I picked up a sporterized enfield 17 the other day. I originally picked it because I wanted the straightened bottom metal for a 458 Lott my buddy is building.

It had a remington take off 300 win mag barrel and one piece weaver mount on it. It also had a tag that read "mauser 98 $300". It was definitely the weirdest mauser I had ever seen.

The metal work on the action was actually pretty decent, the military ears had been milled off and a longer straight, swept back bolt had been welded on. There was no "duck pond" on the rear of the receiver and the bottom metal was well done.

It wasn't until I got it home and took it all apart I saw it was a eddystone.

The real surprise came when I unscrewed the barrel. First there was a small machine screw in the bottom of the action/barrel, like a set screw. After taking that out I unscrewed the barrel to find what appeared to be a copious amount of "pipe dope". Closer inspection showed that the remington barrel wasn't even rethreaded. It didn't even have acme threads, they just ground a relief for the extractor and screwed it in. I quess the set screw was what they were depending on to keep headspace.

I'm glad I didn't shoot it first!!

Another example is a winchester 70 in 300 win mag that a customer brought in because the scope base blew off when he shot it. Somebody had drilled and tapped the front base screw all the way thru into the chamber.

Some people shouldn't work on guns.

It just amazes me what I find out there.

What, you dont like your barrels secured into place with pipe dope?



Ay, yi, yi..

What a hack, I use teflon tape on mine!!

I contend that a "gunsmith" is first and foremost a machinist/craftsman, then specialized into the full range of skills involved with firearms. If he'd shade-tree a five-stage freon compressor the same would happen if you give him a gun.

Craftsmen are worth their salt, including those in the "professions". A good bone surgeon will tell you he's a body man who fits people parts.

Somewhere in the take off barrel bins I have a 30 cal. barrel from a 98 action.

Chamber area was drilled out with a good size drill.

Then it appears a chamber section from a 308 chambered barrel was turned down and soft soldered into the drilled hole.

Guess I will have to dig the barrel out of the bin and take a milling cut on it, I always wanted to know exactly what was done.

And I have a 98 action in the junk box. Some ingenious guy without a barrel vise and action wrench cut the barrel off short, then hacksawed a slot down though the barrel threads and the C-Ring so he could get the barrel out.

Ahhh, where do these bloks come from?

I think one of them is my older STEP brother. never enough time to do anything right. But just enough time to do it half arsed. Every time he's over here I'm yelling a screaming at him to home and F his stuff up there. Why come to a shop with decent tools if you're not going to use them. It's like keeping after a child

obviously the guy was a hack, first off you have to use the thread for gas pipe, I think it's the yellow covered roll not the white and blue. then you use a longer screw for the base and make that the set screw for the barrel as well, much cleaner.