Anyone Familiar With this Book?

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I have a copy, and i think it is an excellent book. It tends to be specific to certain common handguns, not so much a general gunsmithing book. Some of the things in the book apply to multiple models. There is very little empty filler.

A lot of gunsmithing books include a bunch of what I consider crap, like a quarter of the book attempting to explain how to run a lathe. As if a good book on machine tool practices wouldn't do this 100x better. Or a chapter on sources for parts, half of which went out of business 40 years ago. They list phone numbers like Klondike-5-xxxx.

Sweeney stays focused on topics that correlate to what you might expect to see in the book based on the title.

Even if you never attempt the work in the Sweeney book, it certainly shows and explains many repairs or upgrades that you might be interested in, and would help you decide whether to spend the money having the work done to your firearm. He also explains how some of these guns work in a readable and understandable manner.
 
I had an earlier edition and gave it away. If you want to work on revolvers, get the Kuhnhausen books. They will cost more but they are worth a lot more.

Jim
 
Thanks guys,

I just ordered the Kuhnhausen book on Colt revolvers as I own some veterans and finding good smiths isn't getting easier. I wonder though if not being a qualified 'smith myself might make this a case of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing. Does the Kuhnhausen shop manual really give a layman a shot at say, proper assembly disassembly basic diagnosis? I want the book either way but as Clint said "a man's got to know his limitations".
 
Which one of the three Colt books did you order, the single action, the D/E/I frame double action (Pythons and such), or the V frame (MK3/Mk5 types)? All are great, but if you are thinking of diving into the older double actions (Pythons, etc), don't! They are a serious mess to deal with if you have not had extensive training. The single actions and MK3/5 actions are easy to understand and can be learned fairly quickly by someone with good mechanical cognition. You can still screw those up, too, if you get silly.
 
It was in my shopping cart at Amazon, didn't pull the trigger yet. It was the D/E/I edition. Somehow I knew this and was in some kind of denial. I AM ordering the Smith J/K/L/N book. My trouble is that only 1 of my Colts is a Mk III.
 
The Kuhnhausen shop manuals were written to be used as training manuals for new student gunsmiths.

Kuhnhausen trained gunsmiths for the trade and for the gun factories.
He was real big on doing things the factory way and RESTORING guns to factory original condition.
For that reason you'll find none of the business on making parts or welding or silver soldering parts to try to get a gun working.

The Kuhnhausen books are the best ever done and show 100% disassembly, reassembly, how to test parts for proper operation, how to install new parts, and how to stay out of trouble if you just closely read the manual.
He doesn't hit you in the face with big letters, he assumed the student would closely read the information and pick up on what he was saying about critical things.

All the info is new, none of the usual reprints of old GI Ordnance manuals or no longer valid gunsmithing techniques.

If you have no other books, have the Kuhnhausen shop manuals.
 
Thanks dfariswheel,

You have helped me numerous times. If interested I have re-added the book. I assume you do see the wisdom in BBBBills post. It is on me not to exceed my equipment/capabilities.

The Kuhnhausen books seem like a must, what I can accomplish at this point seems to me to be a function of equipment as well as mechanical capacity. Is this not so?
 
The book is absolutely worth owning. I have it. I own every one of the Kuhnhausen books. I know the S&W revos backwards and forwards. Pretty darned good with the Rugers and MK3/5 Colts. I can reassemble a pile-o-parts into a functioning 1911 blindfolded. Self taught on all of them before Kuhnhausen was available. Learned a lot more from the books once they came out. I am totally unqualified to attempt anything on a D/E/I frame. It is that complex. Of course you might be the .5% who can grasp all of that easily. :) I'm not. :(
 
BBBBill,

I believe you, also from description believe that Kuhnhausens are a must. Even if I don't hold delusions of becoming Grant Cunningham.
 
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