Ask A Gunsmith!

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Robert Ankeny on February 28, 2010 at 6:08pm

Wondering what a good starting gun would be. Also what would a good book to understand the concepts behind guns are. When i say concepts i mean the physics behind ballistics, how an automatic pistol works, thinks like that. I have wanted to grab a gun to shoot with for a while. I am a student so money is a bit of an issue when it comes to my first one. Looking for a pistol maybe a .22 but i am not certain.

Permalink Reply by Neuro on October 13, 2010 at 8:08pm

I have a stock Glock 20 and was looking to replace the sights with something a little better. I like the Trijicon sights but see they have had a little controversy lately. Is there a better or comparable sight that you would recommend?

Permalink Reply by Arizona Gunrunner on January 10, 2011 at 7:43pm

Trijicon is the best option out there in my opinion.  They did have a small batch that was bad but they warranted them all.  I have never had a problem with them or their customer service.  In a small industry like the gun industry, they stand out with their customer service.  I have found them to be the strongest, best built night sights on the market right now.

Permalink Reply by ToniDaTyga on November 30, 2010 at 8:37pm

Hi! I have a Taurus 85 2inch barrel .38 special and I was wondering how I could go about making the trigger better. It feels gritty and the pull is too hard. I'm on a budget so taking it in to get a trigger job is out of the question. Thanks for providing info. You are a valuable source to the gun industry!

Permalink Reply by Arizona Gunrunner on January 10, 2011 at 7:35pm

Sorry for being gone so long!!  The Taurus is a good gun.  Nothing fancy, but serviceable.  To make the trigger better there is a couple options.  First is a trigger job. . .but you said that is too much sooo. . . You can get a spring kit for it and have it installed.  The springs are about 15-20 retail and any good gunsmith shouldn't charge more then another 20 to put them in.  Its an easy job. This will make it lighter, but it will still be a little rough.

 

Cheapest thing to do to get the trigger pull smoother is to get yourself some snap caps.  They are dummy rounds that have a spring primer on them so you can dry fire a gun and not hurt the fireing pin.  Then you give your trigger finger a real good workout pulling that trigger again and again and again and again!!  That will smooth out the surfaces in the action that feel gritty.  Its not as good as a trigger job, but it will improve the feel without the cost of taking it to a gunsmith.

Permalink Reply by Mac Rex on December 25, 2010 at 5:31pm

I've just recently re-entered the fire owning world, and got my Canadian Purchase and Acquisition License (PAL) for restricted and non-restricted firearms.  I had given up my firearm collection in the 1990's, after I lost my hunting partner.  My first pistol, with my new PAL, is a Regent 1911 A1 .45 copy (Turkish made).  I use to own a Colt 1911 (pre-1926, not an A1), and had that tuned up to hit a 6" square target every time, at 100 meters.  I noticed that with the Regent, I was lucky to hit the 100 meter 4" gong twice, out of a 7 round clip (more with one of my 10's), so I designed and built what I call my V-6 bushing compensator (I'm a hobby machinist).  I had looked at other designs on the net, then came up with this one myself.  Longer on the barrel than the stock bushing, and tighter in the slide, I now hit that 100 meter gong at least 5 of 7.  I have another one in my head, with 2 more ports making it a V-8.

Firing my 1911 A1 with my V-6 Compensator

Permalink Reply by Arizona Gunrunner on January 10, 2011 at 7:40pm

Well, right there you have seen the quality difference of good machining and just good enough!! 

 

Thanks for sharing the pic!  I love to see what people come up with.  And the accuracy improvement you saw was the bushing/comp you made that is tighter.  It is now holding the barrel tighter with the slide and sights.  Fitting a new bushing for a 1911 is one of the most important things you can do for accuracy!  Good job and keep tinkering!

Permalink Reply by Arizona Gunrunner on January 10, 2011 at 7:50pm

And here is a pic of a 1911 i build a few years ago.  A friend of mine was sending pic after pic of custom 1911s to my phone with fancy leather and nice shiny blued slides.  So I had to throw my "work" gun up on the table and take a few pics of it to send to him what a real gun looked like.  Not some showpiece kept in a glass cabinet and brought out to impress friends!! 

 

Enjoy!!

Permalink Reply by Mac Rex on February 1, 2011 at 5:01pm

Very nice.

Permalink Reply by S.F. Zeigler on May 9, 2011 at 3:16pm

Awww this group has become a ghost town. Would like to have heard from people regarding their favorite guns. : (

Permalink Reply by Mac Rex on May 9, 2011 at 7:24pm

My favorite "gun" is the 105mm Howitzer.  For small stuff, my favorite rifle is the AKM, but AKs are prohibited in Canada now, and I don't have a permit for them.  My favorite hunting rifle of all time, is the 1917 Lee-Enfield SMLE.  Favorite pistol was my Colt 1911 (not a 1911-A1, but pre 1926) I owned in the 80' and 90's.  While I do like my SKS and my CQ (AR15 clone), and other toys, those firearms were my favorites.