Archive author
Wendell Deaner
40 indexed articles · 2010–2015
Published work
Articles by Wendell Deaner
Working The Ithaca Model 49
This Western-themed rimfire was popular in the 1960s and may be encountered today.
H&R 900 Series Revolvers
Sturdy, well made and reasonably accurate, despite going out of business in 1986, H&R .22 revolvers might likely cross your bench.
Checkering A Gunstock Is Easy
Not quite as difficult as sometimes imagined, with a proper process good checkering can be done by anybody.
Hawkeye Borescope
Peeking well inside the crevasses will help diagnose firearm ailments. The Hawkeye Borescope lets you do just that.
A Tale of Two 96s
Most 96 Mausers have matching numbers on all parts. Despite increasing collector interest, this action still ideal for customization.
Applying Ultra Bore Coat To Defeat Copper Fouling
Copper removal is an issue in the proper maintenance of centerfire rifle bores and Ultra Bore from Dyna-Tek Coatings is a solution.
Mounting A Scout Scope On A Military Mauser
Adding better sights or an optic is one of the best ways to sporterize an old military rifle. Despite being over a century old, issue Mausers are still great for customization work.
Kids In The Shop: A Gunsmith’s Legacy, Part Two
This final article in the series concludes with tips and pointers on helping a student on the way to beginning a career in gunsmithing.
Kids In The Shop: A Gunsmith’s Legacy, Part One
For any skill, trade or culture to remain it must be passed on to the next generation. Gunsmithing is no different.
Building A Custom Mauser, Part Three
In parts one and two of this series we have shown how to prepare a Mauser action rebarreling and finishing. The action has been extensively reworked, drilled and tapped for scope mounting and checked for safety. It’s now time to add our…
Building a Custom Mauser, Part Two
Surplus Mausers are still great for customization. In this second issue of the series we’ll take care of the bolt handle, bolt lugs and drill and tap for scope mounting.
Replacing The Extractor On A Ruger MKII Government Model
Ruger MKII Government Model are highly reliable, normally requiring few repairs and a little maintenance. Here’s how working on one created a new customer for me.
Building a Custom Mauser, Part One
Once commonly available (and cheap!) as surplus, Mausers were routinely used in sporterization and customization projects. With a little prudent selection they are still good actions to build upon.
Reaming .45 Colt Revolver Cylinder Throats
Reaming .45 Colt revolver cylinder throats yields the best possible accuracy for using cast bullet loads.
Repairing Damaged Screw Heads on Used Firearms
When contemplating a used firearm purchase the first thing I look for is rust. The next thing is “boogeredup” or damaged screw heads. Nothing screams amateur and abuse like a messed-up screw. By using ill-fitting screwdrivers countless side-plate and stock screws have…
Build Your Own Mauser Holding Fixture
Commercial holding fixtures for Mauser receivers are available, but any ‘smith can build his own with common shop scrap.