Am I the only one here who doesn't like to "work on" his pistols?

[StrikeFire83]

So let me set the stage for my question. By "work on" I don't mean regular cleaning, scheduled maintenance/part changes, and the occasional detail strip. That all goes with the territory if you want to own firearms, and these are all tasks that I'm only too happy to perform.

No, I'm referring to people who don't seem the least bit bothered by having to "fluff and buff" a brand new gun, people who don't blink at sending a $1,000+ pistol back to the factory several times to get it working properly and then laugh/chalk it to "tight tolerances." The kind of people who will buy a $600 Springfield Mil-Spec and then spend $1,500 bolting parts onto it and hanging pieces off of it until they end up with something inferior to a NIB Ed Brown.

I'm not badmouthing these kind of people. I'm just wondering if I'm the only person around here who finds a gun he likes, buys it, leaves it stock, shoots it and maintains it, and get 1,000s of trouble free rounds out of it.

 

[hhersh]

Yes, you are !

 

[Wishoot]

I just can't resist the urge to tinker.

 

[sigarms228]

I have several SIGs and I love them all the way they are and they all shoot like a dream.

I did change the grips and trigger on my SP2022 and put SIG aluminum grips on one of my P226s and that is it. Total investment less than $100. I was surprised at how well I like aluminum grips. Not sure if that puts me in the camp of those who like to work on their pistols as what I like best is to fire them as often as I can which sadly is not often enough.

I have a SIG GSR 1911 also that is as it came from the factory and it is the most accurate pistol I have ever fired and fully intend to leave it as is.

 

[klutchless]

I have both some guns are just fun to work on and turn into a range only gun some have more of a service goal in mind so I leave them stock.I just like to tinker with things (sometimes I really shouldn't ) but to each his own.I also have two jeeps one built to play with one as a daily driver .

 

[rellascout]

No you are not.... I do not like to work on my guns. I can but I prefer to let other people do it. I find it frustrating and in the end my go to smith does not charge me much more than parts.

Most of my guns are stock or have been worked on by professional smiths and I expect them all to work and if need be defend my life.

 

[Scimmia]

I love to tinker with my guns. I don't know if I fit your description, though, as I think a pistol should work from the factory and don't hang any crap from them, but there's always little things that could be better. From polishing the feed ramp to changing the angle on a sear to recutting a hammer, functional just isn't enough for me it seems.

 

[Scott F]

Yes and no. I absolutely hate it when a gun does not function properly out of the box. Makes madder than.... well, you get the idea.

But seeing as how most manufactures today produce firearms with triggers that are much less than satisfactory I understand it will need some help. I enjoy fine tuning a quality firearm to get the most out of it.

 

[Shadow 7D]

gun smiths cost money
GOOD gunsmiths cost LOTS of good money

I'm pretty sure that I'm a close match to most of the local gunsmiths, and know more about my guns (mostly obscure early European pistols) than they do.

 

[StrikeFire83]

Okay. So I'm seeing some yeses and some nos. Good to know I'm not the ONLY one. And when I say "leaving the gun stock", I guess I should elaborate. Changing out grips or installing night sights might make the gun technically "not stock" but that's not what I'm talking about.

I'm talking about taking a Dremel to a perfectly functional firearm because the feed ramp isn't "polished enough." Or my earlier example of taking a $600 gun and spending $1,500 customizing it until you have something inferior to an Ed Brown at the same price point with the same features.

 

[MCMXI]

I'm not badmouthing these kind of people. I'm just wondering if I'm the only person around here who finds a gun he likes, buys it, leaves it stock, shoots it and maintains it, and get $1,000s of trouble free rounds out of it.

You seem to be implying that if someone doesn't leave it stock, they won't get "thousands of trouble-free rounds out of it"? I have plenty of firearms that show up from the factory without any need of anything such as my Ed Browns, some of my SIGs and my Accuracy International rifles. Everything else needs work, and some need lots of work before I'm happy with them.

Talking of leaving firearms stock, I've seen many production pistols choke in USPSA matches and I've seen (and experienced) thousands of trouble-free rounds with pistols that have been heavily worked.

 

[armoredman]

Hmm, no, you're not alone. I don't do any work on my guns other than shoot the snot out of them and clean them. Yeah, changed grips a few times, but like you said, that doesn't count.
Nope, my guns tend to work when they come out of the box, heck, one time still dripping in shipping grease!
No, we won't do that again...
If a gun has to go back more than none, there's a problem, and I may not be able to trust that sidearm with anything but casual plinking, and all my guns have serious major purposes, plinking is secondary.

 

[StrikeFire83]

You seem to be implying that if someone doesn't leave it stock, they won't get "thousands of trouble-free rounds out of it"? I have plenty of firearms that show up from the factory without any need of anything such as my Ed Browns, some of my SIGs and my Accuracy International rifles. Everything else needs work, and some need lots of work before I'm happy with them.

Talking of leaving firearms stock, I've seen many production pistols choke in USPSA matches and I've seen (and experienced) thousands of trouble-free rounds with pistols that have been heavily worked.

And these are good points. I didn't mean to imply that I think 1,000s of trouble free rounds and a customized gun are mutually exclusive conditions. And the work of an excellent gunsmith (or an accomplished/experienced gun owner) can result in great things and great performance.

I just happen to have 3 pistols that have many 1,000s of malfunction free rounds through them, and all 3 of them 100% stock.

 

[chhodge69]

Nope, you're not. If I had any "extra" money I'd spend it on ammo. In fact I prefer to leave my guns stock and learn to shoot them like that. I have a theory - If you learn to do a good job with bad tools you have acquired a real skill.

