I'm enjoying this narration of your trip to the gunsmithing & retail establishment. It is bringing back many old memories.
One of the favorites and I'm sure you've seen it, too...said J-frame (or any firearm, for that matter) with the baggie of parts held in the other hand, the owner wistfully wondering if you can make it all better. Many times the baggie would have been missing one or two crucial parts, as well as for some reason including a few parts that definitely didn't go with that gun.
In the case of the small revolver - although in my mind it was a Detective Special - the baggie of parts presentation was made on behalf of a mechanically-inept owner who was merely trying to fit a pair of Pachmayr grips...and failed. How all the parts came to be dislodged from said revolver, I'll never know. But I do remember that regardless of swearing that "that's everything" by the owner, they weren't all there.
The real gunsmith behind the counter had a price list that was usually hidden from public view: "$10.00/hour; $20.00/hour if you watch; $30.00/hour if you help; $40.00/hour if you worked on it first". Rates have certainly changed but I'll bet the pricing structure hasn't.
Always thought it would be interesting to pay a homeless person to knock on the doors of ten holier-than-thou elitist liberal/collectivists, asking them to give up half of their wealth so things would be more "fair and equitable."
Like an idiot I have been there and done that myself years ago. It took me a long time and owning some finer guns to learn where my skill level stops. I even did the Dremel thing once, I am sorry to say. I chased small springs around the carpet floor in my extra bed/gun room and I paid my tuition price to learn where to stop before I needed the bag for my parts to go to the gun shop.
My rules now are to go on line and learn how to take down a specific gun for cleaning and go no further than the cleaning process. I alway knew to leave triggers alone and now I am more than happy to pay a good gunsmith for quality work on most everything beyond routine maintenance . I also try to allow enough time for my work to get in line and get finished.
The time to take a gun in is right when you return after it screws up on a hunting trip. Not just before your next trip out. Shooting pheasants with snow on the ground my o/u shogun decided to only shoot the top barrel due to a few thousand rounds over about eight years and some old cold oil sticking up the innards. Glad I had a backup gun available.
Anyway I understand and support the special gunsmith "in the bag" pricing and my "go no further zone, especially on revolvers."
A long time ago, I posted a question on THR about my just-purchased used Ruger GP100, which locked up if fired rapidly.
I had disassembled the trigger mechanism, following instructions found on the internet, and determined there was a bent piece that needed to be an unbent piece by comparing what I saw to an exploded drawing of the Ruger.
I got called all sorts of names for daring to take apart my own property, because apparently my middle name was really Bubba or Cletus, unbeknownst to me.
Tam appeared on that thread and basically suggested, in a kind tome of comment, professional help rather than me using a rubber t pieced. I agreed, because I already thought that and, well, TAM.
Ruger did the repair for free, (yippee), and I've been happy with my heavyweight hammer of a 6 shooter ever since.
So thanks again, Tam, for not belittling the honest efforts of a gun owner to try to understand something about a gun, while also offering sound advice.
That said, why did Cletus leave the cylinder release on the frame? Did he run out of screwdrivers?
The J frames are always so cute, I always wonder what they want to be when they grow up.
ReplyDeleteIts not true "bag-o-gun" unless all the trigger, hammer etc parts are out too.
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying this narration of your trip to the gunsmithing & retail establishment. It is bringing back many old memories.
ReplyDeleteOne of the favorites and I'm sure you've seen it, too...said J-frame (or any firearm, for that matter) with the baggie of parts held in the other hand, the owner wistfully wondering if you can make it all better. Many times the baggie would have been missing one or two crucial parts, as well as for some reason including a few parts that definitely didn't go with that gun.
In the case of the small revolver - although in my mind it was a Detective Special - the baggie of parts presentation was made on behalf of a mechanically-inept owner who was merely trying to fit a pair of Pachmayr grips...and failed. How all the parts came to be dislodged from said revolver, I'll never know. But I do remember that regardless of swearing that "that's everything" by the owner, they weren't all there.
