Aarrgh----Gunsmithing Question

[Old and Reliable]

Originally Posted by lee r moege

I agree with Destry about the decline in the work now done in Olathe. BTW Bruce I have used J.J. Perideaux at Champlin in Enid as he is a Marcel Thys trained man and his work for me has always been first class. Besides I can drive there in 3 1/2 hours. I also had a loop come loose on an "Elsie" 20 gage and took it to Mike Allee there in Kansas City,who has done some "French Gray" for me on some custom rifles, and he resoldered it with a high strength low temp solder that didn't mess up the original (85%) blue. To top it all off, the gun had some slight looseness between the barrels and frame when in the open position but not when closed even with the forend off. When the loop was resoldered all trace of looseness is gone and it"snaps" shut characteristic of rotary top bolt guns. I think the loop was loose when I bought it but was undetectable until I shot a couple rounds of clays with it. I took the forend (beavertail) off and the loop came with it. I found also the Baker Type spring forend attatchment is more prone to this than a latch type (Deeley) or a pushrod (Anson) fastener. Have a great one!! Lee.

-- IMO- early extractor Smiths had a not 100$ secure latching system- but the Curtis system for extractor Smiths from 1914-1920 was a great design- IMO-- too bad there was a patent right lawsuit- plus the Bros. Hunter going into the $ crapper with their waterway/canal project that drained the gun works of needed capital--

[Alligator]

Agreed on the "Curtis" fastener. This little girl is a 1947 Hunter Arms Marlin in the Featherweight Deluxe Field edition according to the original order form and was ordered with a pad (Jostam), checkered beavertail forend, and the "single sighting plane" high rib. It is choked full/xfull with 28" barrels. The wood is serialed to the gun and since it's a Marlin Field, the snap on beavertail. I got it from the original owner who worked for and ordered it through W.A.L. Thompson Hardware Co. in Topeka, Kansas. I just had to have one Smith. Lee.