 

[MCMXI]

I just happen to have 3 pistols that have many 1,000s of malfunction free rounds through them, and all 3 of them 100% stock.

As do many of us because there are many pistols that will run for tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of rounds in stock form with nothing more than new recoil springs from time to time. I have a SIG P220 that I bought new in '93 that is bone stock with the exception of Hogue grips. It has close to 20,000 rounds through it with the original recoil spring (recently changed) without a single problem shooting 99.9% reloads. I have seven other SIGs and all I've done is change the trigger on two newer P220s to get rid of the ridiculous short trigger (replaced with the older style, non-pinching trigger) and I've changed sights on four of them with plans to change sights on the rest. Other than that, I have no plans to do anything to them. I'll admit that if non-MIM parts were available for the newer SIGs I'd change those parts, but since they're not, I can't.

I'm talking about taking a Dremel to a perfectly functional firearm because the feed ramp isn't "polished enough." Or my earlier example of taking a $600 gun and spending $1,500 customizing it until you have something inferior to an Ed Brown at the same price point with the same features.

A $600 1911 plus $1,500 in upgrades isn't a realistic example. A $600 1911 plus $500 of upgrades (includes a quality barrel) would be more realistic for the DIY owner. Some people can't afford to spend $2,500 on an Ed Brown but they can afford a $500 RIA or an $800 Kimber. They can upgrade various parts as money permits and may end up spending $500 over the next couple of years to replace all of the internals including the barrel. Will the finished product be comparable to an Ed Brown, Les Baer, Wilson Combat etc., obviously not. But there's a good chance that their $1,000 RIA or $1,300 Kimber (original cost plus parts) will at the very least be equal to, and quite possibly be superior to factory 1911s at that price point. In addition, that individual won't need to deal with CS or a gunsmith because if something brakes or wears out, they can repair/replace it themselves.

 

[cfrench]

you're not alone..i'm with you totally.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

It is definitely a hot topic. Know when to fold up, know when to hold up. Lately, I'm enjoying the heck out of mostly stock guns. The challenge? If you are a hardened trigger man and good shot, you can make a stock gun perform better than the high priced ones in the hands of lesser shots. I like a good trigger and good sights, AND a reliable gun, so the guns I can fix that way, I might take a shot at it. I also like a "professional" job now and then. That means, I don't want to be the one to booger the gun, so for anything I value, or for the time I want to treat myself (and my gun) to the best, I will send a gun off, and pay that damn high shipping if necessary. I have a few guns done by professionals, and I have a few I've done some or all of the necessary alterations to, and some that are bone stock. I enjoy them all for what they are and can do, but using a top gunsmith is more of a practical thing than a gun snob thing. I am not rich enough to be a gunsnob on every gun I own, nor do I think every gun needs something. Know what you need to change, and what you don't, and what you want from your guns.

 

[Mike1234567]

There are a lot of things I don't care about doing anymore. I suppose I might as well lump this in with the rest of them.

 

[Pilot]

I own Colt and Springfield 1911's, Browning Hi Powers, CZ's, Maks, Berettas, HK's, Rugers, and others. All work out of the box, and none have been worked on. They are all stock and shoot great. No need to buy a Glock to get that kind of reliability.

 

[Dogguy]

I was born with ten thumbs, poor fine motor coordination and bad close vision.

But, yeah, I've done a few minor things like change easily accessible parts and smooth out sharp external roughness. Otherwise, I don't work on my guns. Furthermore, I no longer detail strip anything. I've caused more problems fiddling around with things than I've ever fixed. There's a great gunsmithing shop in the area that I trust and I'm willing to pay for their services. There are armorers around here who can inspect and replace parts on the Glocks at very reasonable prices.

 

[JoeMal]

I mainly leave my guns stock. I don't have the tools or the know how to properly work on my guns in extensive ways. The last thing I want to do is break/lose something and end up forking out a bunch of money to get parts or to get it fixed.

 

[Zerodefect]

There isn't a pistol out there that is perfectly suited for me. I can make substantial gains in speed and accuracy by modding them.

Usually:
-sights, 99% of pistols come with poor obsolete sights
-grip safety sensitize (1911)
-thumb safety paddle cut to fit my hand (1911)
-trigger work (Glock)
-grip adjustments, checkering, grip tape
-add higher quality springs for reliability
-fix all the flaws the factory left in the pistol
-undercut the trigger guard for an index point. Under for a high grip, and sometimes add a dent forward for handheld flashlight use.

 

[huntsman]

Am I the only one here who doesn't like to "work on" his pistols?

Me too

All I really want to do with my guns is shoot them, I have to clean them and I accept that but I'll never except a gun that needs benched to get it to function properly.

Repairs will be dealt with on a as needed basis, and if I have to do major mods to improve my performance with a gun then I didn’t choose the correct gun or I’m being to fussy.

 

[RickMD]

I see lots of guns that have been "improved" by their previous owners for sale in local gun shop display cases. They either sell for half of retail (or less) or sit there for months on end. I refuse to buy even a slightly altered firearm unless the shop has verifiable documentation that all work has been done by a certified, well known gunsmith.

I guess if you're going to keep the piece until you die, have at it. If you're ever going to consider selling or trading it, you're probably going to take a loss.

 

[doorman]

The only firearms I take beyond a field strip and clean are my AR-15 and AR-10. I assembled those two firearms from components and feel comfortable messing with them.

I have a SA Loaded 1911, a Glock G17c, a Browning Buckmark, and a S & W Bodyguard 380 that are as stock as they came out of the box.