Requests that Surprised Mrs. Gunsmith

The Gunsmith gets all sorts of requests for firearm modification and repair, some surprise even him. Rarely, probably due to my lack of knowledge, do they surprise me. The appointments that do are stories worth sharing.

The gun that came in with 15 bullets stuck in the barrel was a doozy. I can see 2 or 3, but somewhere around, I don’t know, 8 or 9, I might of thought something was seriously wrong. To keep going for 15 shots? Perhaps the owner is a really bad shot and accustomed to not hitting the target, I’m unsure. Luckily, our hapless gun owner had forgotten to put powder in all the self-loaded bullets, so they went “bang” but no bullet came out. The primer pushed the bullet down the barrel a short distance and stuck. Fate smiled on him, resulting in a puzzled face and a couple comments from the Gunsmith. Powder in even one of bullets 2-15 would have created a whole different outcome. An explosion, probably causing major damage to the firearm and shooter, most certainly would have been the result.

Another time, an FFL licensed customer came in with a box of decidedly unsophisticated, dirty, greasy parts. The parts were regular metal type parts and what looked to me like a big rectangle metal box, some painted that awful military green. The Gunsmith lit up with glee at this project, which he devoted night and day to for some time. A few short weeks later we had 2, semi-auto, military style machine guns, sitting in our living room. These guns sat on odd-looking 3 legged stands, made by the Gunsmith, and looked ready to mount on a tank. Imagine my angst as the gunsmith showed off his latest “projects” to select friends. I think he said they’d shoot up about $100 worth of ammo in 30 seconds, or maybe it was some number of rounds and my accountant brain translated it, I’m unsure.

The scope of the Gunsmith’s abilities amazes me. His meticulous attention to detail on guns, parts, and stocks is awe inspiring. If only it translated into tidy shop keeping. Hope you enjoyed the stories. Stay safe and healthy.