c/gunsmiths

Just saw a customer try to use a drill bit for a screw extractor on a broken firing pin

They were really going at it, which just makes the hole bigger and wrecks the threads (if there are any left, you know?). I learned that the hard way on a 1911 slide about ten years ago, and it took me a full day to fix. What's the best way you've found to get a snapped pin out without making a bigger mess?

My attempt at custom engraving went HILARIOUSLY wrong, but now I can fix scratches like a PRO.

Breaking from the 9 to 5 mold helped my gunsmith shop do better

I hear a lot of gunsmiths say you need set hours to run a good shop, but I found the opposite after I let my team pick their own times. We keep a short window open for customers, from 10 am to 2 pm, but my workers come in when they feel most awake and ready. My main stock fitter, for instance, starts at 7 am and leaves by 3 pm, and his work has less errors since the change. I once believed a tight schedule meant we were all on the same page, but it just made people tired and rushed. Now, jobs get done faster, and my crew is happier because they balance home life easier. Sure, it took a few weeks to get used to, but with simple check-ins and respect, we make it work. I would not go back to forcing everyone into the same old clock in and out routine.

My boss pushes for antique restorations, but I lean toward modern custom jobs. Which side holds more future?

One view says old-school fixes build a loyal base over time. The counter is that new mods attract younger buyers with deeper pockets.

Sorting through decades of gun blueing kits in the attic

I was cleaning out my attic last weekend and found a box of old cold blueing kits from the 80s. Back then, we used those kits all the time for touch-ups on customer guns. Nowadays, most shops have hot tanks or send out for professional finishes. This find had me recall how much simpler some jobs were, but also how much better the results are now. Still, keeping a cold blue pen around isn't a bad idea for quick fixes.

Redoing my gun cabinet showed me the value of magnetic strips.

They hold small parts in place without clutter.

Ditching my magnetic trays for a muffin tin saved my sanity during cleanups

I used to lose small parts all the time when cleaning multiple firearms. Now I drop each gun's pieces into separate muffin cups, and nothing gets mixed up. Why do so many smiths stick with expensive organizers when kitchen stuff works better?