The real gunsmith behind the counter had a price list that was usually hidden from public view: "$10.00/hour; $20.00/hour if you watch; $30.00/hour if you help; $40.00/hour if you worked on it first". Rates have certainly changed but I'll bet the pricing structure hasn't.
Looks like there are too many prts on the bench for that revolver.
ReplyDeletePlus, the calculator needs to be turned on in order to work effectively.
Looks like there are too many parts on the bench for that revolver.
ReplyDeletePlus, the calculator needs to be turned on in order to work effectively.
Our pistol in a bag was most often a Ruger MK II or III.
ReplyDeleteA sad panda would hand it to me, I would smile and handed it to our three handed gunsmith.
Gerry
Working on a BCG or end shake problem???
ReplyDeleteFitting a new cylinder. Someone had killed the old one with a Dremel tool.
ReplyDelete"Fitting a new cylinder. Someone had killed the old one with a Dremel tool"
ReplyDeleteBut.....but.....all real operators have chamferd charge holes on their 2nd BUG.
Worth saving - no lock zit!
ReplyDeleteCheer up, Tam. At least it ain't a pre-War Colt M1917 that someone Fitz'd up.
ReplyDeleteThe most gratifying part is when you finish reassembling it and there are parts left over.
ReplyDeleteOh... NOT good...Screws missing???
ReplyDeleteWill
ReplyDeleteAbout a Fitzed up M1917, if it was fitzed by Fitz, would that make it all better?
: )
The Dremel tool- enemy of sears, trigger notches, square holes and proper chamber dimensions- was just a "quick polish"
Regards
GKT
What was Cletus attempting to accomplish?
ReplyDeleteBrilliant stuff.
ReplyDeleteAlways thought it would be interesting to pay a homeless person to knock on the doors of ten holier-than-thou elitist liberal/collectivists, asking them to give up half of their wealth so things would be more "fair and equitable."
Wonder how many would consent?
Like an idiot I have been there and done that myself years ago. It took me a long time and owning some finer guns to learn where my skill level stops. I even did the Dremel thing once, I am sorry to say. I chased small springs around the carpet floor in my extra bed/gun room and I paid my tuition price to learn where to stop before I needed the bag for my parts to go to the gun shop.
ReplyDeleteMy rules now are to go on line and learn how to take down a specific gun for cleaning and go no further than the cleaning process. I alway knew to leave triggers alone and now I am more than happy to pay a good gunsmith for quality work on most everything beyond routine maintenance . I also try to allow enough time for my work to get in line and get finished.
The time to take a gun in is right when you return after it screws up on a hunting trip. Not just before your next trip out. Shooting pheasants with snow on the ground my o/u shogun decided to only shoot the top barrel due to a few thousand rounds over about eight years and some old cold oil sticking up the innards. Glad I had a backup gun available.
Anyway I understand and support the special gunsmith "in the bag" pricing and my "go no further zone, especially on revolvers."
A long time ago, I posted a question on THR about my just-purchased used Ruger GP100, which locked up if fired rapidly.
ReplyDeleteI had disassembled the trigger mechanism, following instructions found on the internet, and determined there was a bent piece that needed to be an unbent piece by comparing what I saw to an exploded drawing of the Ruger.
I got called all sorts of names for daring to take apart my own property, because apparently my middle name was really Bubba or Cletus, unbeknownst to me.
Tam appeared on that thread and basically suggested, in a kind tome of comment, professional help rather than me using a rubber t pieced. I agreed, because I already thought that and, well, TAM.
Ruger did the repair for free, (yippee), and I've been happy with my heavyweight hammer of a 6 shooter ever since.
So thanks again, Tam, for not belittling the honest efforts of a gun owner to try to understand something about a gun, while also offering sound advice.
That said, why did Cletus leave the cylinder release on the frame? Did he run out of screwdrivers?
mikee,
ReplyDelete*blush*
The gun in the picture didn't come in disassembled. The only thing Bob took out of it is the crane/cylinder assembly to fit the new cylinder.