http://echolsrifles.blogspot.c...15/06/snake-bit.html

I push those suckers out with my grease press. Push out at least 1/2 dozen a year. Don't even have to take the barrel off. In a year or so, I will probably have done enough to have the fool-tool paid for. LOL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fVJP7oYAjc

A great idea !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If Mr. Echols ever decides to give up the gun business (heaven forbid) he can take up writing for a living.

Another reason to recommend a dewey rod

quote:

Originally posted by speerchucker30x378:
I push those suckers out with my grease press. Push out at least 1/2 dozen a year. Don't even have to take the barrel off. In a year or so, I will probably have done enough to have the fool-tool paid for. LOL

Speerchucker30x378,
That is an awesome set-up. It reminds me of the pilot bushing remover that I used in my hot-rodding days: when doing a clutch job the bronze pilot bushing would often be stuck in the crankshaft and the standard "impact" type pullers would fail. I had a unit that would screw into the hole in the bushing and had a grease fitting on the back. A few pumps from a grease gun and the busking would "walk" right out. That really taught me the magic of hydraulic force.

http://static.summitracing.com.../large/LIL-55600.jpg

I do see how your set-up works for stuck bullets but I have a question: with a stuck bore snake how do you keep the grease from shooting past the snake?

quote:

Another reason to recommend a dewey rod

I second that.

The bore snake idea, or the old US military tong cleaning system is asking for disaster.

quote:

Originally posted by JBrown:

I do see how your set-up works for stuck bullets but I have a question: with a stuck bore snake how do you keep the grease from shooting past the snake?

Very simple. Same way I pressed out the bullet and sticks in the video. Turn a lead slug on the lathe about .010 inch over groove diameter and drive it into the barrel with a nylon hammer and punch and use that as a piston to push out everything the grease sneaks around.

What's wrong with shooters in Canada? I've been in business here in NM for over ten years, and based on my log book have had over 5,000 firearms through my shop. In that time I've had one rifle, a muzzleloader, and two revolvers with bore obstructions, all bullets. I could never justify the time and expense of building a grease pump bore obstruction remover at that rate. What is so different with Canadian shooters in that they, according to Speerchucker, seem to often get bullets and bore snakes jammed in their rifles? It seems this problem could almost be called an epidemic!

.
Yeah it's strange how different areas generate different sorts of work and problems. I have just over 1000 guns through my shop for repairs every year. All of it is walk in traffic, I do no mail in work. I know for a fact that 200 per year are for brakes. About 30 to 50 are for new barrels. About 50 recoil pads. I see about 10 handguns per year. I think last year I booked in 3 AR15s, a couple dozen SKS,s and maybe a half dozen other paramilitary guns. 60% is high powered hunting rifles, 10% shot guns, 10% 22RF rifles and the rest is a menagerie of stuff. Almost 70% is bolt action operation. The most common calibers are 270, 30-06, 300 and 338 Winchester

I have gotten to know a lot of the other shop owners across Canada during my time doing warranty work and when I talk to guys across the country it surprises me how different the work is. Back east, 40% of the stuff they see is pumps, autos and rack and pinion stuff. According to the guys I talk to the most common cartridges in the east are 30-30, 30-06 and 303.

In Toronto and Quebec I know guys that actually make 60% of their income on handguns alone. I don't make enough money on handguns to even pay for the coffee I drink at work. Muzzle loading is also pretty big back east. On the other side of the coin, I can't recall booking in more than one or two in the last 5 years. When I tell guys back east that I install 200 brakes a year they give me the bovine stare and ask me: "why anyone would need a brake on a 30-30 or a 303?"

As far as people getting stuff stuck in barrels. That's always been a problem out here. No powder in handloads, bore snakes, stuck cases from rusted chambers, stuck cases from improper sizing, bores plugged solid with leaf cutter bee nests from the gun being stored in an outdoor shop or garage and of course there is the old (my kid filled it with whatever he could jam down the barrel trick).

southern CAlifornia has no gunsmiths to speak of. These nut jobs are all AR tinker toy builders

Guys want to use dies to thread barrels, taps from Home depot to install scopes.

most couldn't find the on switch for a lathe or a mill

quote:

kcstott

I notice that the area plays a big part on the amount and what type of equipment gunsmiths have too kcstott.

You walk into a shop out west, especially in Alberta and Saskatchewan and a lot of guys have a whole shop full of medium/heavy equipment. Mostly lathes 40 inch and over and mills around the 50 to 60 inch.

As you get back into eastern Canada the number of machines and the size begins decreasing until you get to about Quebec where everyone is still using the rinkydink old Southbend and Boxford bench lathes. If they have a mill, it's usually a very small 20 to 30 inch column machine.

I notice that most easterners are still using HSS steel for both lathe and mill and a few bits of cemented carbide for the lathe. Out west just about everyone is using 100% carbide inserts for their lathes and both inserts and homogenous carbide for their mills. A few of us old timers are still using HSS for low speed threading but even they are dieing off.

Although I'm not licensed I'd have to say I have the best equipped shop for gunsmithing in Southern California. All big stuff to

The lack of gunsmiths around here I believe is due to two things, Few people are willing to spend the money on a smith, (i.e. buy a gun and use it as is) or the people with money ship them out as that's their only option.
not to mention our screwed up regulations here. and the state dipping their hands in your pocket anytime they can.
The one shop that I know of and trust Is Duncan's in San Diego Very experienced smiths in there with a four month back log of work.

quote:

Originally posted by Duane Wiebe (CG&R):
[QUOTE]

Running the math, you must be installing recoil pads , posting on AR at the same time while writing up repair orders

Actually Duane, my shop hours are advertised as 9:00 - 4:00 seven days per week with 2 days off every long weekend. My actual hours are roughly 8:00 - 5:00 seven days per week and some times I actually do take 2 days off per month. My backlog is usually no more than 4 days except on barrel jobs where I say 2 weeks so that I can work my regular work in at the same time.

This is actually sort of a semi retirement project for me so I have slowed down a lot from the old days. So far today, I finally got around to putting a Z axis power feed on the mill, pulled one stuck case out of an SKS and I just got done prepping a Sako for a recoil pad when I suffered total caffeine failure and had to stop for a coffee. I'm a busy sort of fool. But I play on the putor for 5 minutes every time I stop for coffee. I drink far to much coffee.

As far as putting a Z power feed on a knee mill. That my friend is one REAL PAIN IN THE ASS. I have all the taps and drills for the metric bolts. Reading the Cantonese instructions with the hand drawn pictures, that's hard ! ! ! !