Do you do your own gun smithing Poll?

[Yondering]

I’ve reached a point now where I need to just buy a lathe and be done with it.

Once you have one (or three) and learn how to use it you wonder why you ever went so long without it. Of course a lathe is only part of the kit, you'll want a mill, grinder, welder, etc too.

I don't worry about all that schtuff tho; mostly i just run a drill bit down the barrel so it'll shoot bigger calibers too. 

[Bill W]

I’ve reached a point now where I need to just buy a lathe and be done with it.

Once you have one (or three) and learn how to use it you wonder why you ever went so long without it. Of course a lathe is only part of the kit, you'll want a mill, grinder, welder, etc too.

I don't worry about all that schtuff tho; mostly i just run a drill bit down the barrel so it'll shoot bigger calibers too. 

I bought two barreled actions off of someone who thought like that.   He assured me there was no damage to the throat... but when I got in there and checked I found the throat was boogered up by a drill bit.  He wanted to get the barrel throated so a heavy bullet would be seated further out.  Other one had the throat shot out for a couple of inches and badly galled locking lugs.

[BigGoonTuna]

i do a bit of my own work due to my own cheapness and not wanting to deal with long lead times.  i'd never trust some place like cabelas or sportsman's to ever mount another one of my scopes again.

buying a savage 99 really sent me off the deep end.  it's a later model(post million s/n) rifle that's factory drilled and tapped for scope bases.  unfortunately, no scope bases i tried on it lined up worth a damn.  the standard weaver bases that were on it had the rear base canted forward, i noticed it by the scope the gun came with having a dented tube.  tried 3 other sets of weavers with no luck.  solution was to buy a leupold base, which i had to bed the rear to get to sit straight, but i think one piece scope bases are ugly as sin(AND i could not mount any modern scope on it with the super low rings it needed to get a good cheek weld since the erector box would hit the mount).  eventually i found a rare redfield 2-piece dovetail base, but had to lap the rings in still to get them to hold the scope properly.  i don't even want to think about the money i shelled out on mounts, rings and tools just to put a scope on that little rifle correctly.  i am happy with the end result, though.

[Bill W]

i do a bit of my own work due to my own cheapness and not wanting to deal with long lead times.  i'd never trust some place like cabelas or sportsman's to ever mount another one of my scopes again.

buying a savage 99 really sent me off the deep end.  it's a later model(post million s/n) rifle that's factory drilled and tapped for scope bases.  unfortunately, no scope bases i tried on it lined up worth a damn.  the standard weaver bases that were on it had the rear base canted forward, i noticed it by the scope the gun came with having a dented tube.  tried 3 other sets of weavers with no luck.  solution was to buy a leupold base, which i had to bed the rear to get to sit straight, but i think one piece scope bases are ugly as sin(AND i could not mount any modern scope on it with the super low rings it needed to get a good cheek weld since the erector box would hit the mount).  eventually i found a rare redfield 2-piece dovetail base, but had to lap the rings in still to get them to hold the scope properly.  i don't even want to think about the money i shelled out on mounts, rings and tools just to put a scope on that little rifle correctly.  i am happy with the end result, though.

The Savage 99 takes a special rear base that takes into account the slope on the rear of the 99 action.  I've only seen Weaver rear bases for the 99.

[Magnum_Willys]

Bedding, firelapping, lap scope rings, nothing major. 

[slm9s]

I think there are stages that most rifle looney's go through.  Some are more daunting than others, but all can be screwed up - especially if its your first time...

Mount/change a scope and zero it

Change rings

Change bases

Change a stock or bottom metal

Change a trigger

Hog out a stock for a thick recoil lug

Change a barrel

Bed a barreled action

And don't get me started on beginning reloading, or the Savage phase!

[Blacktail Sniper]

Let's see, what I am willing to admit to...

Mount bases, rings & scopes.

Refinish old rifle stocks.

Drill and install sling swivel studs.

Shorten, square and recrown two rifle barrels and one shotgun.

Shorten length of pull on a rifle.

Adjust rifle triggers pull weight, creep and play.

Disassembled and rebuilt a non-working S&W .357 that worked when I was done.

Glass-bedded rifles.

Assembled two AR's that actually functioned and fired.

Modified a hammer on a.45 ACP, by cutting down and polishing, that pinched skin when the gun was fired.

Installed an adjustable cheek rest on a rifle.

Inlet a Remington ADL stock to take BDL floor plate & trigger guard.

[solomtnhunter]

I'll do pretty much anything up to cutting barrels and recrowning.  But i don't trust myself to tap-n-drill mounting bracket holes on my older rifles.  Would rather just pay $20 per hole for gunsmith to do it right.

[Tracker0721]

I do it all but I’m also going to school in June so I can be a full time Smith.