Botch Jobs

Gunsmiths get to see lots of really botched jobs slither through their shops. This is work that looks easy to a hobbyist or novice parts-changer, but they get in over their heads fast. Someone who has just finished reading one of Jerry Kuhnhausen’s fine gunsmithing books, but has had little or no hands-on instruction, can get into real trouble faster than a bunch of teenagers on a Saturday night. Tackling a restoration job on a vintage Colt without the knowledge of how to accomplish the task, can suck you in deeper than the Titanic and make you wish you were in that icy grave.

A couple of months ago I received an 1889 first generation Colt single action from a man who wanted it restored to as original condition as possible. The condition of this fine old revolver was shocking; not because it was typically pitted and honestly worn, but because someone had tried to remove the pitting and scratches with an electric belt sander. This fine old gun looked like it had been through its own little Desert Storm hell and had lost the battle. The person who committed this evil deed had used an 80 grit belt, which removes metal at a rate equal to the speed of an illegal Mexican running from the Texas Border Patrol.

Using my very worst judgment, I decided to take on the job. Each part will have to be block sanded by hand, which will remove any lettering still in place, and the metal finished to about an 800 grit. The lettering will be replaced, color case hardening redone and the charcoal blue restored. Of course, all the internal parts will be replaced and tolerances tightened so this historical piece can once again take its place in US history. The cost to the customer for this project will be over $2,000.

There's more from Alex Hamilton in the Nov/Dec issue...

• Botch Two
• Do It

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