Colorado School of Trades Gunsmithing

[Eargesplitten]

Has anyone gotten any work done by these guys before? I might be picking up a gun soon that would require milling the slide if I wanted new sights, and depending on how some stuff goes I might also need someone to save my bacon regarding a bag-o-gun. The milling seems simple enough that having students do it shouldn't be an issue, same with a reassembly.

[gnihcraes]

Takes a long time to get things done there. Many months. Good experience in the past though.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[cstone]

It is a school and students will be working on your guns. My experience there has been good. I just wouldn’t take them something that needs a master gunsmith. Basic things are done well at a good price. Turn around on work doesn’t seem to be much longer than what I have found at any busy shop.

[BPTactical]

YMMV.
Keep in mind work is done by students typically with varying degrees of skill, competence and experience.

I was not impressed with the bluing work I had them do on a pair of Colt 1903 pistols. The actual blue was fine but they butchered the pistols with the buffing work, washed out the rollmarks, dished out holes and rounded edges I had worked very hard to stone out and keep roll marks and edges crisp.

When I got them back I could not reassemble the pistols, the dust covers had been distorted due to incorrect buffing techniques. You never buff towards an edge, it was clear the edges had been caught by the buff and had distorted the dustcovers.
Not a pleasant experience to explain to a customer.

That was the only work I ever farmed out to them.


Edit- OP- what is the bag-o-gun you are dealing with? I can likely assist you with it.

[Eargesplitten]

I don't have a bag-o-gun just yet, but I may be taking apart a 85 transitional, which I understand has a finicky safety system. Depends on whether it needs new springs already, or if I get the itch to buy a spring and firing pin kit from CGW. Although the levers look like a new style safety, so I won't really know until I get in there and take some pictures.

I've also currently got a tray-o-gun Buckmark, but that's just until I can either find the recoil buffer that rocketed into the unknown or buy a new one (it's like $3 before shipping from Numrich or Midway). I did the trigger spring flip on it and while I want to test out the reset a bit more to make sure everything is engaging right, it seems to have worked alright. Trigger is nice and crisp with little take-up too.

I'm actually considering starting to take guns apart in a big rubbermaid tub that I've got left over from moving just so parts can't disappear like that again. I'd do it in my unfinished basement too, but the lighting is pretty bad so I'd probably be wandering around with a flashlight looking for an itty-bitty spring before long.

If I end up wanting new sights I think I might need some milling on the front and rear though, they're the old style with a smaller dovetail in back and a front sight that's staked in through the top rather than having a roll-pin through the side. I've heard that if you can get a 1911 sight of the right height you can keep the staked front but it's not quite the right size so you need to grind it down in spots. For $345 after shipping on a CZ-85 without FPB, though, it's worth the hassle. I've wanted an 85 since I was 16.

[Irving]

RE: searching for parts with a flashlight, lay the flashlight on the ground and rotate the beam across the floor. Gives you the best chance to find small parts and works in any light condition. Same technique works great for checking for deformities in flooring and properly floating drywall mud.

[BPTactical]

Disassembling in a gallon ziplock bag works well. The best plan is to thoroughly understand the platform you are working on and learn to recognize the stage where "Sproing" is likely.

[Eargesplitten]

A ziplock bag is a good idea. In the case of the buckmark my hand slipped when I was putting the buffer / guide rod / firing pin assembly back in and the recoil spring sent everything flying. I can think of a couple ways to prevent a spring expanding suddenly like that in the future, but there's probably a simpler way as well as the "don't let your hand slip" way.

[Irving]

You guys don't have a cheapy pop up tent that you set up in your living room while assembling guns?

[00tec]

You guys don't have a cheapy pop up tent that you set up in your living room while assembling guns?

That's actually a great idea.

** heads to basement to grab a tent that is good for 2 8yr olds..... that has been around since the early 90s**

[Eargesplitten]

I do have a tent, and I do have a shop light. Stop giving me ideas that will make my wife think I’m a prohibited possessor by way of Amendment 64.

[Irving]

That one in every 40,000 posts that has a good idea is why they keep me around.

[BPTactical]

That one in every 40,000 posts that has a good idea is why they keep me around.

You ain't there yet bucky.....

[Irving]

This one came early

[ChickNorris]

I have a dirty mind....

[Great-Kazoo]

This one came early

like 3K early . If no tent, hang a sheet or tarp in the shop, or room you're working in. This way if a spring does sprong, it will hit the tarp and not go somewhere into, under or behind what ever is along the wall.

It helps to have an exploded parts diagram on hand as well. This way IF something does drop, you have an idea what the hell you're looking for. Telling the spouse when they ask what you're doing. Something dropped and i can't find it, narrows it down to anything on the floor.

[Eargesplitten]

Actually, there are stores where you can buy these tents that are tall enough to stand in. They have foil on the inside so they reflect the light really well, and some of them even have power outlets built in for your shoplights and dremel. They usually sell them at gardening stores, but you'll have to deal with hippies at the register. I hope that helps.

[Irving]

A fish tank turned on its side with two arm holes cut into the screen would probably work as well, not to mention make you feel like a scientist.

[Great-Kazoo]

Actually, there are stores where you can buy these tents that are tall enough to stand in. They have foil on the inside so they reflect the light really well, and some of them even have power outlets built in for your shoplights and dremel. They usually sell them at gardening stores, but you'll have to deal with hippies at the register. I hope that helps.

Hell you can find used ones on CL for cheap. They're called portable grow houses

[FireMoth]

As a graduate, there is one VERY important caveat:

You sign a release, because the work is done by students. The quality of the work can thus vary widely. There are guys I graduated with that I wouldnt let clean my glock.

If you need some wood and bluing re-done, it will generally come out well, but I wouldnt take milling there unless i knew a specific student i was having do it.

The Den-Met is flooded with their graduates, and i spend a good portion of my time fixing work they have done.

Thats not to say there arent very good students, but if you dont know them personally, you dont know who you are getting.

Caveat Emptor

[Eargesplitten]

Thanks, I’ll hold off on them then.

I picked up an old CZ-85 and if I decide to change the front sight I might need to have a smith do it because it has a 1911-style staked front sight.Thankfully it might have the newer rear dovetail, we’ll see. Also going to buy some CGW parts down the line, at least the hammer spring, FP and spring, and trigger return spring. The SA is already super smooth and not too heavy, but the DA could stand to be a few pounds lighter. Although it’s not like you fire DA all that often.