing books to look for.

Smithing includes fitting, finishing, fastening, and soldering. Any time you can fix something, fit a handle to an ax or hammer, make/repair a handle (even modify an old one to fit a different tool), make/modify a tool, finish/refinish wood or metal, or improve something, it will help long term learning to work with your hands and understand how things work and/or are done. Even fixing cars and things around the house. Don't rule out hard plastic either.

Firearms are machines after all. A true fully trained gunsmith is a machinist, a welder, and a cabinetmaker. He also has to have certain other skills/knowledge. Becoming a machinist is key.

We've thrown a lot of suggestions at you. Maybe you can make a list (Excel file perhaps?) and prioritize/check off/modify as needed. For this and other goals in life, it would probably be a good habit to get into.

Even if your parents don't approve of firearms, they'd better approve of keeping/checking a list of life goals.
 
retDAC said:
So Henry Repeating Arms moved from Brooklyn NYC to Bayonne, NJ. Sounds to me like moving from North Dakota to South Dakota where it's warmer. :rolleyes:

Once heard of a woman who actually did that!

Anyway TM, if you can't get to Bayonne, maybe you can get a tour of the Kimber factory.

Yeah call and ask nicely. Tell them you're impressed with their reputation and you plan on getting small arms training when you can join the Marines, engineering after that, etc.

Other thoughts for your self education.

Go to the library and see if they have any books on firearms repair or gunsmithing.

If you can afford it, look for smithing books on ebay. Check the new prices on Amazon, Brownell's, Lindsay's (sey's?) etc. so you don't pay too much.

Do your parents approve of you having gun books and magazines? I have lots of duplicates.

I can also recommend some smithing books to look for.

Smithing includes fitting, finishing, fastening, and soldering. Any time you can fix something, fit a handle to an ax or hammer, make/repair a handle (even modify an old one to fit a different tool), make/modify a tool, finish/refinish wood or metal, or improve something, it will help long term learning to work with your hands and understand how things work and/or are done. Even fixing cars and things around the house. Don't rule out hard plastic either.

Firearms are machines after all. A true fully trained gunsmith is a machinist, a welder, and a cabinetmaker. He also has to have certain other skills/knowledge. Becoming a machinist is key.

We've thrown a lot of suggestions at you. Maybe you can make a list (Excel file perhaps?) and prioritize/check off/modify as needed. For this and other goals in life, it would probably be a good habit to get into.

Even if your parents don't approve of firearms, they'd better approve of keeping/checking a list of life goals.
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Wow, I completely forgot about Kimber. I think their factory is in Yonkers, but I have to check. I'll give it a try though. And yes my parents approve of it, I have gun magazines/books all over the place in my room. I definitely can afford the books, it's just that I figured they would be kind of useless since I wouldn't actually be able to do anything in the books. I'll definitely pick a couple up though, I'm sure I'll learn a lot. Are there any specific books that you recommend?
 
If you do end up making grips, you should realize that there are many pistols that have changed within a fairly-short time range, i.e., within several years - where one set of grips that fit a particular model will not fit every identical model #.

Sig Sauer comes to mind. If you make grips to fit one pistol, another one that looks identical may have certain hidden changes underneath the grip, where different parts are fitted just inside the grips.

So, as others stated, it might be best to concentrate on, say, 1911 grips, as I am pretty sure they are all flat on the inner (hidden) sides.

Good luck with your endeavor!
Where there is a will there is a way!
Just make sure that whatever you are doing is completely legal. :scrutiny:
 
It's just a pain to find wood. At least where I live.
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Any lumber yards or home improvement stores in your area? How about craft stores, or big-box ones like Wal-Mart that have craft departments? If you are going to experiment with inexpensive white pine or similar wood they might have something to offer.

If you will send me a P.M. with a mailing address (any address you have access to will do) I'll send you a copy of the Army's blueprint for 1911 pistol grips, and/or if you go to www.e-gunparts.com (which is the Numrich Gunparts Co., located in West Hurley, NY) you can buy a pair of relatively cheap plastic grips to use as a pattern. They also have exploded view drawings of almost any popular gun you can think of that show all of the parts and where they go. Or go hog-wild :D and buy copies of their print catalogs and you'll have all of this information at your fingertips.

Books = knowledge.
 
Tmiller556
if you will P.M. me your address I'll send you two books on gunsmithing.
one is "Gunsmithing made Easy..projects for the home gunsmith. by Brice Towsley
And Gunsmithing with simple hand tools by Andrew Dobino.
Tese may help you get started
Bill
 
thank you so much, i sent you my address in a pm. i really appreciate it. also, are there any gunsmithing books or just gun books in general that you guys recommend?
 
TMiller556,

How about a Hunter Safety course? I know that in your original question you didn't mention an interest in hunting but it might still be a good idea. If you choose to hunt in the future you'll be set to get a license, and also get some good info on safe gun handling practices.

Ryan
 
TMiller556 said:
... also, are there any gunsmithing books or just gun books in general that you guys recommend?
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I have over 40 books on gunsmithing.

Does that make me an expert gunsmith?

No. :eek::(:mad::banghead:

Does that make me an expert on gunsmith books?

