25cschaefer
Member
I have been taking NRA summer gunsmithing courses at TSJC and have just, sort of, completed a project that should make my wife happy.
I bought my wife a Remington 870 youth model in 20 ga a few years back for Valentine's day, it cost $220 new. She loved it and we went to the trap and skeet range at FT Bragg a lot before I left for Iraq; she was getting pretty good, shooting 14-16 consistently with a best of 18, on wobble trap.
Then, like a dummy, I had some two bit "gunsmith", in NC, DuraCoat the receiver, mag cap, and rib--pink (my wife's favorite color). She hated it, she actually cried, because it was three colors (wood, black, and pink) and I ruined her shotgun. The finish was splotchy, had a few runs and over spray; the guy who did it said if I just rubbed it with oil it would go away, it didn't.
So in stock making, taught by Clayton Nelson, I made stocks from a thin shelled walnut blank. I gave the butt stock 3/8" cast off and 3/8 toe out to reduce felt recoil and fit a woman's body better. I lengthened the LOP by 1/2" and raised the comb by 1/4. The grip cap is ebony, Clayton just so happend to have one laying around. The hand guard/pump is taller and slimmer than the original, which is pretty much round, to fit smaller hands.
I polished and jewled the bolt, this was difficult, the 870's bolt is not round but has kind of an arc to it.
I took a checkering class taught by Chuck Grace (pres. of the American Custom Gunmaker's Guild) but learned it will take a whole lot more practice before I put a tool to those stocks.
I bead blasted all the DuraCoat and Parkitizing off, it was interesting because the DuraCoat came off at about 15psi so I am pretty sure the guy that did it messed the metal prep up. In blueing class, I filed and sanded all of the parts to a nice 400 grit finish with a light bead blast on top to reduce glare.
Just FYI, it is not worth the trouble/time to turn an Express barrel into something shiny, just buy one, I know that now (my fingers really hurt).
After hot salt blueing and reassembly, this is what I have (please excuse the dust and oil, those aren't scratches!).
Grand total was; $220 for the gun, $200 in wood, 40hrs in carving, 25hrs in metal prep, 1hr in the salts, and 2hrs dis/reassembly. So it is a pretty expensive 870.
Oh, please don't tell my wife, this is a surprise for her birthday.
I bought my wife a Remington 870 youth model in 20 ga a few years back for Valentine's day, it cost $220 new. She loved it and we went to the trap and skeet range at FT Bragg a lot before I left for Iraq; she was getting pretty good, shooting 14-16 consistently with a best of 18, on wobble trap.
Then, like a dummy, I had some two bit "gunsmith", in NC, DuraCoat the receiver, mag cap, and rib--pink (my wife's favorite color). She hated it, she actually cried, because it was three colors (wood, black, and pink) and I ruined her shotgun. The finish was splotchy, had a few runs and over spray; the guy who did it said if I just rubbed it with oil it would go away, it didn't.
So in stock making, taught by Clayton Nelson, I made stocks from a thin shelled walnut blank. I gave the butt stock 3/8" cast off and 3/8 toe out to reduce felt recoil and fit a woman's body better. I lengthened the LOP by 1/2" and raised the comb by 1/4. The grip cap is ebony, Clayton just so happend to have one laying around. The hand guard/pump is taller and slimmer than the original, which is pretty much round, to fit smaller hands.
I polished and jewled the bolt, this was difficult, the 870's bolt is not round but has kind of an arc to it.
I took a checkering class taught by Chuck Grace (pres. of the American Custom Gunmaker's Guild) but learned it will take a whole lot more practice before I put a tool to those stocks.
I bead blasted all the DuraCoat and Parkitizing off, it was interesting because the DuraCoat came off at about 15psi so I am pretty sure the guy that did it messed the metal prep up. In blueing class, I filed and sanded all of the parts to a nice 400 grit finish with a light bead blast on top to reduce glare.
Just FYI, it is not worth the trouble/time to turn an Express barrel into something shiny, just buy one, I know that now (my fingers really hurt).
After hot salt blueing and reassembly, this is what I have (please excuse the dust and oil, those aren't scratches!).
Grand total was; $220 for the gun, $200 in wood, 40hrs in carving, 25hrs in metal prep, 1hr in the salts, and 2hrs dis/reassembly. So it is a pretty expensive 870.
Oh, please don't tell my wife, this is a surprise for her birthday.
