Tech Topics

What’s a reasonable definition of checkering? The one we like is: "A series of closely spaced, parallel lines intersected by a series of similar lines at about a 30-degree angle." That doesn’t sound so ominous, does it? So why aren’t you checking stocks, forends, and grips’and getting paid for doing it? Getting paid quite handsomely, we might add. Let’s take a few wild stabs as to why you’re not.

Possibly, you don’t live close to a gunsmithing school where checkering is taught, and you can’t afford the time or cost of attending a distant one. Or perhaps you haven’t found a book or videotape showing you exactly how to do it. Or maybe you’ve read the books and articles but have never attempted to do any checkering before due to a lack of self-confidence. Actually, only three things are holding you back: practice, patience, and persistence.

In addition to those three "Ps," a fourth element that might help is Miles Gilbert’s Learn to Checker Kit, Deluxe V ttenfield Technologies Everything the kit c designed from scratch to provide a student with a great first experience at checkering, while removing all the fear, doubt, and mystery with actual They area steel straightedge, ascribe, and a pair of sharp scissors or a hobby knife. hands-on experience.

One of the elements in the kit is a professionally produced "how-to" DVD that guides the student through the checkering layout, line spacing, line deepening, cross hatching, bordering, and finishing. Also included are four wooden coasters 4 inches in diameter, both sides of which are used during your schooling before you apply your new talents to the wood on a rifle, shotgun, or handgun.

With the exception of a few odds and ends you already have in your shop (and a checkering cradle which you won’t need until after you’ve graduated from wooden coasters to guns), everything else you’ll need is packed in the kit.

Besides the DVD, which has been skillfully videotaped to portray specific checkering steps from the student’s point of view, are four ergonomically designed handles color coded to the cutter it holds, several alignment guides that help you spot an error about to happen, and four 18-lpi cutters. After about 30 hours of practice, patience, and persistence working on both sides of the coasters, you’ll feel pretty confident about taking on a real checkering job.

And the DVD shows you how to correct and cover up any small mistakes caused by impatience. See Custom Guns in Reno Reno is the place to be to see the finest custom firearms made by America’s leading individual craftsmen and engravers. It’s a winning pair’t he games and glitter of Reno combined with the

Above left and largest display of contemporary gunmaking in the U. S. Members of the American Custom Gunmakers Guild and the Firearms Engravers Guild of America will exhibit their latest creations at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino. This is an opportunity to not only see the best work on rifles and shotguns in America, but to spend time getting up close and personal with the gunmakers and engravers as well.

For those interested in period firearms, there will be a special display of members of the Contemporary Longrifle Association, featuring contemporary muzzleloading firearms, accouterments, and related materials. The three days of custom guns run from January 26 to 28, 2007.

Show hours for the exhibition are 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday r it or New Mounting-Rail Adapters for Semi-Autos Owners of S&W Sigma Series, HK, USP, and USP Compact pistols can take advantage of the increasing number of universal-type railmount accessories available on the aftermarket with anew line of Mounting Rail from Laser Lyte se pistols with more than just the proprietary accessories offered by the gun manufacturers to fit their own proprietary rails.

Laser Lyte’s adapters change the grooves on the forward frame into

standard Picatinny/Weaver-type rails and allow quick mounting of lasers, lights, and other accessories under the barrel on Sigma and USP pistols. Laser Lyte offers two different lasersighting systems that fit the Picatinny/Weaver-type rails, the LRS~Laser Rail System and the FSL Subcompact Laser System. The new Mounting Rail Adapters are created from polymer for increased strength and durability and will not mar the finish of any firearm. For Serious Hunters Only What’s a serious hunter?

Possibly he could be someone who wants or needs the meat. Or possibly he’s after trophies and may even belong to Safari Club International. Either of these hunters could bring you their pet rifle or handgun for repair, upgrading, or both. Of the two hunting breeds mentioned, trophy seekers are the more demanding. They also tend to have deeper pockets and venture farther in Extenders are used for higher velocity rifle and some Magnum handgun ammo. seeking their target than the game-getters.

As a responsible gunsmith with pride in your work, you’d never turn a gun back to its owner without first test firing it. As a responsible gunsmith interested in developing atop reputation with serious hunters, you may want to consider adding a couple of extra options to your services. The first of these would involve the acquisition of a chronograph.

No other instrument you can add to your inventory can equal it for determining the muzzle velocity and consistency of ammunition, whether that ammo is hand-loaded or comes from a namebrand box. The second piece of equipment would be something new on the market called a Bullet Test Tube. We spotted it at the SHOT SHOW, as did a large number of bullet manufacturers, law-enforcement agencies, and custom gun makers.

So many, in fact, the manufacturer of the product has had to build a second factory to keep up with the demand. The Bullet Test Tube combines a proprietary mixture of non-toxic, infinitely reusable material in a package that allows accurate measurement of every aspect of bullet performance deemed critical by your serious hunters. This includes penetration, wound-cavity volume, size and shape, plus the retained weight of the bullet.

The expansion material within the tube easily surpasses ordnance gelatin, which tends not to retain cavity dimensions but rather to exaggerate the dimensions by stretching. Do you need to visit the range to use these devices? With the chronograph, yes. With the Bullet Test Tube, a minimum of 20 yards is suggested for rifle calibers and a minimum of 6 feet for handguns. The constant requirement for use of the Bullet Test Tube is that the tube be impacted in its center.

After the bullet has been removed from the tube, it will be covered with the expansion material. This can be cleared off by dropping the bullet in boiling water or heating it with a propane torch. After cleaning, measurements can be taken to establish the bullet’s expanded diameter and retained weight. How much you charge for these special services is for you to determine, but we’re betting you’ll have more serious hunters among your customers, more often, than you do now.

For com non o o chronocommend ar earch, Inc. I

AGCC28D AG 28 DVD course (pick up from 7/06 issue)

AGCC28D AG 28 DVD course (pick up from 7/06 issue)