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Another on my ignore list. It is short and very undisquinguished.

Another on my ignore list. It is short and very undisquinguished.

That likely sums up BT's problem.......

I just don't feel to buy new parts for a new pistol.

But I don't like the splinters I sometimes get up my ...

There's not much of a need, at least not on the current Hi Power iterations. (Ambidextrous safety, decent sights, etc.) Most of these "custom" parts providers have worked their way into the psyche of shooters who want to believe they NEED these parts. (Particularly through sycophantic jackasses on internet message boards.) If they buy a new hammer, sear, trigger, etc. then the ladies will love them, their fortunes will make an upswing, and the planets will align. Most HPs need nothing more than a trigger job by a QUALIFIED gunsmith, a pile of ball ammo for plinking, and range time.

So much for you two [bleep] being ass-kicking "gunsmiths," huh? What a f*cking joke.

You just can't help yourself...I just can't figure out what you get out of this.

Gunsmithing was fine when we were young and didn't have families, but it doesn't pay very well, until you're at the top of the heap. You tend to not make very good money, while working very long hours. Sure, you do alright hourly on your jobs, but it's the non-paying stuff that averages your pay WAY down. After all the work is done, you still have a business to run. So after 8-10 hours of work at the bench, you spend 2-4 hours each night, cleaning up (you have any idea how hard it is to keep a bluing room clean?), maintaining your tools & equipment, placing orders for parts, tools, & supplies, booking in & booking out guns, setting up your next shipping order, etc. Yeah we could have stuck it out and worked our way to national recognition (James would have gotten there much faster than I would). But then real jobs with much better pay came along and we took it. When kids came along, it was no longer about us, now we needed medical coverage for our families; and that's really hard to do on a gunsmith's salary. Sorry, I just wasn't willing to gamble the health of my family to further a career I didn't want to spend the rest of my life in anyhow. For me, gunsmithing as a profession was beginning to take the fun out of my hobby. I couldn't show up to the range without someone asking me questions about fixing this, improving that, or how do you do this or that. Obviously from my writing and hanging out here, I like to help others; but sometimes it can get out of hand.

Now neither of us claim to be �ass-kicking� gunsmiths (or anything else), but we do claim to be gunsmiths that either knows what we�re doing, or we don�t do it. There are some things that I know about because I�ve personally done it. There are other things that I know about because I�ve watched gunsmiths who were FAR better than I do. And then there are things I just know nothing about. I don�t work on belt feed machineguns or drillings; both are admittedly over my head. With fine double guns there is precious few things I�ll do and I�ll always refer to a gentleman I know who worked at Purdey�s. Now I can explain how some things are done, but I�ll FREELY admit that I�ve never done it myself; and I wish you were man enough to admit that you�ve never done any real gunsmithing yourself.

Whereas YOU, have no problems wading in with both feet on a subject you really don�t know about. You�re like a doctor right out of medical school. Just enough knowledge to THINK you know what you�re talking about, until you try to strut like a rooster with all your grand knowledge just to find out, you�re only at the tip of the iceburg.

Look, I�ve been gunsmithing for damn near 30 years and I still don�t know chit. I can tell by what you write that you�ve READ about gunsmithing, but it�s painfully obvious to me, and even those who aren�t gunsmiths that you haven�t really picked up tools and actually done any meaningful gunsmithing yourself. But man you sure know how to criticize.

I�m very happy to not be a full time gunsmith anymore; now I enjoy gunsmithing when I do it. I like the job I do, to me it�s far more interesting and challenging than gunsmithing and it pays better with FAR better benefits than any gunsmithing job I know of.

So if you were someone who has actually done any gunsmithing, then we could have a meaningful conversation. But it seems to me the only thing you�re capable of is puffing up your ego and barking like a little s ankle biting dog with a mouth full of $#!T.

So much for you two [bleep] being ass-kicking "gunsmiths," huh? What a f*cking joke.

