doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Project Guns thrill of victory- agony of defeat

Another thread about values breached the subject of project guns, the lure and reality. I have undertaken specific fixer-uppers due to the fact I couldn't find or afford the specific Model. I did this recently with a Remington Model 3200 "Live Bird" Competition gun. All was good except the forend wood was a different color than the butt stock. Lots of work stripping the Kryptonite plastic finish! I feel pretty good about what I'm in $ and the results of the work.
Other projects......not as cool, some still in limbo.....

Mike

I have owned several Remington 3200's. At that time there were a lot of factory parts available - small parts, barrels, wood, etc. Forends were thin and they would commonly crack. Replacements were easily found so they were often just replaced. Cracked forends could be mended with epoxy and a bit of fiberglass tape inside the forend channel.

I have been thinking about a Remington Model 32 'project gun' - meaning I buy it fairly reasonable and shoot the hell out of it.

Pat Laib ended up with all small parts for the 3200. One of my lifelong hunting buddy's still shoots his grandddad's 32 which has the 4 barrel set by Simmons. Gil

A very controversial subject. Some people have the innate ability to properly repair things, and some simply never will. The proof is seen in millions of guns with buggered screw slots and gray epoxy stock repairs. Tools can be bought and techniques can be taught, but I believe real skill is more of a genetic trait. A few days ago, I clicked on a link Ted posted to Dewey Vicknair's blog. While perusing his projects and reading his thoughts on two-year trade school graduates who call themselves gunsmiths, he stated that a proper repair on a gun should be virtually undetectable. He also noted correctly that far too many firearm restorations are not restorations at all, but actually nothing more than refinishing with incorrect materials and methods. Far too many so-called professionals do not even come close to that standard. And while there are some highly skilled amateurs, there are many more who do not know their own limitations.

Then there are the guys who buy a gun with known issues at a somewhat reasonable price. They then promptly ship it out to a high priced gunsmith to make it right. After waiting a year or so to get it back, we see them posting pictures here, and making excuses why they don't care if they are severely upside down, and will never recover their costs. Brilliant!

I'm in the middle of a project gun. Some of you may remember a post a couple of years ago about a Rigby 16 gauge sidelock w/sidelever that I bought at a very low price. The gun had been sleeved and a stock extension added, but never completed finished. I'm about half way through the restoration now. The gun has been put back on face and the sear on the left lock fixed and I had Briley put in some thin wall chokes. So I've spent about $1200 so far and when I have some more excess money, I will have the stock extension finished and the stock cleaned up and the barrels re-blacked. When done it should look pretty good and it already shoots well.

I doubt I'll get the money I spend on back, but I don't expect to ever sell the gun. I never thought I would be able to afford a Rigby shotgun with the rising bite action, much less one with a sidelever.

I made a 16 gauge set of barrels for one of my 3200s

why?

One of the wags, right here says you make your money on a gun when you buy it.

I’ve had a few project guns, and, a universal truth, is, I lost my shorts on almost all of them. They did keep me out of the pool hall, and the education was worth something, but, the more expensive the project gun was, the more I lost.

I have two I feel I won on, a Nitro Special in 16 gauge that was listed on an internet sight for $250, minimum bid. I bid $257, after coming home from a pool hall, and the next day, I was the only bid. The barrel exterior was covered in furry rust. The balance of the gun, varnish, wood, case colors was no less than 99%. Our own Ken61 (haven’t seen him for a few years, hope he is OK) blued the tubes for the princely sum of $50.

The gun is gorgeous. 26” tubes that everybody hates, Cyl and Mod chokes that are worthless, 1938 vintage with factory 2 3/4” chambers, and the original butt plate. I pretend to hunt grouse with it, with heavy metal ammunition at a Federal WMA that requires non toxic shot.

I know I can get $300+ for it, so, I won.

The other is a Mossberg 500 pump, that was given to me. It was broken (guy originally asked for a hacksaw to cut it up, then just gave it to me) and I repaired it, and epoxied the broken buttstock, a laid a spectacular coat of black automotive chip guard paint on the repaired wood. It gets used for duck hunting in Canada every year for two weeks, and then I clean it, and put it away. I know I can get at least $50 for it, so, again, I’m up.

Best,
Ted

Because, he can.

Best,
Ted

That adage hold true on projects guns as well. I love projects but you have to be ruthless about the acquisition cost and you have to cost out everything before you buy and decide if that’s the road you want to go down. I lost money on a couple that went down the road. The rest I’m likely above water if I was to sell. But selling them is never why I do them. All hobbies cost something. You want to blow through cash with no return…..buy a 30’ plus boat.