A Screw Job...

[Don Kaas]

We often see requests for screws to replace buggered ones on Parkers (and wondering why they don't fit properly) or complaints on the cost of having screw correctly made and fitted. Attached are some photos of Parker trigger guards screws for a DH being made from from scratch from bar stock by Russ Bickel and fitted, engraved, hardened and blued. A lot of work...but a job done right...

[Dean Romig]

Thanks for the enlightening pictures Don.
Is that Geoffroy's engraving?

[Don Kaas]

Yes, we use Maitre Gournet for all engraving. Russ does do the odd screw head or touch up now and then but he has not launched a career as a latter day Wm. Gough as of yet...:shock:

[Ed Blake]

How did he blue the screws? Rust, nitre, fire blue? Very nice indeed.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

The screw head engraving Russ is capable of is pretty good, he did one for me on a DHE and it looked fine.

Destry

[Don Kaas]

Russ is bluing 6 trigger guards and screws for me at the moment. One Ithaca NID 10g Mag, one 20g Pieper hammergun and 4 Parkers. I used Andy's charcoal blue method for years. After his business' meltdown, we used to batch them up and send them to Turnbull for nitre blue. It was well done and very economical but I was never happy with the electric blue tint of some of the guards. Russ does a special polish job on them and hot blues them. They come out quite nice and they look very much like what I consider the "correct" nitre blue and no one has ever questioned their "correctness"...but then most folks don't really know, do they? I guess Russ and I being Model 21 men at heart don't mind "modern techniques" when restoring 'shooters"...

[Dean Romig]

I am very eager to see the blueing job Russ did on my Titanic barreled DH. Just one and a half weeks from now. :)

[Don Kaas]

I am sure you will be pleased. We'll be there on Saturday.

[Bill Murphy]

Don, somehow I seem to miss you at some venues. Please stop by at my table at the PGCA tent or suggest another location where we can meet and say hello.

[Don Kaas]

Will do. When I stop by at a show to look for you, you are invariably holding one of your well attended seminars on "The Basics of Bottom Feeding for Advanced Accumulators" or "Proper Storage of Never to Be Restored Restoration Projects, Part II" :)

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Dean,

I talked to him the other day and he had been working on your barrels earlier. I've seen his work, you'll be plenty happy.

Murphy,

Did you at least get a pad put on my 5 frame 10 gauge hammerless magnum? That piece of crap that was on there was a sin before God.

Destry

[Kurt Densmore]

Dean,

I talked to him the other day and he had been working on your barrels earlier. I've seen his work, you'll be plenty happy.

Murphy,

Did you at least get a pad put on my 5 frame 10 gauge hammerless magnum? That piece of crap that was on there was a sin before God.

Destry

You have a 5 frame hammerless????

I will be picking up the hammer 5 frame 10 from Edgar on Saturday. He said that it has one of the nicest pieces of wood he has ever seen. If the wood turns out that nice and the bbls are certainly really nice. I may be forced into a case color job at some point. I am in need of a really good checkering artist. Checking, DHBP installation, finish up the extractor and it should be ready for an outing in the goose blind.

BTW it was good to see you last weekend. I ended up with one of Humberstone's little blue wing teal decoys. I may have to oder a few of his scaup like yours for next year.

Kurt

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Kurt,

Was a pleasure visiting with you as well, thanks for letting me hang out at your booth. Humberstone does good decoy work for the most reasonable price I'm aware of anywhere. That little rig of buffleheads he did for Jim is so nice I think I'm gonna have to order a set for myself.

Please don't case color that gun, it would break my heart. It's got honest wear, leave it that way. A nice dull oil finish on the stock, nothing too bright. Since you're gonna sell it to me one day soon I should get to pick......


Destry

[Kurt Densmore]

Kurt,

Was a pleasure visiting with you as well, thanks for letting me hang out at your booth. Humberstone does good decoy work for the most reasonable price I'm aware of anywhere. That little rig of buffleheads he did for Jim is so nice I think I'm gonna have to order a set for myself.

Please don't case color that gun, it would break my heart. It's got honest wear, leave it that way. A nice dull oil finish on the stock, nothing too bright. Since you're gonna sell it to me one day soon I should get to pick......


Destry

LOL....!!! Don't worry, I don't have the $$ for much more work on it anyway. I need to get some work done on a DH10 3 frame.

Those buffies are also nice....hard to decide which species to go with. A dozen mallards would also be nice....

Kurt

[Bill Murphy]

Destry, the little 34" Vulcan Steel ten gauge magnum is on a #6 frame. However, it may be a little much for even you to handle in the field at 13 1/2 pounds. The base of the original Silvers pad is still intact. If the screws aren't in the way, I may just have the base checkered and not install a new pad. My main hunting ten magnum has a buttplate and only weighs 9 pounds. At 13 1/2 pounds, recoil shouldn't be a problem.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Bill,
Bill,

My 8 gauge weighs more than that and I can handle it like a magic wand. Anytime you're ready on that big 10 I think I can manage to tote it around.

Kurt,
I'm already sceptical after seeing that bright finish on the butt stock.

I love Humberstones divers but I really ain't too keen on his puddle ducks. He's got an eye for the heads on the divers, that folky but also realistic style. But the shallow water birds just don't seem to shine when he does them. He's an old diver shooter from way back, I'd imagine that's why......


Destry

[jack lyons]

Wher is Russ Located , What does charge to blue barrels ?

[Dean Romig]

Russ is in the Northeast . . . New York or Pennsylvania but I don't remember which and don't have my address book with me.

I paid him $400 to rust-blue my Titanic barrels and I'm very impressed with his work. Delighted is probably a better word.

I don't know if he is still inundated with work but he was buried in work a few months ago. Don Kaas can probably answer this question or Russ himself if he comes on.

[Don Kaas]

I believe Russ is "inudated". Waterfowl (insert squirrel, turkey, grouse, deer, etc.) season is a busy time for him, not to mention pigeon shooting...he also tries to do some gunsmithing on occasion too:shock: Coming home on Saturday from MD, The Colonel inquired of when he planned to do some bluing and the answer was none planned at the moment...Seriously, I know he is working on some very high end stocking jobs right now for one of his best Perazzi clients and one Parker for a BBS contributor...then there is the matter of the 5 guns of mine he has, all little jobs but one, thankfully...:bowdown:

[Don Kaas]

:eek:Even the lowly buttplate screw sometimes requires custom fabrication to get the job done properly...

[Dean Romig]

Very interesting - threaded inserts cut to accept machine screws . . . is Russ a cabinetmaker too?

[Don Kaas]

No, but he has used the same techique on duck guns for the installation of both thick and thin pads so depending on clothing one or the other can be used. Not as easy as pads of 3 different thicknesses that pop in and out of a Benelli SBE II hollow plastic stock but useful none the less.