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If you were going to do light - very light - gunsmithing as a hobby, just on your personal guns with no intention of going into business, how would you go about it learning the trade, especially if there is no trade-school even remotely close? I'm just curious as my wife told me that I'm going to have to find a hobby when retirement rolls around, and I always thought I might like to get back to doing a bit of what I did in college (worked with a gunsmith in a gunshop in the Pensacola area).

Thanks.

RM

If you like Mausers, get a copy of Kuhnhausen's Shop Manual for them for starters. Good stuff that has helped me change barrels, install safeties, etc.

I bet his other Shop Manuals are pretty good info on working on their subject matter as well.

That depends.

What kind of guns (shotguns, pistols, or rifles).

If you are into accurizing rifles there are a few schools by gunsmiths on accurizing them that are IMO well worth doing.

http://www.gordysgunsmithshop.com/classesschools.html

I took multiple ones from Gordy, now the only thing I send out for is re-barreling, the rest I can do. I met gunsmiths from around the world in his classes. Check out his site, he is one of the better if not top bench rest gunsmiths out there - he's got multiple winning rifles out there.

Plus you get to eat KC BBQ if you come up here to take the classes.




Spot

I think MCC in North Carolina has short courses you can take.

Sign up for one, find an amicable local fire member to put you up.

here's 2017 list for example

https://www.montgomery.edu/147-nra/715-2017-nra-schedule

Thanks, all.

It would be just simple stuff: maybe buying an old HVA every once in a while, fixing and refinishing the wood, bedding, etc. As I said, this would be something just to keep me busy, and then enjoy the results.

I don't bird hunt as much as I used to, and I have virtually no interest in handguns, so it would mostly be limited to light work on rifles.

Again, thanks for the links and suggestions.

RM

For me, I learn by reading about it then trying it. I've been tinkering with guns since the '60's.

Yep, I'm even older than ingwe...

Just not by much...

Like posted earlier, fitting barrels is about the only thing I send out. Well, maybe bluing/coatings/fluting, etc.

I enjoy working on guns, getting results that suit what I'm trying to accomplish. There's a lot of satisfaction in that.

DF

Ingwe cut his teeth on matchlocks.

There is a lot of metal work I'm not up to, but I wouldn't mind learning how to do small repairs, as well as (re)shape stocks and fit pads. There are a lot of old HVA 9.3x57s around that are in decent condition, just waiting to be reworked - mostly stress cracks fixed - and refinished. What I don't want to do is wind up "bubba-ing" them, thus the question about some level of training, even if it's just youtube videos and books. I have a lot of space to set up a workshop - we have an RV garage behind our house - and that will keep me out of my wife's hair. And, as I said, it think it's something I might enjoy returning to after so many years away from it.

RM

+1 for Gordy. I attended his "Extreme Accuracy Chambering" class when he was still in Pella, IA. Well worth it. I've talked to Gordy on occasion. Especially when I need to clarify the notes I took during class or something he depicted in the DVD he provides to attendees.

Midway's Larry Potterfield has an excellent series of gunsmithing videos on You Tube. He walks you thru many of the simpler and some not so simple gunsmithing jobs.

you might pick up a few of the gunsmith kinks books from brownells. some good imformation mixed in with the humor.

Ed

You can learn all you need to know about stock work from quite a few books. I did and now I have made several stocks for my own rifles and shotguns and a few for friends. Includng checkering.Plus it doesn't take much in the way of tools.

When there were a lot of inexpensive military rifles around, I sportarized quite a few .I don't have access to a machine shop now.Lathes and milling machines get pricey and usually don't include tooling which will slim down your wallet too.

Following are some books that will help a lot with gun smithing. A lot of it does not involve milling and a lathe

Three volumes of Brownells Gunsmith Kinks" that have a lot of info in them.
NRA Gunsmithing Guide,
NRA Firearms Assmbly 3,
NRA Firearms Assembly 4,
Wolfe's Gunsmithing Tips and Projects,
Edward A. Matunas's Practical Gunsmithing
Frank De Haas's, Bolt Action Rifles,
J.B Wood's GunDigest Book of Firearms Assemby and Dissaembly, Part IV, Centerfire Rifles

Those will get you about everything you need to do some heavy tinkering

Add to them James V. Howe's two volume set.

