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Gunn Smithy · July 3, 2011, 10:35 AM

For the last 30+ years I've not had the service of a gunsmith, I've had something better. As it was I was loading some custom 12 gauge slug rounds and had ruined my Forster (I believe) heat sizer (for crimp mouths) by melting off the tip of a couple of shells into the closed system and plugging it up. It was trash and I went about designing a new one. I had a small lathe but was in no way a machinist. I whacked out a part in aluminum and wrote down the specific dimensions to take to a machine shop for them to turn my prototype into the dimensions I'd written down. That's when I found a fellow named John at ELCO Machine Shop. He could do or make anything. Over the years I've made several Shopkeepers Specials; Short barreled, birdshead gripped pistols out of Ruger single actions even including Ruger Old Armies. Several other one of a kind firearms were constructed during this time and what I've found in working with him is that TIME is MONEY. Some times he'd send me packing if I didn't have my ducks in a row just trying to explain the work to him since I was taking valuable time away from him. Also at times the smallest parts were the most expensive since they took the longest to set up and manufacture. If I could devise an order of machining that would save time (including thinking time) it would save me money. For my bobbed Old Army the former ramrod became a take down tool to remove the cylinder (now 45 LC). Instead of machining a "flat blade" into the end, I suggested drilling and placing two pins the same diameter of the screw slot. It worked like a champ and saved loads of money.

Long story short, If a guy has to take time away from his/her bread and butter "money making" time to instruct another, He/She is not making the monies that could have been made if they weren't instructing. A nice guy/gal might do it out of the goodness of their heart (or business is slow), But in my case the guy was running a money making enterprise and although I paid my way, if we both weren't careful it dipped into his profit/loss statement in a big way. Smithy.

July 3, 2011, 10:35 AM	#5
Gunn Smithy Senior Member Join Date: June 11, 2011 Location: CA's central valley Posts: 101	For the last 30+ years I've not had the service of a gunsmith, I've had something better. As it was I was loading some custom 12 gauge slug rounds and had ruined my Forster (I believe) heat sizer (for crimp mouths) by melting off the tip of a couple of shells into the closed system and plugging it up. It was trash and I went about designing a new one. I had a small lathe but was in no way a machinist. I whacked out a part in aluminum and wrote down the specific dimensions to take to a machine shop for them to turn my prototype into the dimensions I'd written down. That's when I found a fellow named John at ELCO Machine Shop. He could do or make anything. Over the years I've made several Shopkeepers Specials; Short barreled, birdshead gripped pistols out of Ruger single actions even including Ruger Old Armies. Several other one of a kind firearms were constructed during this time and what I've found in working with him is that TIME is MONEY. Some times he'd send me packing if I didn't have my ducks in a row just trying to explain the work to him since I was taking valuable time away from him. Also at times the smallest parts were the most expensive since they took the longest to set up and manufacture. If I could devise an order of machining that would save time (including thinking time) it would save me money. For my bobbed Old Army the former ramrod became a take down tool to remove the cylinder (now 45 LC). Instead of machining a "flat blade" into the end, I suggested drilling and placing two pins the same diameter of the screw slot. It worked like a champ and saved loads of money. Long story short, If a guy has to take time away from his/her bread and butter "money making" time to instruct another, He/She is not making the monies that could have been made if they weren't instructing. A nice guy/gal might do it out of the goodness of their heart (or business is slow), But in my case the guy was running a money making enterprise and although I paid my way, if we both weren't careful it dipped into his profit/loss statement in a big way. Smithy. __________________ Salvation is through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and in Him alone.