The Gunsmith Thread

In my limited experience, these class pistols are not a big seller among about-to-commission cadets and midshipmen. It does seem that class rings are still an important take-away from the SA experience, however. Many of them get a "dress" ring (to wear once in a while) and a more subdued "combat" ring. The latter isn't as expensive and isn't as easy to damage (no stone or precious metal).
Those "combat" rings and "dress" rings...they seem to be everywhere EXCEPT at USAFA.

I never even heard of that until my "sorta kinda-like a daughter" went to USNA. She (2016) showed me both of hers...and then her sister (USMMA 2018) showed me both of hers.

Steve
 
I cleaned a rusty shotgun yesterday. When I removed the trigger group, I dumped out a whole heap of dead cockroaches.
I wish that I could say that was the first time I ever found dead cockroaches in a gun, but it was not.
 
I'm starting my first Form 1 suppressor build, and have a question for anyone who has built one. I just can't find an answer anywhere online...

What is an allowable tolerance between ID of the tube and OD of the baffles? I would assume it is necessary to have a smaller diameter baffle than the tube so the baffles actually fit in the tube. I would also assume that having too small a baffle could create all sorts of havoc because of alignment issues, a baffle strike being the least of them.

Currently, I am looking at purchasing a D cell tube with a 1.360" ID. A baffle I am looking at is 1.340" OD. A .02" difference seems pretty loose to me, but I am only guessing. Maybe it is perfectly acceptable.

I am not a machinist, so I am at the mercy of what is available on the market.
 
I use ultrasound tanks for deep cleaning all the time. Water-based cleaners are great, because they are biodegradable and cost-effective. As for corrosion protection, it's all about applying oil, grease, and a rust-inhibitive coating after everything is clean.

Now, leaving a thin film of cosmoline on the exterior steel surfaces of an M4 rifle isn't a bad thing though, say in a humid environment. Take that M4 to some sandbox like the Middle East though, and you don't want something waxy like cosmoline on the thing. The sand in that part of the World is like flour.
 
Cosmoline...well heck, I thought the tried-and-true WWII method worked best: dunk them in a tank of gasoline.

Eats that stuff right up!
 
Here is one that I don't think I can save, but I'm trying.

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It is rusted in the locked-open position. I put it in the ultrasonic cleaner for 24 hours and now it is completely submersed in water-displacing oil. I am going to leave it there for a few days to see if it helps.

After 24 hours in the US cleaner, I beat it with a rubber mallet as hard as I could, and the slide didn't move a millimeter.
 
So this happened... Crimson Trace LG305 laser sight for my S&W 442 pocket carry. This pretty much just sat in my Mika holster every day for the past 7 years. The button literally ripped off the grip. I hope to get some luck with CT tomorrow. The shame is, the laser works perfectly fine when I hold that button in place. It's almost $300 for a new one. I do like a laser on this revolver. It isn't the easiest thing to aim, and I feel a laser is a deterrent in itself if I ever needed to use it. I'd rather have a bad guy run away after seeing a laser on his chest than pulling the trigger. But it is a good reminder. Anything can fail. Be prepared for it.

In my experience, Crimson Trace stands behind their products, even after the 3-year warranty is up. For $329.99, they ought to. ;)

Please report back as to what they say. I for one am interested.
@THParent...

I just received a response from Crimson Trace tonight. I emailed them October 7...

Dear XXX XXXXX,

I apologize for the extreme delay in response. This is not the service we strive for but we have been swamped with all that is going on. Unfortunately we don't do any repairs outside of the 3 year warranty. What we offer, is we can sell you a new unit for a 50% discount off the retail price. Please contact us at 1-800-442-2406 if you would like to place an order with the discount and have your case # CS-XXXXXXX handy.

Thank you,

XXXXX XXXXXXX
Customer Service Team


Not thrilled about this. I know it's older than the warranty, but all it did was sit in my pocket holster...
 
I agree. 50% off is better than nothing, but that still stings I will wager.
 
That gun I posted photos of earlier was a total loss. None of the parts inside were salvageable. There was a lot of galvanic action between aluminum and steel parts, so stuff just fell apart when I finally got things freed up. That's a $350 gun to begin with, so not all that big of a deal.
The slide, frame, and beavertail safety could be saved, but I would have had to bead blast and polish them inside and out and then buy all new internal parts. It would have been $700 when all was said and done. It turns out that the guy's "Ex-girlfriend" may have been somewhat upset with him and "dropped it in a bucket of water" which he found in the garage months later, after all the water had evaporated. Yes. I believe that she may have been somewhat upset with you, buddy. ;)
 
That gun I posted photos of earlier was a total loss. None of the parts inside were salvageable. There was a lot of galvanic action between aluminum and steel parts, so stuff just fell apart when I finally got things freed up. That's a $350 gun to begin with, so not all that big of a deal.
The slide, frame, and beavertail safety could be saved, but I would have had to bead blast and polish them inside and out and then buy all new internal parts. It would have been $700 when all was said and done. It turns out that the guy's "Ex-girlfriend" may have been somewhat upset with him and "dropped it in a bucket of water" which he found in the garage months later, after all the water had evaporated. Yes. I believe that she may have been somewhat upset with you, buddy. ;)
At least she didn’t shoot him with it.
 