I taught myself everything I know- stock work, metal shaping, barreling, etc.- by reading everything I could lay my hands on. Then as I undertook a new project I bought the requisite tools and had at it. If I got in trouble I would stop and ask someone, but there usually wasn't anyone around to ask so I would forge ahead. Made a lot of costly mistakes, but empirical knowledge is the best.

I would start with hand tool projects and master those tools before even thinking in terms of lathes, mills, grinders, etc. Armed with a nice assortment of quality files, rasps, chisels, carving tools, a good vice, and measuring instruments you can do a heckuva lot of customizations.

Take checkering for example. I read a couple books, thought "I can do this", bought some basic tools and practiced on a few junkers and re-cut a dozen or so existing patterns before taking a deep breath and attacking a "good" stock.

In the end though, if a person doesn't have a certain knack, a certain feel for the work, and a keen eye for aesthetics, and patience, he'd best take up stamp collecting or whisky drinking as a hobby.

I would start out by learning to completely disassemble (not too danged hard) and then reassemble (can get a bit more challenging ) every firearm I own, then study how they function. Then you can progress to improving function by trying what LOOKS like it should make it work better, and then buying lots of replacement parts to fix your screwups OR you can find good sources of info like the Kuhnhausen books if you're not the kind who likes to reinvent the wheel or buy lots of replacement parts. Try a little stock work along the way; maybe give refinishing and checkering a try. There are lots of things you could specialize in and focus on. Really, I think you can keep yourself entertained by using this approach without investing a ton of money, and you can quit anytime if you find you're not enjoying it. If you find you just can't get enough, then go whole hog in any direction that suits you, and you're likely to not be getting into trouble on the streets after curfew.

Thanks for all the references and recommendations. I expect my inclination is to wood work. Any good references?

RiverRider - that's the plan: not a huge investment in tools and equipment, but just enough to have a good time. That's the plan!

Question: I won't have to invest in an FFL for this type of work, right?

Chapters and books have been written on wood finishing.

If you fit a stock, get a good inlet. Boyd is good. Stay away from Richards Microfit, they're anything but "microfit"...

Learn how to glass bed, it's not hard. I like Brownells Acraglas Gel, it's easiest to work with, IME. Get their spray release agent. Pull the action while it's a bit green, replace and torque it down for the cure. That way you won't get an action stuck. Use modeling clay to fill any holes that may capture the barreled action, remove the trigger.

JB and other write about spar varnish. That may be the most finish, toughest finish for the cost of time and materials. You can compound it to a sheen once it's cured.

If you have a belt sander, you can fit recoil pads. I use a table saw with a very fine cutting blade to cut a stock. I use blue tape over the cut to keep down splintering.

DF

If you take other person's fire rm into do work with it,yes you will need a FFL to ship the firearm back and forth.

Colorado is a whole nother word about that.

Some of the books I mentioned has stock making information in them.
I'll look tomorrow to see if I have other specific books on stock work

So, is that only for shipping or even if I do something for my next door neighbor and hand it back to him?

And thanks in advance for the stock work references. At my age I'll never be a Mark
Renmant or Jim Kobe, but maybe I can finally make a rifle that fits as well as some of my tweaked shotguns do.

Thanks again.

For sure in Colorado.

I'm only guessing here, but if you are doing it for money you do.No difference than taking one from someone across town.
I have turned down work from a few guys hereon the fire because of this.

After reviewing my library of gunsmithing books and seeing what was available concerning stock work these two books I recommended both have large sections dealing with stocks anywhere from selecting wood, starting from a blank all the way to finishing and checkering. I have a fairly large file of magazine articles I have saved over the years.

NRA Gunsmithing Guide,

Wolfe's Gunsmithing Tips and Projects.

After reviewing those books,really it is more a matter of experience and a feel for wood working, learning what a stock should look like and how certain factors determine fit and function, like what makes a stock deliver less felt recoil