Anyone else do their own smithing?

[Darkker]

So I do almost all of my own gunsmithing, and tinkering. Maybe it's because I'm just paticular, but I have never bought trigger parts(hammers, sears) that gave me a better feeling trigger than what I can do myself.
Anyone else stone their own parts, or just buy?

[wichaka]

Yep, do my own stuff........and some for others, but mostly for LEO's.

[gbw]

Everything except refinishing - bluing or HC. I think a lot of us here on the Forum do. Occasionally I'll do something for others, if I know them well. For me it's a hobby.

[Spindly61]

I do allot of my own, it cost me more due to a learning curve. But I am confident in my pistol and know it well. I buy stainless so I don't have to refinish.

[Colt45guy]

I do allot of my own, it cost me more due to a learning curve. But I am confident in my pistol and know it well. I buy stainless so I don't have to refinish.



I agree 100% on the costs....I've probably spent more on parts than I have on guns.


I've always like the looks and rust resistance of parkerized, so 90% of my guns are home-parked. I've replaced/fit/(sometimes destroyed) everything on a 1911, ARs, FALs and AKs at one time or another....no point in paying somebody to do something that I'm perfectly capable of doing (messing up) myself.

I'm a graduate of WECSOG....The Wile E. Coyote School of Gunsmithing

[OD*]

The Wile E. Coyote School of Gunsmithing
That's good! http://www.oprano.com/msgboard/images/smilies/lmao.gif

[littledoc]

No gunsmithing.

I have done my fair share of parts swapping and fitting, but I'm not a 'smith. Not by a long shot.

[RickB]

I try to do as much as I can. I have never stoned hammers or sears, though. Anything that I can do with a file, emery cloth, or a (gasp!) Dremel, I'll do myself. If it requires milling, or some other technical skill or equipment, I'll let the pros do it. I've installed barrels, bushings, ambi safeties, triggers, grip safeties, extractors, etc. I've beveled magwells, dehorned edges, zeroed fixed sights, applied spray-n-bake finishes. I'm wrestling with a "drop-in" bull barrel right now, and it may require someone who actually knows what they're doing. :o

[wichaka]

I'm a graduate of WECSOG....The Wile E. Coyote School of Gunsmithing


Wouldn't that be the Acme School of Gunsmithing? :D

[OD*]

Wouldn't that be the Acme School of Gunsmithing? :D
Good point Steve! You must be a "Loony Tuner" too. ;)

[Hersh]

Yeah I do a bit of tinkering myself and I'm a proud ACME graduate! :D

Btw, does this sound familiar?

verture, curtain, lights,
This is it, the night of nights
No more rehearsing and hearsing our parts
We know every part by heart
Overture, curtain, lights
This is it, we'll hit the heights
And oh what heights we'll hit
On with the show this is it

Tonight what heights we'll hit
On with the show this is it.

[OD*]

You're so proud of that Alan, you posted it twice! :D

Or are you doing a Porky Pig impersonation?

[.45nut]

Yep, do mine and for others also.
Just got into refinishing using a blaster, parkerizing and Brownells Teflon coating (airbrushed). Looks good.

[Joni Lynn]

I do a little bit of my own but haven't gotten into it very far yet.
I have a couple projects starting to line up though.

[Black_Talon]

Wouldn't that be the Acme School of Gunsmithing? :D

Mr. Coyote is no longer using or endorsing any products made or distributed by the Acme Co.

Background info here (http://www.torinfo.com/justforlaughs/coyote_v_acme.html) .

[jonathon]

I havn't done much(triggers and safeties) but I want to learn to do sears and hammers and beaver tails...

Definatly a hobby.. only reason i havn't learned yet is I'm just a poor student ;)

[OD*]

Mr. Coyote is no longer using or endorsing any products made or distributed by the Acme Co.

Background info here (http://www.torinfo.com/justforlaughs/coyote_v_acme.html) .
That's cute. :p

[Bullauge]

I had my Mil-Spec apart the very same day that I brought it home. I wanted to see how all the parts went together. Luckily I was able to put it back together and have it function! I'm the kind of guy who likes to do as much as I can myself. I can't imagine owning anything and being at the mercy of someone else. So, be it car, home, guns or whatever... I always try to do it myself. If I mess it up, I can at least take comfort in knowing that I'm making the professional earn his money. :D

The only things I won't do... mostly because I can't is anything that requires machining. Otherwise, the sky is the limit. I've already acquired a good share of tools for working on pistols. It's a disease, I tell ya!

