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An (e)nteresting Enfield 1917 in .30-06 Ackley Improved

12/19/2023
The guys took this beat up Enfield 1917 -- in the non-original caliber of .30-06 Ackley Improved -- and breathed new life into it! Sterling polished off all the original metal finish and gave it a gorgeous reblue. He also polished the bolt handle, for a contrasting look. Woodsmith extraordinaire Ronnie sanded off the original finish and gave the stock a hand-rubbed oil finish. Finally, Chris installed a decelerator, a new set of swivels, and gave the rifle a final test fire. 💥 **The rifle's original caliber was .30-06 Springfield. While the chamber was lengthened to accommodate the Ackley load, the rifle can still shoot .30-06 Springfield loads! View this post on Instagram A post shared by McClelland Gun S...  Read More

Go Shorty, It's Ya Birthday: How we took too tallboys and hacked off some length!

11/07/2023
Our recent customer decided to turn his Marlin 94 25-20 Win & Stevens Ranger 20 gauge into a pair of short shootin' son-of-a-guns! The first project was a Stevens Ranger 20 gauge with fresh ATF approval for NFA Short Barreled Shotgun status. The gunsmiths cut the barrels down to nearly match the length of the forend. They then shortened/shaped the stock it into a pistol grip. They fabricated a new stock bolt and washer, retapped the receiver hole for the new bolt, and also turned down the firing pin shoulders. Final steps included repairing the safety, refinishing the wood, and performing a function check. Whew! For the Marlin 94, the barrel was first cut & crowned to 16". The magazine tube (and corresponding spring) was also c...  Read More

Chamber Re-Lining: Bringing a Winchester 1890 back to shootable condition

08/10/2023
The client brought his vintage Winchester 1890 .22 WRF to us for a top to bottom restoration. We first cleaned and lubed the 1890 to remove years of gummy residue and oil build-up. The smiths determined the chamber was peened from too much dry-firing. This is a **very** common problem with older .22s, but thankfully most modern designs stop the firing pin from hitting the chamber when dry fired. We ended up installing a new chamber liner, ensuring the rifle would once again fire reliably. Once the smiths resolved the mechanical issues, our restoration guys reblued the metal and refinished the stock/forend. Now, it's back to firing condition and lookin' mighty fine! View this post on Instagram A post shared ...  Read More

Bed and Float: How a Winchester 70 .280 Remington Got Its Groove Back

05/17/2023
This Winchester 70 .280 Remington rifle came to the shop for a bed & float and had problems with a binding floorplate. We bed and float rifles to stabilize the action in the stock, with the added benefit of improved accuracy. After the bed & float, the gunsmiths resolved the floorplate’s binding issues and now it smoothly swivels open! **A .280 Rem tidbit — The .280 Remington is based on the .30-06, but is necked down to accept 7mm bullets. It never saw widespread popularity due to being overshadowed by the more powerful .30-06. It was further eclipsed by the wildcat caliber, .280 Ackley Improved. Poor li’l .280 Rem! View this post on Instagram A post shared by McClelland Gun Shop (@mcclellandguns...  Read More

Smith & Wesson 19-9 Bobbed Hammer: A Custom Concealed Carry Approach

12/14/2022
This Smith & Wesson 19-9 PC revolver in 357 mag came to the Service Shop to get the hammer bobbed. The gunsmiths bob a hammer by grinding down the hammer and smoothing any jagged edges. Shooters who prefer bobbed hammers want to eliminate the hammer from catching on something when drawing the revolver from a concealed position. Chris then polished the internal lock work to ease the overall function of the revolver. Now it’s ready for daily concealed carry! View this post on Instagram A post shared by McClelland Gun Shop (@mcclellandgunshop)  Read More

A Centenarian Rides Again!: Meet the Eddystone 1917

11/30/2022
This Eddystone 1917 rifle arrived at the Service Shop in need of a safety & headspace check as well as a caliber determination. Traditionally, the 1917s were chambered for .30-06, but you never know when a prior owner has re-barreled the rifle. We determined this rifle was manufactured in June 1918 (five months before the end of WWI), making this piece a certified centenarian! Chris performed the initial headspace check and determined the rifle safe to shoot. He then honed/polished the chamber and cleaned & lubed the rifle to remove years of rust, gummy oils, and build up. To confirm the caliber, he performed a chamber cast. Our hunch was right — it’s a .30-06! After a final test fire, this shooter is back in business. “On 30 A...  Read More

We hope you like shiny Colt 1911s!

11/03/2022
Sterling took to the polishing wheel to transform the stainless finish on this Colt 1911 Government 45 ACP into a perfect mirror finish! My pictures hardly do it justice. Simply gorgeous! View this post on Instagram A post shared by McClelland Gun Shop (@mcclellandgunshop)  Read More

A Colt 1903 380 ACP shines up like a new penny!

