Refinishing Or Restoration?
Figuring out how best to improve a customer’s firearm will help you serve their needs best.
Gunsmith Magazine
Article library
Full web articles from the American Gunsmith archive, organized for search and connected back to their original issue pages.
AR-15 Chamber Selection, Part One
If you want to start a good fight, get a barrel maker using button rifling in the same room as another manufacturer employing cut rifling. Perhaps the second bloodiest brew-ha would be to ask two armorers which is the best AR-15 chamber.…
Reader Forum
Mossberg 500 I recently purchased a Mossberg 500 .410 pump-action shotgun with 24 inch barrel. Soon after, I began experiencing some ejection problems. The shotgun will chamber and extract, however, the it does not always eject a shotshell or spent hull. Can…
Old Technology, Stale Designs, Part One
An editorial by Paul Mazan. I am getting tired of gun magazines crammed full of stories about AR-15s, 1911s, Glocks and Glock look-alikes. The American firearms industry used to be known for innovation. Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the case for decades now.…
Precision Barrel Fitting, Part Three
Why squaring the receiver face is mandatory before joining it to a barrel.
Building The 90 Grain AR-15, Part Three
All of my 90 grain AR-15 loading data was developed in Wylde chambers, being a good compromise chamber when shooting both 77s at the 200 and 300 yard lines and 90s for 600 and 1000 yard lines. I used new military Western…
Reshaping Too Large Cheek Pieces
How to create a better looking rifle stock, whether it is a two piece or standard.
Assessing Barrel Wear, Part One
While more like reading tea leaves than hard science, there are clues in determining barrel wear.
Shop-Made Mini-14 Gas Block Wrench
Working on the Ruger Mini-14 gas block should not be part of routine maintenance, however, when that time comes you need a plan, and perhaps a special tool, to make the job go smoothly.
Reader Forum
Remington Repair I have a Remington 700 with a plastic tip and some marks on it. I called Remington and they said it couldn’t be sanded and must be replaced. The stock looks very nice and I still think the tip could…
AR Rifles
Impressum Media Inc., publishers of the popular Firearms Guide series of guns and ammunition references on DVD, recently released AR Rifles, anew digital guide on over 1,300 AR-15 rifles. The original Firearms Guide includes a schematics library with over 3,000 printable firearm…
Precision Barrel Fitting, Part Two
The second in our series on precision chambering and the fitting of rifle barrels.
Building The 90 Grain AR-15, Part Two
Bullet, barrel, bedding. Back in the M14 days we figured that if you got these three things right you’d have a tack driver. The AR-15 has eliminated the bedding issue (kinda/sorta) so we can concentrate on the remaining two. In this installment…
SHOT 2014
Starting right off, the first interesting bit were two new gun control actions that almost stole the show. At every Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show most conversations get right down to business. Reams of orders are written, thousands of products and…
Fixing The Commodore
Compact handguns, especially Commander-length 1911 handguns, can be ideal for many carry applications. Here’s how to work on one from the Philippines.
AR-15 Upper Quick Fixes: Match Bolt Carriers
Are match bolt carriers just another expensive trinket or something that really improves accuracy?
Seeing The Sights
Handgun sight installation and repair can be a great part of any gunsmith’s business.
Reader Forum
New Index I have been a subscriber to American Gunsmith for about seven years now. I find the magazine is a great way to continue my gunsmithing education. Awhile back I decided to work on learning more about the Internet and websites…
More From Bill’s Bench
Tips from Gunsmith William L. Henwood, Quincy CA 95971, Holding Tapered Parts Tired of having tapered parts, such as barrels, squirting out of your machine or bench vise? These jaw liners will tightly grip parts with a tapering profile for their full…
Remington 760 Assembly/Disassembly
This iconic, century-old pump action rifle is still going strong.
Building The 90 Grain AR-15, Part One
An overview of building competition/precision .223/5.56 AR-15 rifles to handle the heavy bullet, long-range loads.
Precision Barrel Fitting, Part One
The first in a series to guide gunsmiths with some machine tool experience for chambering and fitting a rifle barrel safely.
The Ruger LCP
Common problems with Ruger’s Lightweight Compact Pistol and getting it up and running.
Reader Forum
Shotgun and Back Issues I’m writing for help identifying a 12 gauge shotgun I recently bought. The shotgun is marked “National Fire- Arms Co.” on the barrel, “12 GA.” on top of the chamber and “Modified Choke” on the left side of…