[clughog]

I'm learning! It's just fun to do some of the stuff yourself...and I'm fortunate to have a friend who's a master gunsmith that keeps me out of real trouble! This forum has been a great support and gives me the confidence to try anything (almost) knowing help is always there!

[mtk]

That was the whole reason I bought my Sistema in the first place. ;) I'll be beveling the magwell on it myself, refinishing it with Moly Resin (and probably a home parkerizing job before that as a finish base), and bobbing that eagle beak hammer it came with on it (I've never experienced "1911 hammer bite" and I want to keep it that way). If I can beg or borrow a slide jig, I might even lower the ejection port with my milling machine while I'm at it. But I have to admit that milling the slide is getting a little out of my comfort zone.

The pistol was only $275 and is pretty rough, cosmetically, so it made it easy to rationalize using it as a gunsmithing test mule. Of course I've also got a really beat up revolver that will be used for my first attempt at refinishing. The ol' Sistema isn't THAT far down the food chain. ;)

[Sidtek]

Yep. It all started with a Colt Commander LW in 9mm and a 1918 Luger that my dad left me. I'd take em apart and clean em and put em back together. then take em back apart and put that little thingy back in I found on my bench. Now I have a .45 that I built myself and a cabinet full of other guns many of which were projects. Still learning by way of the generosity of m1911.org how to make my homebuilt work CORRECTLY. Thanks to all who contribute!

[shuwtist]

Yes, I do most of my own work. I use the spray and bake finish (Gun-Kote) from Brownells when I'm done. So far has proved to be pretty durable. Only time will tell. I'm thinking about attempting the lowering and flaring of an ejection port on a GI model I have but it's been 100% so far, so I can't justify that one! I've done all the "usual" stuff, triggers, hammers, springs, refinishing, etc...

[alvinjohn]

use to do when I started shooting and carrying in the 80's. All stopped after a few years, and since last year I started carrying again, I'll be back smithing again but have not yet started.

I'm better off now. I got this forum to refer all my problems. I got a partner who is a professional gun smith. And most everything is already available at a reasonable price.

alvino

[bushka]

First turnscrew put to a gun by me was a Colt 1860 repro,then a couple single action armies,then 1911`s.
Done practically everything except hardfit a barrel,but never did get a glassrod trigger like my Nowlins.

[abarth]

I do my own smithing also, and I work on my own cars, and I build my own computers, and I fix my own toilets. You see I am cheap, and I am addicted to the feeling and the satisfaction you get when you accomplish something successfully, especially when other tell me "it is best leave it to the professional".

[Iron bottom]

Yes. I am a proud student at Ringling Bros. Gun Fun Institute. The NO BANG flag seldom pops out of my barrels now. HONK! HONK!

[bigredc]

I do my own smithing also, and I work on my own cars, and I build my own computers, and I fix my own toilets. You see I am cheap, and I am addicted to the feeling and the satisfaction you get when you accomplish something successfully, especially when other tell me "it is best leave it to the professional".
Ditto. Couldn't say it better. We are being cheap, but sometimes it does cost more.

[auto45]

I do some.

Took me two thumb safeties to install a "safe" one. What's that saying, " hard to add metal", etc. :D

Plunger tube was easy with the right tool. Triggers are easy.

Staking front sights a bit tougher than it looks IMO. But, worked although I couldn't file the sight evenly trying to sight it in. :o So, I had lot's of practice staking.

Used the "dreaded dremel" to undercut the grip/trigger guard area. That worked out very well, but I'm not sure I could duplicate the same results on another gun.
Changed beavertails, dremel, files, paper...not bad, but won't be on the cover of American Handgunner any time soon!

Did change out trigger components, etc and that worked out simply because they did "drop-in"...lucky.

So, if I "hung out a shingle", I'd be broke in a year!! Probably sued also. :)

[twitchyfinger]

Wouldn't that be the Acme School of Gunsmithing? :D

DO they offer a degree or so you just get a certificate?

[alvinjohn]

use to do when I started shooting and carrying in the 80's. All stopped after a few years, and since last year I started carrying again, I'll be back smithing again but have not yet started.

I'm better off now. I got this forum to refer all my problems. I got a partner who is a professional gun smith. And most everything is already available at a reasonable price.

alvino

I'm almost there, maybe in a month or two.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/alvinjohn/technicals/gunshop4008.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/alvinjohn/technicals/gunshop4006.jpg

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/alvinjohn/technicals/gunshop4005.jpg