AR Forum Colleagues,

I purchased an LC Smith filed grade SxS 12 gauge with 30 inch barrels recently at a gun show for a super price of $200. The gun is mechanically sound and still locks very tight. The actions is in great shape and there are a very few minor pits on the barrel. Bluing is nearly gone and the gun has been reblued before, as the sideplates are blue and not case hardened. Stock has a few minor dings, the classic chip out on the bottom of the action and someone added a poorly fitting rifle pad to the butt. The bores have some minor pitting near the chokes but I think it can be polished out using the bore polishing devices available from Brownells. I plan to restore the gun back to shootable condition and will hunt with it after by refinishing the stock. I�ll probably add a Pachmayr pad, as I need the length and will have the barrels and action reblued. Any collector value, which was low to begin with, has already been destroyed. I�m experienced in the stock work but am looking for recommendations on gunsmith/bluing shops that can reblue the barrels and action. The barrels are soft soldered I believe so they will have to be rust blued. The action can be standard salt blued. Anybody have a favorite shop that they use for their bluing needs.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations
Paul

[ 07-04-2003, 03:19: Message edited by: Paul Reed ]

Hi Paul, I'm actually doing the exact same thing, as we speak. Except mine is a 20 ga, and I am having the action color case hardened. I will also send the barrels to Briley, to see if they are thick enough to put interchangeable chokes into. F/F doesn't make much of a ruffed grouse gun!

My local gun smith sent the action off to a shop in Cody, WY, and I will have to see it when it comes back. As far as top notch work, the work of Doug Turnbull is hard to beat (unlike his price, unfortunately). See link: http://www.turnbullrestoration.com/ HTH, Dutch.

Paul,

Nice olde Elsie should serve you well. There are two outifts that I can reccomend:

1.)Clyde Wright, Gunsmith good work & prices

http://www.guncrank.com/index.html

2.) Hotflash, I don't have their url handy, but I am sure you could find it.

Good Luck

A buddy of mine had a Lefever Mod E done by Buck Hamlin in Missouri. A while back Double Gun Journal had an article about him and his work. Beautiful! I've got a Fox Sterlingworth in his shop right now, should be back here by the end of the month. Buck does all phases of restoration work. He doesn't have a website but his phone is 636-479-4304.

I'll throw another name in the hat.

On the restoration side of things you may also consider: Kirk Merrington in Kerrville, Texas.

He is an "Old World", London trained gunsmith/barrel maker genre of gunsmith and a really good guy to boot.

His phone is: (830) 367-2937.

His father-in-law does the rust bluing, etc.

Good luck!!