Really...thats the best you can do....wow....you sir have no honor or integrity and I can think of no greater insult than that

You just can't help yourself...I just can't figure out what you get out of this.

Gunsmithing was fine when we were young and didn't have families, but it doesn't pay very well, until you're at the top of the heap. You tend to not make very good money, while working very long hours. Sure, you do alright hourly on your jobs, but it's the non-paying stuff that averages your pay WAY down. After all the work is done, you still have a business to run. So after 8-10 hours of work at the bench, you spend 2-4 hours each night, cleaning up (you have any idea how hard it is to keep a bluing room clean?), maintaining your tools & equipment, placing orders for parts, tools, & supplies, booking in & booking out guns, setting up your next shipping order, etc. Yeah we could have stuck it out and worked our way to national recognition (James would have gotten there much faster than I would). But then real jobs with much better pay came along and we took it. When kids came along, it was no longer about us, now we needed medical coverage for our families; and that's really hard to do on a gunsmith's salary. Sorry, I just wasn't willing to gamble the health of my family to further a career I didn't want to spend the rest of my life in anyhow. For me, gunsmithing as a profession was beginning to take the fun out of my hobby. I couldn't show up to the range without someone asking me questions about fixing this, improving that, or how do you do this or that. Obviously from my writing and hanging out here, I like to help others; but sometimes it can get out of hand.

Now neither of us claim to be �ass-kicking� gunsmiths (or anything else), but we do claim to be gunsmiths that either knows what we�re doing, or we don�t do it. There are some things that I know about because I�ve personally done it. There are other things that I know about because I�ve watched gunsmiths who were FAR better than I do. And then there are things I just know nothing about. I don�t work on belt feed machineguns or drillings; both are admittedly over my head. With fine double guns there is precious few things I�ll do and I�ll always refer to a gentleman I know who worked at Purdey�s. Now I can explain how some things are done, but I�ll FREELY admit that I�ve never done it myself; and I wish you were man enough to admit that you�ve never done any real gunsmithing yourself.

Whereas YOU, have no problems wading in with both feet on a subject you really don�t know about. You�re like a doctor right out of medical school. Just enough knowledge to THINK you know what you�re talking about, until you try to strut like a rooster with all your grand knowledge just to find out, you�re only at the tip of the iceburg.

Look, I�ve been gunsmithing for damn near 30 years and I still don�t know chit. I can tell by what you write that you�ve READ about gunsmithing, but it�s painfully obvious to me, and even those who aren�t gunsmiths that you haven�t really picked up tools and actually done any meaningful gunsmithing yourself. But man you sure know how to criticize.

I�m very happy to not be a full time gunsmith anymore; now I enjoy gunsmithing when I do it. I like the job I do, to me it�s far more interesting and challenging than gunsmithing and it pays better with FAR better benefits than any gunsmithing job I know of.

So if you were someone who has actually done any gunsmithing, then we could have a meaningful conversation. But it seems to me the only thing you�re capable of is puffing up your ego and barking like a little s ankle biting dog with a mouth full of $#!T.

Just put him on ignore, Kevin.

I will just as soon as he stops taking shots DIRECTLY at me. I�m not going to allow some idiot to drag my name and reputation in the mud without a response. I post in my own name, and I stand by EVERYTHING I say. It�s about honor and integrity as James has put it. Soon as he stops his direct attacks on my name and reputation, I�ll ignore him.

...a set of Spegel grips (Uncle Mikes if you�re on a budget).

It was my understanding that the UM Spegel derivations are no longer manufactured. The last few I've seen on eBay and the like sold for as much (or more) than genuine Spegel items.

You just can't help yourself...I just can't figure out what you get out of this.

