A couple of guys asked some questions about a custom mauser project I have been working on lately in another thread..
Rather than continue to be guilty of threadjacking, I thought I'd put up additional information here..
The long and the short of it is, I occasionally build guns.. Mostly AR's and single shots, but every now and then I'll get the bug and will build a bolt action from the ground up..
I am NOT a professional gunsmith and I am not a machinist.. I did take some gunsmithing classes 20+ years ago.. and several armorers classes way back int he day.. but I do not work on guns for a living, and do not have the experience or expertise most veteran smiths have.. At best I would consider my skills and abilities to be on par with a very new gunsmith apprentice..
All that to say.. building guns is really not all that hard and doesnt take a lot of specialty tools (for most guns).. If I can do it, anyone can.. What it does take is a lot of patience, paying a whole lot of attention to detail, and a willingness to slow down and check, double check, and then triple check every bit of work you do to make absolutely certain what you have done is right (you dont want your latest work blowing up in your face on your first outing at the range or falling apart on you the moment youre preparing to pull the trigger on a prized elk that you have spent the last 3 hours calling in)..
What separates a good gun mechanic (what I would consider myself to be) and a really good smith is "pretty" in my opinion.. a great smith will be able to ensure there are no visible tool marks on their work.. their lines on things like recoil pads, stock work, jeweling, checkering, etc will be perfect.. Whereas a guy like me is just happy to get a grind to fit recoil pad installed on the gun so that it is comfortable and doesnt look like total shit when Im done..
So enough background information.... Next post will be mauser build specific.. and have some pics included..
Rather than continue to be guilty of threadjacking, I thought I'd put up additional information here..
The long and the short of it is, I occasionally build guns.. Mostly AR's and single shots, but every now and then I'll get the bug and will build a bolt action from the ground up..
I am NOT a professional gunsmith and I am not a machinist.. I did take some gunsmithing classes 20+ years ago.. and several armorers classes way back int he day.. but I do not work on guns for a living, and do not have the experience or expertise most veteran smiths have.. At best I would consider my skills and abilities to be on par with a very new gunsmith apprentice..
All that to say.. building guns is really not all that hard and doesnt take a lot of specialty tools (for most guns).. If I can do it, anyone can.. What it does take is a lot of patience, paying a whole lot of attention to detail, and a willingness to slow down and check, double check, and then triple check every bit of work you do to make absolutely certain what you have done is right (you dont want your latest work blowing up in your face on your first outing at the range or falling apart on you the moment youre preparing to pull the trigger on a prized elk that you have spent the last 3 hours calling in)..
What separates a good gun mechanic (what I would consider myself to be) and a really good smith is "pretty" in my opinion.. a great smith will be able to ensure there are no visible tool marks on their work.. their lines on things like recoil pads, stock work, jeweling, checkering, etc will be perfect.. Whereas a guy like me is just happy to get a grind to fit recoil pad installed on the gun so that it is comfortable and doesnt look like total shit when Im done..
So enough background information.... Next post will be mauser build specific.. and have some pics included..