Gunsmith comfort zone?

[Erik Cortina]

I have to chuckle a little...

...Any four jaw lathe can accomplish the action face and thread truing. Lapping the lugs only involves a little lapping compound and repetitive bolt closing. Been there, done that. Because I have performed all of the above machining processes with zero formal training I'd assumed my request was not outside the ordinary. Lesson learned.

We also chuckled a little when you made the statements above. The statement in blue is redundant because when we read the statement in red, we already knew.

 

[shortgrass]

I did a truing & barrel job on a 788 about 4 1/2 yrs. ago. I bought a set of heads, from Brownells, for one of the action wrench handles I have because I really didn't have the time to make what I thought I'd need. I did make or have everything else the job required . I bought/made these things for one job, I guess. Haven't seen a 788 for rebarreling since. Business sense says you can't buy/make specialty tools and use them one time without charging the customer for them. In this case, I ate the tool cost. I don't and won't make a habit of doing so. Got plenty of 700/70/custom action/Howa work to do. (guess I need to throw my action truing jig and mandrel and bushings in the scrap, huaa Erik!) And, IMO,,, the 788 was just a cheap, entry level rifle that usually shot pretty good for a factory rifle. If they were great, they'd still be in production today!

 

[butchlambert]

A 788 shoots very well out of the box. It won't win a BR match. If I had another, it would be a hunting rifle. It will shoot well enough to kill the animal. The most I would do is bed it and do something with the trigger. If I really wanted to spend money on it to shoot the animal in the head at a hundred I would buy a cheap barrel and install it.
Guys, if it will never be a competitive comp. rifle, why spend money to make it more than a 1/2 MOA when it is only a hunting rifle.

 

[hogpatrol]

A 788 shoots very well out of the box. It won't win a BR match. If I had another, it would be a hunting rifle. It will shoot well enough to kill the animal. The most I would do is bed it and do something with the trigger. If I really wanted to spend money on it to shoot the animal in the head at a hundred I would buy a cheap barrel and install it.
Guys, if it will never be a competitive comp. rifle, why spend money to make it more than a 1/2 MOA when it is only a hunting rifle.

Some strive for the best, some are satisfied with mediocre. Different strokes.

 

[NorCalMikie]

IMHO, better to hear "I don't work on those" than have "him" do the work and wish you didn't!