1. Find a buyer for Colt.
2. Czech!

PRAGUE, Feb 11 (Reuters) - CZG-Ceska Zbrojovka Group said on Thursday it would acquire group Colt Holding Company for $220 million and CZG shares as the Czech gunmaker expands in the larger U.S. market. CZG, whose firearms include CZ (Ceska Zbrojovka), Dan Wesson and Brno Rifles, is active already in the United States and building a factory in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Czech group said it would acquire 100% in Colt Holding, the parent of Colt’s Manufacturing Company and a Canadian subsidiary, for the cash consideration and 1.099 million pieces of newly issued CZG stock.

The combined group would have revenue of more than $500 million, CZG said. CZG shares closed up at 360 crown on Thursday, valuing the stock portion of the deal at around 395.5 million crowns ($18.65 million). There was also a potential consideration of another 1.099 million shares if EBITDA targets were met in 2021-2023, CZG said. It expected the deal for Colt, a brand with a 175-year history, which emerged from bankruptcy in 2016, to close in the second quarter. It would be financed from CZG’s cash including proceeds from a recent share offering and a potential bond issuance. “With this strategic move, CZG will acquire significant production capacity in the United States and Canada and substantially expand its global customer base,” CZG said, adding Colt was a traditional supplier to military and law enforcement, a target customer group for the Czech group. CZG closed an initial public offering in Prague in October although the deal was met with subdued demand, raising 812 million crowns, less than a fifth of its aim. CZG shares closed Thursday above an IPO price of 290 crowns. With 32.64 shares, CZG had a market capitalisation of 11.75 billion crowns ($554.09 million). The gunmaker posted record revenue of 5.0 billion crowns in the first nine months of 2020, a rise of 10% fuelled largely by sales growth in the U.S. market.
 
1. Find a buyer for Colt.
2. Czech!

PRAGUE, Feb 11 (Reuters) - CZG-Ceska Zbrojovka Group said on Thursday it would acquire group Colt Holding Company for $220 million and CZG shares as the Czech gunmaker expands in the larger U.S. market. CZG, whose firearms include CZ (Ceska Zbrojovka), Dan Wesson and Brno Rifles, is active already in the United States and building a factory in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Czech group said it would acquire 100% in Colt Holding, the parent of Colt’s Manufacturing Company and a Canadian subsidiary, for the cash consideration and 1.099 million pieces of newly issued CZG stock.

The combined group would have revenue of more than $500 million, CZG said. CZG shares closed up at 360 crown on Thursday, valuing the stock portion of the deal at around 395.5 million crowns ($18.65 million). There was also a potential consideration of another 1.099 million shares if EBITDA targets were met in 2021-2023, CZG said. It expected the deal for Colt, a brand with a 175-year history, which emerged from bankruptcy in 2016, to close in the second quarter. It would be financed from CZG’s cash including proceeds from a recent share offering and a potential bond issuance. “With this strategic move, CZG will acquire significant production capacity in the United States and Canada and substantially expand its global customer base,” CZG said, adding Colt was a traditional supplier to military and law enforcement, a target customer group for the Czech group. CZG closed an initial public offering in Prague in October although the deal was met with subdued demand, raising 812 million crowns, less than a fifth of its aim. CZG shares closed Thursday above an IPO price of 290 crowns. With 32.64 shares, CZG had a market capitalisation of 11.75 billion crowns ($554.09 million). The gunmaker posted record revenue of 5.0 billion crowns in the first nine months of 2020, a rise of 10% fuelled largely by sales growth in the U.S. market.
I wonder how this purchase of Colt by CZG will affect pricing and availability going forward. A coworker just recently purchased a CZ side by side. Nice shotgun.
 
Well, it used to be that if you roll-marked "Colt" on a gun, it went up in price by $250.
Now maybe the quality will go up (to make the price reasonable) because CZ actually knows how to make guns.
 
Wonder if you can buy shares of CZ here in the US? I see they're on the Prague stock exchange.

 
I don't know if you should if you can. CZ isn't getting a bargain there. That company (Colt) has been a bottom-feeder for a long time, in my opinion. Their customer service has been awful since the 90's. They send you to Numrich (GunPartsCorp) for parts, because they don't stock any parts. What sort of reputable gun manufacturer doesn't stock any replacement parts?

See? Curmudgeon. :biggrin:
 
Love CZ guns and customer service. First got to know them through my position as a shooting sports instructor with 4H. I hope buying Colt doesn't bring them down in quality or service!!!
 
I put a $78.00 gas tube in an AR-15 today. That's plus $30 for labor, so the guy paid $108.00 for a gas tube.
It was an extra-special gas tube for "extreme environments" made by some company named "V-Seven".

Absolute stupidity. Gas tubes are $8.00. People never cease to amaze me.
 
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