Reeder Custom Guns - You might find this humorous...

It's well known I'm NOT a Gunsmith. Technically you have to be licensed to do retail business as such with log books, tax ID, safes, and more. Much less have some legitimate skill. However I do "fix guns", mainly because I break them. Over the years I have done fair at it, and I'm always a sucker for an old homeless dog of a piece. Muzzle loaders with bullets stuck, rifles snapped in half by ATV accidents, shotguns with barrels blown like on cartoons etc. It's lots of fun and not totally unprofitable.

Finally got in my back up "Oops" package of parts. ($20) The HBAR is once more functional.
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My small reputation catches up on occasion. Approached by a young man with a small new family, he had a bag with several AR pieces. He implored that he used to have two functioning arms and a "friend" had worked on them but to no avail. An easy sounding challenge. I told him I'd fix it for just the cost of parts. I had a bit of pity, youth being what it is, or once was.

In 15 minutes I used the resources to assemble and test one carbine and one top unit. Delivered the next day the young man was delighted! I insisted no charge, happy to help really. The other "lower" needed a few things and I promised about a week for ordering parts. When they arrived I was shorted a couple important pieces. Against my personal policy I robbed parts off one of my guns and fixed the boy up. Again he was very appreciative. A few days later I was "gifted" a self made cedar bench by the young man as a symbol of his gratitude. A man can't turn something like that down, can he?

I told Roman I got a new "Benchmade". Upon seeing it he did not act as excited. LOL
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It was a pleasure to help the boy and a blessing to see his gratitude. I will certainly treasure the piece and no doubt it will last the rest of my lifetime. Perhaps the little story is amusing. (I only hope he didn't swipe it off Granny's porch! lol)

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"When it comes to gunsmithing, stick to horse shoeing."

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back where it goes or figuring out what's not there and replacement, it is quite another kettle of fish. However, to the layperson that knows no better, it may be sometimes most welcome. Like a CPA telling me "it's gonna be OK".

To me gunsmithing is taking something and making something different. Something requiring skillful fabrication or attention to function or become enhanced. I miss the days of seing a fellow with pipe and a kind smile in a work shirt. Smells of "Captain Black", Vitalis and Tap Magic, mixed with Old Spice. Those men and times are now only a memory.

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more "work" they did on a gun, the worse off it is. We have several of them here in Flag and they sure screw up a lot of guns. Some are beyond help. That is why I really dislike those "gunsmiths".

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There are many parts critical to the safety of the gun and firing that I worry some people don't understand. Mishandled they could even do damage. The shorter the gas system the more complicated things get as do maintenance needs. Typically the buffer system is also abbreviated way outside the original engineering scope.

Think about the gas system. The closer the gas port is to the chamber, pressures are a bunch higher. Also the residence time in the barrel behind the bullet can be an operational factor. All these "pistol" systems freak me out a bit. Some probably think "engineers" have figured all these things out and everything is totally safe. I'm less sure and have a policy of "you first". One friend had an AR that kept blowing bolt piston rings. Not a typical malady. I found he was shooting full power ammo with a suppressor. It was blowing gas back in his face. Still not an unreasonable ask of the platform, save the gas facial. We sourced a helical ring replacing the multi-ring system with rotating gaps. It's still running, safely.

Be a little wary at the range. AR types with long coats and gloves with no fingers, dark fancy Terminator glasses and such. Lots of pre-firing fiddling ect. LOL Might scoot a bench or two over.

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But very heartwarming indeed!

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A good friend of mine passed away years ago. His wife wanted me to sell his small gun collection to help with bills. I bought most of them myself and helped her sell the others. I’ll keep a few but ave others for his son one day.

Anyway. One was a flattop stainless 44 special. I purchased one of your Christmas sale round but gripframes for him as a gift. He later admitted to and showed me he had no idea what he was doing! It is all in a ziplock. Still there. I need to send it to you Gary for assembly. He also had a bisley hammer and trigger he wanted installed. All in a sack!

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A bargain with my gunsmith. "Don't ask me how I did that." In later years it has been I'll do the writing and you do gunsmithing and we won't cross over into each other's area.

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I work full time and help folks out with stuff like that or giving them stuff I have an abundance of when in need. I’ve come home from work and someone dropped off a jar of shine on my front porch. Don’t even know who it was.

That’s how my Ouachita hillbilly neighbors are.

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Have done a lot of "help a fella out" work as need be. Kudos for helping where you can.

You might find this humorous...

John Linebaugh once told me ...

LOL, sage advice! Gunsmithing is one thing, poking a spring

home brewers send a bit of money our way, the

With all the AR's out there, they can be dangerous.

Neither humorous nor amusing

I have a ruger flattop stainless in a bag!

I've sent several things to GNR with hat in hand

no big deal. Send it on.

In the past I had

That’s good WB

I wrench on guns occasionally.

That is a really neat bench.