E-Mail 'Gunsmith Training: Pistolsmithing - Week Two, by R2' To A Friend

Email a copy of 'Gunsmith Training: Pistolsmithing - Week Two, by R2' to a friend

* Required Field






Separate multiple entries with a comma. Maximum 5 entries.



Separate multiple entries with a comma. Maximum 5 entries.


E-Mail Image Verification

Loading ... Loading ...

7 Comments

  1. I lived in Susanville, Ca., home of Lassen College Gunsmithing and Bob Dunlap, for many years, I had a shop there, and met Dunlap through it. He brought in a generator from one of his many old cars, it was in many pieces. I looked at it and asked who the monkey was that took it apart. He turned red, then purple, said it was him. I remarked, and at this stage I had never met him, just knew who he was, that he should stick to fixing guns and leave generator work to me. I thought he was going to have a stroke…..I then added that I should also stick to cars and leave gunsmithing to him, because I was never going to get my HK4 working again………He said “Are you possibly suggesting a trade? I sure am!” We became fast friends, to the point of having him over for dinner in later years! He admired my mechanical skills and his gunsmith abilities were beyond belief! I did my best to throw him a curve by asking questions on some odd ball gun or cartridge, ballistics, etc., and it was impossible to fool him, literally impossible! I went so far as to find stupid stuff in books, and I would call his shop, disguise my voice and quiz him, no soap! I watched him solve a problem on my Dads custom .25-06 built on a Mod 722 action. It would not eject a spent case. Three “gunsmiths” had worked on it to no avail. He saw the gun sitting in my shop, asked about the problem, and said “I can fix this gun in 10 seconds….wait, make it, five, no three.” I mentioned the three prior ‘smiths, he said they were ‘wannabe’s. I had learned not to argue with him, so I said go for it. He turned around, asked for an empty case, and proceeded to eject it across the shop. He did this several times, even used a full case. He then handed me the cover on the scope adjustment, with the bottom all covered with brass………At Lassen College where he was the head gunsmith instructor, there was a large sign in the Gunsmith shop which read “First there was John Browning, then there was Bob Dunlap” Dunlap would delight in walking by a bench where a student was working on some weapon, had it totally disassembled, and he would take a part or piece from another bench and add it in……..just testing students knowledge……..Many people didn’t like him because he was “too harsh,” when I asked him about this, he said he didn’t have the patience to deal with sluggards and fools. He was pretty outspoken! Additionally, he was nationally and internationally known and recognized as an unparalleled expert in the field of firearms. I was and am proud to call him my friend. I now live in Idaho and he in Oregon, and we still converse. I have his home phone number on speed dial, and can still call him for advice or conversation! Great, one of a kind guy!

    1. The acetone and mineral spirits, along with a good portion of the kerosene, evaporate out when you are done with the cleaning job. The ATF and a portion of the kerosene are what provide the lubrication. The lanolin gives it a more viscous film while helping with the lubrication.

      I especially like it because with a normal lubricant, fingerprints are an issue. With the lanolin present, that pretty much goes away. When I’m cleaning someone else’s gun and I return it to them, the fact that they can handle it and not leave massive apparent fingerprints that show up is a definite plus.

      The ATF is an adequate lube and the lanolin is not strictly necessary for lubrication.

    1. I don’t know for sure, but I suspect it was because America was into the 1911 in .45ACP. The rest of the world wanted 9mm. The Browning wasn’t all that popular in the U.S. compared to the 1911. It’s a better gun, but a tough market to crack.

      I had a Hi-Power that I converted to .41AE back in the late 80’s but the frame and barrel lockup couldn’t handle the higher pressures. The lugs on the frame had a tendency to roll back. I shot it a couple of times and then converted it back to 9mm before the gun was destroyed.

      The .41AE was killed by the .40S&W and most manufacturers just put it on the 9mm platforms where it didn’t perform very well. If the gun used JMB style locking lugs, they had a tendency to roll back creating head-space. Guns that used the SIG style locking system did better. Browning did right in holding off until they redesigned the locking system with the extra lug and the heavier slide, but that caused them to miss the peak of the sales in .40S&W. I think it’s still the best .40S&W single action out there. While the locking system would easily handle the .45ACP now, there isn’t enough meat in the barrels to open it up to .45ACP. You would have to enlarge the barrel which would then force you to enlarge the slide again. That’s a major redesign for a firearm that would compete directly against the entrenched 1911 for the American market. The rest of the world would not represent enough market in .45ACP as they like their .380ACP and 9mm. I don’t think there was a good enough business case for the expense, though it would have been a better gun than the 1911.

  2. I was just wondering. I’m in the market for a Foredom’s tool myself. What I was curious to know was what made you decide to go with the TX as opposed to the SR? According to their site the SR should suffice but maybe you are using it for more rugged things outside of gunsmithing.
    BTW. Thanks for doing this. I’m in the same spot in the course exactly where you are so it’s s huge help to know I’m doing things right.

    1. My wife says I have a little bit of “Tim the Tool Man” in me. She’s probably right on there. The SR is more than enough for gunsmithing work. I just have a few more things in mind for projects that may require the heavier tool. It uses the same handpiece and flex shaft so there is no real difference.
      I guess I was just so disgusted by the lightweight Dremel that I didn’t want to have to deal with that again. I think the SR would be fine and you can get a good price on them through AGI if you are a student.

Comments are closed.