sooooo many guns were mis-handled...

[McCandless]

I'm rebuilding several old guns and finding out that there is no shortage of reeeaally beat-up parts. Some that I'm coming across show signs of criminal neglect and mishandling. Dang! A Winchester '73 was an expensive purchase, then and now. Why would somebody treat it like a tomato stake?? I'm not talking about wear, dirty, crudded up, or even hard use... I mean, beat to he!!... Sure is a crime.

 

Makes me feel good bringing one o' these fine old shooters back to life. I'm gonna take pictures of the process as I go along, so I can see where I went wrong when I start the next one.

 

Oil yer guns!! Don't use no sledge hammers. Pipe wrenches and vice grips make for terrible gunsmithing tools. Try not to give your gun a 100-year-long mud bath! (did I say, "oil yer guns!!")

 

McC

[Marshal Phil DeGrave SASS #55202]

Some folks see their firearms as tools, and whatever it takes to make the tool work, well it gets done. I have seen a guy use a rock for a hammer, another used a spoon for a screwdriver, again, whatever works when you don't have the right tool. I've heard of ol cowboys using their Colts for hammers.

 

I watched a gunsmith at a BIG match be asked to look at a 66 that wasn't cycling properly. All he did was pull the stock, and the problem became quite apparent. This thing hadn't been apart for years, the shooter was a BP guy,. The inner working were full of mud or something like it.

 

I would have sworn this shooter took better care of his stuff.

[Long Branch Louie]

I'm rebuilding several old guns and finding out that there is no shortage of reeeaally beat-up parts. Some that I'm coming across show signs of criminal neglect and mishandling. Dang! A Winchester '73 was an expensive purchase, then and now. Why would somebody treat it like a tomato stake?? I'm not talking about wear, or even hard use... I mean, beat to he!!... Sure is a crime.

 

Makes me feel good bringing one o' these fine old shooters back to life. I'm gonna take pictures of the process as I go along, so I can see where I went wrong when I start the next one.

 

Oil yer guns!! Don't use no sledge hammers. Pipe wrenches and vice grips make for terrible gunsmithing tools. Try not to give your rifle a 100-year-long mud bath! (did I say, "oil yer guns!!")

 

McC

If ya git one done, I sure would like ta see it next time you're in Salisbury for a match! Someday when my ship comes in, I'm gonna buy me a real '73!

[McCandless]

Louie,

I have a .38WCF short rifle that's a gem. I've learned a few things since that will help smooth out the action, while keeping it true to the period. Of course, shooting a couple-thousand rounds through it will smooth it out, too! I don't want to do any competition internal mods on these... yet. (might do the springs, that can be easily reversed.) I'm working on a .44WCF with a heavy round barrel, that sometime in the past was shortened to 23".

 

For competition, I'm still using my Marlin and Codymatics... until I have these Winchesters completely ready for prime time. Then I'll make the change-over.

 

My goal is to have a complete battery of 1800's-made guns. That's most likely gonna take awhile.

My Merwin-Hulbert is almost complete. When I get it functioning the way I want, I'll send it off to be re-nickeled. Parts for that one are scarce!

 

Since I only work on these things part-time, (an hour here, an hour there), these are long-term projects.

 

Duc

[DocWard]

I'm ashamed to admit it, but I was doing my regular wipe down and check of my guns and noticed my Browning BT-99 would open, but the lever had to be pushed back over to get it to close. I was sure something had broken, because I try to be conscientious about cleaning. I got started taking it down as much as I know how, and couldn't find a problem. On a whim, I started spraying gun scrubber as far back into the gun as the tube would allow. I was shocked at the yuck that came running out. Sprayed and sprayed some more and now it is working like normal. Lesson learned.

[Captain Woodrow Cahill, SASS # 54363]

Even new guns need a good scrub out. I recently picked up a new PT92. It was full of whatever gun gravy they use for shipment.

Used nearly a full can of gun scrubber and several long blasts from the air compressor to clean it all out.

[Three Foot Johnson]

Not given a mud bath necessarily, just lost for a few decades and plowed up by my grandfather in a field here back around 1941.

 

PIC 1

 

The butt says, "C Smith April 29 1861"

 

PIC 2

 

C Smith was an Overland station agent in present day southwest Montana, and the gun was found maybe a quarter mile from the old stage road up to Fort Benton. Injuns? Bandits? Just fell out of his bed roll? Who knows. It still has five of its six chambers loaded with the remains of a couple caps and one completely intact cap on the nipples. The hammer moves, the trigger moves, the barrel wedge comes out and the barrel can be removed, the loading lever still operates and the latch spring is still intact, but the cylinder is rusted solid on the base pin.