Gunsmithing: Shotguns. Patrick Sweeney

things you can do with a hand-held variable speed drill. But there are many things you cannot, and for those jobs you need a drill press.

      Between the dust from a bench grinder, belt-sander and bullet trap, this computer monitor has gotten so grubby it needs more than some light dusting. This is proof of the need for a dedicated space if you do more than just disassembly and cleaning.

      A hand-held grinder can be very useful. When you buy grinding and polishing wheels for it, buy a bunch. If you break or lose your one-and-only, you'll have to wait until its replacement shows up.

      For most everything you'll do, a bench-top drill press is enough. Make sure there is enough space between baseplate and quill to fit your fixtures.

      Fixtures make jobs go faster and easier. This Williams scope mount drilling jig is just the ticket if you're going to drill and tap several shotguns. If you only plan one, it will be easy but expensive.

      Taps require handles. Without the handle, you can't turn the tap with enough force to cut metal.

      Do you really need the extra cost of a floor-mount drill press? Next to this one is a buffer & wire wheel. It is almost as messy as a bench grinder.

      Soldering requires heat. Light jobs can be done with a propane torch, bigger ones require an acetylene torch. (Not to be confused with an oxy-acetylene welding torch.) Any time you are applying heat, keep a fire extinguisher on hand.

      With a safe in your work room, bolt it to the floor or walls, and add weight to it. In addition to the bolts, a couple hundred pounds of lead shot ensures the immovability of your safe. And you do have to store your shot for reloading someplace, right?

      The Learning Curve

      The way to learn is to do. But “doing” for the first time on an expensive shotgun, or a family heirloom, can be a nerve-wracking experience. Rather than subject yourself to the tension, get a practice gun. Hike off to a gun show (assuming the powers that be in Washington let us do such things in the future) and walk the aisles. While an exact duplicate of your shotgun would be great, it doesn't have to be the same gun unless you are working on something type-specific. Don't worry about condition and features, because you will be using the new-old gun as your practice canvas.

      If the paperwork is too onerous, or you just don't want to buy another shotgun, then pick up some parts. A stock and barrel will work as the bare minimum.

      With your practice gun or parts on hand, you can work away to your heart's content, safe in the knowledge that whatever happens can't hurt your Dad's shotgun handed down to you.

       With your own workspace, you don't have to worry about spilling oil and solvents on the kitchen table. A bench at the correct height makes the work less tiring. (The .458 in the corner is in case of marauding bears in the suburbs. The fact that there aren't any is proof of its effectiveness.)

      A clean and well laid out work bench makes the work go easy.

      A garage may be convenient, but it is also drafty, humid, open to observation, and not secure. Many garages are also cluttered even before you move your gunsmithing stuff in.

       You should store your guns in a lockable container. For the cost of one gun, you can protect many. (Photo courtesy Remington Arms Co.)

       Even a small and inexpensive safe is better than none at all. And in some jurisdictions, it may be legally and insurance-wise a necessary investment. (photo courtesy Remington Arms Co.)

      Some things make life much easier. To remove a frozen screw without a screw jack is a big hassle. With it, the job is easy. If the screw resists the jack, then off to the drill press.

      Buy good measuring tools and treat them properly. Store them in your tool chest and do not set heavy things down on them.

      A couple of generations ago, if you wanted to be a gunsmith, the first thing you would have to do is make the tools of gunsmithing. Anything that wasn't a standard machine-shop tool was something you would have to make. Most gunsmiths still do the basic things, like grinding their own screwdrivers, but hardly anyone fabricates their own fixtures. Why would they? Unless it is a one-of-a-kind job, or no one has thought of it before, the hours of design and fabrication, testing and altering take up a lot more time than just buying the right tool. And the business has gotten so big that some shops only make the tools to do gunsmithing, having given up gunsmithing entirely.

      If you wanted to find just the right tool for each job, you could send off for the catalog of every manufacturer of gunsmithing equipment and pore through them. You'd end up with a file about a foot thick, and you would still not cover them all. Instead of all that hassle, send off for the Brownells catalog. It will be the best five bucks you've spent in a long time, maybe ever. Not only will there be more goodies in it than you can afford without winning the lottery, but you can order them all from one place.

      Brownells has been at it for a while, as the current catalog (in 2000) is the 52nd. In James V. Howe's “The Modern Gunsmith” (first edition 1934, last updated in 1954, and anything but modern now) Brownells is listed as a source of supplies. The list is not long, but they are at the top. As an aside, Howe was published by Funk & Wag-nail's, and I'd wager a very nice shotgun that it has been years since there was anything to do with firearms in their title list. The late Bob Brownell started offering other makers' tools and supplies right after World War II, and put together a catalog to list the goodies.

      You can spend many an interesting evening just flipping through the latest catalog, and find something on every other page that may make you think “I never knew you needed something like that!” Once you have your list narrowed down, you can call, write or e-mail and expect your parts on your doorstep within a few days.

      If you've ordered something, and the complete instructions just aren't clear enough, phone Brownells and ask for the experts. On hand will be experienced professional gunsmiths who have the best job in the world. They get to play with all the toys so they can explain anything you need to know. All of them have worked in gunshops