or mill can be very useful for some jobs, you have to ask yourself a few hard questions. “How will I pay for this?” “How many jobs will I have to do to cover the cost?” and “How long will it take?” Even a professional may not invest in such equipment, if he (or she, let's not be snobby about this) cannot recover the cost in a reasonable time. Many gunsmiths send their own guns to other gunsmiths for work. You should not be bashful about doing the same. For all the years I was a professional gunsmith, I never considered welding. I had a couple of good welders nearby who not only knew guns but took directions well (an important consideration) and I didn't have the time to learn. And after all, the point is to fix your guns, not to learn how to become a lathe operator for the few times a year you might need the use of a lathe.
If you invest in a full parts cabinet, you can not only store all of your tools in one place, but you can lock the cabinet.
You will need some place to store all this gear, and a place to do your work. Even a simple disassembly and cleaning can create family strains if done on the kitchen table. Imagine the hell to pay trying to refinish a stock, or install some sling swivels! The best solution is a spare room in your house, or if you have a large and dry basement, down there. Set up your bench in a corner that is not obstructed with pipes, and has power outlets nearby. A spare room used as a gunsmithing room should have its own lock on the door. If you use a corner of the basement or garage, consider storage cabinets to get everything out of sight. If at all possible, use the basement instead of the garage. Garages are open to public view each time you enter or exit with your car. Cars bring water and dirt in with them. If you have extra tools, they are handy to force open your cabinets. Wherever you set up your shop, the guns themselves should be locked up. Even before the wave of litigation about proper storage, it was prudent to keep your guns locked up. Now, you may even have insurance requirements mandating it. A good safe will cost as much as a good gun, but will do what one more gun can't Protect the other ones. A good safe is going to be the size and weight of your workbench, and should be just as portable. That is, not at all portable. Buy a good safe, but don't worry about getting a fireproof one. A friend of mine had his house burn down, and his gun safes ended up sitting in the coals while the firemen hosed the smoldering embers. The guns were steamed but fine. One more strike against the garage: a safe in a garage sticks out like a sore thumb. It is obvious to anyone who sees it. Set up in the basement or a spare room!
For some jobs, nothing but a bench grinder will do. But it is noisy and messy. Best to use it only in a dedicated room, or banish it out to the garage.
One thing many professionals have that you won't need is a bullet trap. Used for test-firing, even this one with an exhaust pump and filter is messy. Be patient and schedule range trips for your test-firing.
If you'll look closely at the face of this bullet trap, you'll see the results of a four-shot burst from a malfunctioning .45 ACP. Messy and exciting!
Some things you can do with a hand-held variable speed drill. But there are many things you cannot, and for those jobs you need a drill press.
Between the dust from a bench grinder, belt-sander and bullet trap, this computer monitor has gotten so grubby it needs more than some light dusting. This is proof of the need for a dedicated space if you do more than just disassembly and cleaning.
A hand-held grinder can be very useful. When you buy grinding and polishing wheels for it, buy a bunch. If you break or lose your one-and-only, you'll have to wait until its replacement shows up.
For most everything you'll do, a bench-top drill press is enough. Make sure there is enough space between baseplate and quill to fit your fixtures.
Fixtures make jobs go faster and easier. This Williams scope mount drilling jig is just the ticket if you're going to drill and tap several shotguns. If you only plan one, it will be easy but expensive.
Taps require handles. Without the handle, you can't turn the tap with enough force to cut metal.
Do you really need the extra cost of a floor-mount drill press? Next to this one is a buffer & wire wheel. It is almost as messy as a bench grinder.
Soldering requires heat. Light jobs can be done with a propane torch, bigger ones require an acetylene torch. (Not to be confused with an oxy-acetylene welding torch.) Any time you are applying heat, keep a fire extinguisher on hand.
With a safe in your work room, bolt it to the floor or walls, and add weight to it. In addition to the bolts, a couple hundred pounds of lead shot ensures the immovability of your safe. And you do have to store your shot for reloading someplace, right?
The Learning Curve
The way to learn is to do. But “doing” for the first time on an expensive shotgun, or a family heirloom, can be a nerve-wracking experience. Rather than subject yourself to the tension, get a practice gun. Hike off to a gun show (assuming the powers that be in Washington let us do such things in the future) and walk the aisles. While an exact duplicate of your shotgun would be great, it doesn't have to be the same gun unless you are working on something type-specific. Don't worry about condition and features, because you will be using the new-old gun as your practice canvas.
If the paperwork is too onerous, or you just don't want to buy another shotgun, then pick up some parts. A stock and barrel will work as the bare minimum.
With your practice gun or parts on hand, you can work away to your heart's content, safe in the knowledge that whatever happens can't hurt your Dad's shotgun handed down to you.
With your own workspace, you don't have to worry about spilling oil and solvents on the kitchen table. A bench at the correct height makes the work less tiring. (The .458 in the corner is in case of marauding bears in the suburbs. The fact that there aren't any is proof of its effectiveness.)
