Had a guy bring in a 1911 he'd 'cleaned' with a wire wheel on a bench grinder

The slide looked like a cat scratched it and the rails were a mess, but he swore it was fine. I spent about six hours just getting it back to a point where it would cycle without binding. What's the worst 'home gunsmithing' horror story you've had to fix?

3 comments

3 Comments

paige8701mo ago

Honestly, it's the "improved" triggers that get me. Buddy brought in a rifle with a trigger job that felt like a glass rod about to snap. He'd just kept filing the sear down until it would release. I had to tell him it was basically a live grenade at that point and we needed to replace the whole fire control group. The confidence some guys have with a Dremel is truly scary.

jakewhite5d ago

My uncle's old 1911 had a trigger job so light you could sneeze it off. That's what happens when guys chase a low pull weight without understanding sear engagement or spring pressure. Like @coleman.jade said with that revolver, shiny doesn't mean safe or right. The real scary part is they'll defend their hack work online, giving other newbies the confidence to ruin a perfectly good gun.

coleman.jade1mo ago

Just saw a revolver where someone "polished" the cylinder with sandpaper. Looked like they tried to buff out scratches with gravel. Had to explain that shiny doesn't mean smooth, and timing was totally shot. Some people treat their tools better than their guns.