Gunsmithing was fine when we were young and didn't have families, but it doesn't pay very well, until you're at the top of the heap. You tend to not make very good money, while working very long hours. Sure, you do alright hourly on your jobs, but it's the non-paying stuff that averages your pay WAY down. After all the work is done, you still have a business to run. So after 8-10 hours of work at the bench, you spend 2-4 hours each night, cleaning up (you have any idea how hard it is to keep a bluing room clean?), maintaining your tools & equipment, placing orders for parts, tools, & supplies, booking in & booking out guns, setting up your next shipping order, etc. Yeah we could have stuck it out and worked our way to national recognition (James would have gotten there much faster than I would). But then real jobs with much better pay came along and we took it. When kids came along, it was no longer about us, now we needed medical coverage for our families; and that's really hard to do on a gunsmith's salary. Sorry, I just wasn't willing to gamble the health of my family to further a career I didn't want to spend the rest of my life in anyhow. For me, gunsmithing as a profession was beginning to take the fun out of my hobby. I couldn't show up to the range without someone asking me questions about fixing this, improving that, or how do you do this or that. Obviously from my writing and hanging out here, I like to help others; but sometimes it can get out of hand.

Now neither of us claim to be �ass-kicking� gunsmiths (or anything else), but we do claim to be gunsmiths that either knows what we�re doing, or we don�t do it. There are some things that I know about because I�ve personally done it. There are other things that I know about because I�ve watched gunsmiths who were FAR better than I do. And then there are things I just know nothing about. I don�t work on belt feed machineguns or drillings; both are admittedly over my head. With fine double guns there is precious few things I�ll do and I�ll always refer to a gentleman I know who worked at Purdey�s. Now I can explain how some things are done, but I�ll FREELY admit that I�ve never done it myself; and I wish you were man enough to admit that you�ve never done any real gunsmithing yourself.

Whereas YOU, have no problems wading in with both feet on a subject you really don�t know about. You�re like a doctor right out of medical school. Just enough knowledge to THINK you know what you�re talking about, until you try to strut like a rooster with all your grand knowledge just to find out, you�re only at the tip of the iceburg.

Look, I�ve been gunsmithing for damn near 30 years and I still don�t know chit. I can tell by what you write that you�ve READ about gunsmithing, but it�s painfully obvious to me, and even those who aren�t gunsmiths that you haven�t really picked up tools and actually done any meaningful gunsmithing yourself. But man you sure know how to criticize.

I�m very happy to not be a full time gunsmith anymore; now I enjoy gunsmithing when I do it. I like the job I do, to me it�s far more interesting and challenging than gunsmithing and it pays better with FAR better benefits than any gunsmithing job I know of.

So if you were someone who has actually done any gunsmithing, then we could have a meaningful conversation. But it seems to me the only thing you�re capable of is puffing up your ego and barking like a little s ankle biting dog with a mouth full of $#!T.

I will just as soon as he stops taking shots DIRECTLY at me. I�m not going to allow some idiot to drag my name and reputation in the mud without a response. I post in my own name, and I stand by EVERYTHING I say. It�s about honor and integrity as James has put it. Soon as he stops his direct attacks on my name and reputation, I�ll ignore him.

You most certainly have made claims as to your "prowess" as a "gunsmith," Little Miss Kevin. I seem to remember a few claims of "over 10000" bandied about in at least one instance. Actually it was "I've worked on well over 10,000 Hi Powers.." and then there was this little "gem:" "My bet is Ted Yost hasn't worked on anywhere near as many Hi Powers as I have." I guess you felt the need to relate that statistic of dubious origin and make your backhanded comment towards Yost because you're such a humble guy.

As near as I can tell from your fellow eunuch James' tale, you two clods spent your days in some warehouse cleaning and piecing together worn out military surplus crap, sort of like Century Arms does. The kind of "work" day laborer Mexicans can do. Impressive. And now Jamesetta works in West Sacramento (a real garden spot) and not as a gunsmith. You're free to make whatever excuse you want for an acute inability to make a living as a gunsmith -- and that's all they are -- EXCUSES. Your mama didn't love you, the work was too demanding, you lost your lease, or whatever excuse du jour you prefer. The fact remains, however, you're not in demand for a reason and others are. Why is that? Your 85 Facebook followers reveal quite a lot.