We were playing around with this idea at work, me and some of the other gunnies there. Coffee break, you know how it is.
If you could devote 10000 hours of your life to learning how to be a first class gunsmith, what would you specialize in?
I'm not talking being able to finely assemble the parts for a 1911, frame slide barrel and guts, and make an extraordinary pistol, fine tuned and well ballanced a joy to shoot. Beyond that. You have the training and the basement shop to forge the receiver, machine the slide from a bar, and bore and rifle the barrel... THEN assemble those parts to make that extraordinary pistol. And you are familiar enough with the all the details you could make a well functioning quarter sized 1911 that shot .22 BB caps.
That's one route. Super 1911 smith. Or what 10000 hours of excellent training would yield if you had the talent and gumption.
Another is to go Colonial Williamsburg Gunsmith. Make truly fine flintlock rifles.
Another that appealed to me is to make M14s from the ground up. Total control of the parts, and producing an exceptionally accurate semi-auto rifle, lock stock and barrel.
Of course just being able to assemble and fit from parts all the necessary to make a top shelf custom 1911, alone, is a win.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
At first blush, I'm with you. The 1911 and M14 are superb weapons to specialize in. However, upon deeper reflection, I would choose to redesign and perfect the pistol caliber carbine. Not in the tacticool vein, but more in a classic wood and steel image. There's a need there that's going unfulfilled in my opinion.
Goofball guns. Drilings, Revolving Carbines, Pistol caliber carbines and Rifle caliber handguns...
Weird stuff. Fun guns.
SA CZ75s racegunned up to the level of the 1911's - a more inherently accurate design? higher bore axis defintely and no screwing with grip safeties and flat springs... OR a Glock that carries ~25-30 .25 ACP in a funky internal coffin Mag with a 90deg turn, just because. OR a semi automatic pistol with a curved slide/railway, just to go crazy and show'em it'd work, not because it's better. . .or a pepper box / duck foot with matched ammo to score multiple hits at Metallic Silhouette. . . a bolt gun where the barrel unlocks and shoves forward, the bolt stays still. . . .
I'd specialize in revolvers and lever guns... :-)
Ditto OldNFO. But he could specialize in the Colts, and I'll handle the Smiths. : )
Military small arms R&D, making sure the generations of infantrymen who followed behind me have the absolute best weapons tech and frugal tax dollars can deliver.
I'm too old and fat to run up and down hills with a SAW, so the best way I can help my "younger brothers" keep what is, after all, my oath as well as theirs, is get them the best bang for the buck.
I've a fondness for weird antiques, so I'd go the Colonial Williamsburg route.
I'd love to make a Pinkie Pie-styled flintlock musket.
No. No. No.
Old School for me. Circa 1885 damascus barreled hammerguns.
Ooooh!
John Bernard Books
Top quality Winchester lever guns 1886, 1892, 1894, etc. like they made back in the 20's and 30's.
I would make custom suppressors from scratch.
Post a Comment