No, but I have read most of them. The others are reference where I can look up specifics.

Here is a list of five that immediately came to mind:


http://www.amazon.com/Gunsmithing-S...=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314002157&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/Design-Build-...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314001439&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Guerrilla-Gun...=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314000830&sr=1-8

http://www.amazon.com/Gunsmithing-T...=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314001328&sr=1-5

http://www.amazon.com/Accurizing-Fa...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314005770&sr=1-1


This is just a list. If you are patient, you can usually find them much cheaper on Ebay. Where I got most of mine; many were used.

Maybe you can get some as gifts on your birthday or Xmas.

You may not be able to do much with them now, but hopefully reading them will open your mind to possibilities most people would miss.

Sure some of the info is dated, but most will remain valid as long as people have firearms.

There’s lots of repetition in general smithing books, but in almost every book there is at least one better explanation or idea or pic.

Oh yeah, some ideas for rifle might well be applied to pistols or shotguns. Or vice versa. Or the converse.

Note: sometimes reprints and updated versions leave out some info. Don’t worry about it; usually doesn’t matter. I just like to cover every base I think I can afford and I like to read and make comparisons. Don’t be afraid of earlier editions either. They’re usually just as good.

I could make a longer list, but let’s see what you do with these.
 
It has always amazed me that every other article on guns in New York City includes the line that NYPD (or sometimes ATF) estimates there are two million illegal handguns in circulation in New York City.

Legitimate, lawful interest in firearms for sport, curio collecting, or on the case of our opening post, mechanical engineering interest, is strangled by NYC red tape, but the black market for weapons is thriving.
 
Carl N. Brown said:
It has always amazed me that every other article on guns in New York City includes the line that NYPD (or sometimes ATF) estimates there are two million illegal handguns in circulation in New York City.

Legitimate, lawful interest in firearms for sport, curio collecting, or on the case of our opening post, mechanical engineering interest, is strangled by NYC red tape, but the black market for weapons is thriving.
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Yup I know what you mean
 
I started my interest in gunsmithing at around 13, refinishing stocks and such. You can legally buy some beater stocks off ebay or gunbroker cheap. Learn to steam out dents, strip old finishes, repair cracks, stain etc. A big part is learning to do it CORRECTLY. Anyone can sand wood into dust. Most amateurs oversand every part of the stock, ruining the lines, rounding off corners, some of which are critical to stock to metal fit. Probably more stocks have been ruined by bad repairs than improved by them. You can find sporterized stocks to practice on. Practice by restoring sharp edges where they should be sharp, like at bolt and safety notches, ejection ports, flutes, etc. Repairing cracked inletting and tangs. Straightening lines to remove ripples, keeping curves consistent. Staining pieces to match. Splicing in new wood. Learning the different finishing methods. Safety is keen too. Learn when to use gloves around finishes, glues, epoxies, strippers (not the dancing kind) {well maybe}. Most of this is possible to do without the rest of the rifle being present.

Learn to fit recoil pads and buttplates too eventually. When I was a teen friends of my father and grandfather would let me work on stocks on their ugly rifles without anything really to lose. I built up my experience on those, even remembering to REdo some again later when my skills were much better and I saw how bad my early work was. You will also learn PATIENCE, and how to clean up after yourself (stock work is messy, but sloppiness creates bad work).

Learning to appreciate the art of gunstock building takes years of casual study. The different styles and tastes (and lack of taste). Seeing the difference between a Griffin & Howe or an Al Linden sporter and something cobbled together in Bubba's garage is easy. Identifying each thing that Bubba did wrong and knowing not to do that takes practice.

Make sure you have a place to work without offending those you live with. Sanding dust gets everywhere. Some of the starting tools are cheap: sanding blocks, drywall sander (handle on back, clamps on the long ends), some wood files, papers, DUST MASK, rubber surgical tubing, HEAVY and light gloves, scrap lengths of wood doweling in different diameters, etc.

Go on some of the military surplus rifle websites like the CMP, Jouster, milsurps forums and read how others refinish stocks. Uncollectible mil surplus stocks are more forgiving and less demanding for a beginner. In general they require only coarse sanding and don't have checkering to work around. Numrich Gun Part Corp is about 90 minutes north of you in West Hurley. They have folks that do mass refinishing of their used stocks there. Call them up, maybe you could get a tour. Places like that often have racks of "junk" stocks that were returns that they will sell really cheap. I bought a surplus Remington 40x stock with a forend crack for $10 this way. Rubbed it down with a scotchbrite pad and paint thinner to remove the old oil finish. Repaired the crack with padded clamps, proper glue then refinished. Easy job and quite rewarding. Did the same with some cracked Win 52D stocks and sold them for $80 when done.

Support: Have your parents read this thread. If they read it and agree I will mail you a couple of beater stocks for free to practice on. Maybe other members here will step up to plate. We all have junker stocks just taking up space. Many are reusable, just not really worth bothering with.
 
+9 to all the guys who recommend working grips. You can make a small fortune if you turn out good grips made from some exotic woods or materials. Enough of a small fortune that it might even pay for you to move to a real gun-friendly state like Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Montana, ....well...you get the drift.....

Good luck!!
 
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