10/07/2022
This Colt 1903 380 ACP came to us for a complete restore. It was in pretty rough and rusty shape, which makes the final product that much better. - Sterling prepped the metal and removed what was left of the original bluing. On the polishing wheel, he removed all imperfections, pitting, scratches, etc.- The barrel crown came in damaged, so the gunsmiths recrowned it.- Because the metal arrived in such poor condition, Sterling couldn't save the original Rampant Colt engraving. We had our engraver recreate the engraving on the slide and it looks AWESOME.- The bore needed lots of lapping due to decades of copper fouling build up.- Finally, the guys fit a new set of grips to the pistol and gave it a final test fire! 💥 ...  Read More

The M6 Scout: For When Things Go South

09/13/2022
Here's a cool one! We had this Springfield M6 Scout 22 LR / 410 gauge break-open combo gun in here for extraction issues. Chris did a quick clean, a hone & polish, and a successful test fire. The lil peashooter is now back in business! The original M6 Scout -- initially manufactured by the Ithaca Gun Company -- was issued to the US Air Force aircrews to help forage for food in the event of a plane crash. One of the unique traits of the M6 is the "squeeze-bar trigger". That part, including the hammer and barrel latch, are all designed to be easily operated while wearing heavy gloves or mittens. View this post on Instagram A post shared by McClelland Gun Shop (@mcclellandgunshop)  Read More

Ruger 77 25-06 | Breathing new life into a classic piece

08/19/2022
Even though dove season has yet to commence, some folks are already gearing up for deer season! 🦌 This Ruger M77 in .25-06 was in here for a top to bottom restoration. The guys stripped the original finish from the stock and gave it a hand-rubbed oil finish (the checkering is in perfect condition!). They bed and floated the barreled action into the stock to reduce any movement interfering in accuracy. The stripped stud holes were re-drilled and new studs were installed. Before the metalwork got underway, the rifle was thoroughly cleaned & lubed. The barreled action was stripped to white metal and reblued by Sterling. The aluminum trigger guard and floorplate -- which cannot handle the heat of the bluing tanks -- were instead Cerako...  Read More

JC Higgins: A pair of family heirlooms

06/29/2022
A customer brought a pair of JC Higgins plinkers to us -- a model 29 and 41 -- for top to bottom restorations. These were guns he shot as a kid, and he wants to pass them down to the next generation. We love doing these types of meaningful projects! 🥲 View this post on Instagram A post shared by McClelland Gun Shop (@mcclellandgunshop)  Read More

Browning BSS: A reformed shooter

06/29/2022
This Browning BSS 12 gauge side by side came into the shop with a pretty serious issue. The action had been forced open apparently due to part broken in the receiver and the lower receiver plate was bent out of shape. Chris reformed it back into position and lapped the two screws so they would fit flush into the plate. Final work included hone & polishing the chambers, a full clean & lube, and removing minor rust. Another one avoids the junk pile! 🙌 View this post on Instagram A post shared by McClelland Gun Shop (@mcclellandgunshop)  Read More

Revitalizing a Second Model Colt Lightning

05/06/2022
This small-frame Second Model Colt Lightning in 22 LR -- dated to 1903 -- was brought to our shop by a long-time Colt collector. This is merely one of the ten Lightning models he owns. 😮 He also dropped off an extra barrel that needed some serious work. The smiths managed to salvage the octagon barrel already installed in the rifle. It needed a good lapping, as well as a hone & polish. The rifle required some additional mechanical work to make it functional once again. As for the extra barrel... yikes. It came to us with the chamber and barrel totally shot out. Once the smith rechambered it and re-lined the barrel, it was as good as new! A LITTLE HISTORY: The Lightning was the first ever rimfire rifle Colt made from 1887-1904. In a...  Read More

Superposed Restoration #893843594583458: Does it ever get old? (the answer is no)

04/15/2022
The gunsmiths just finished restoring this gooooooooorrrrrrrgeous 1973 Browning Superposed 20 gauge. The wood: stunning. The metal: stunning. Bravo to our guys for absolutely knocking this project out of the park! 😍 View this post on Instagram A post shared by McClelland Gun Shop (@mcclellandgunshop)  Read More

Trigger jobs: Make pistol shooting more crisp

03/25/2022
These Kimber pistols -- a Custom Stainless II in 45 ACP and a Camp Guard 10 in 10mm -- were each in the shop for a clean & lube and a trigger job. After our smith gave them a good scrub-a-dub-dub, he passed them to Ron for the trigger work. When Ron performs a trigger job, he first examines the hammer & sear to ensure they have the correct dimensions in the engagement areas. If the two aren't in spec, they get replaced. Once that's determined, he stones the sear and hammer to square their engagement angles. The final step includes tweaking the pistol to get it to the final poundage. Ron lowered the pulls on these pistols from an initial 7-8 lbs down to a crisp 4.5 lb! View this post on Instagram A...  Read More

Classic Doubles: A tale as old as time

02/22/2022
This Classic Doubles 201 Field 20 gauge side by side already sold to a customer in Michigan, but I wanted to share the history of it anyway! As Ron tells it, when the Winchester Olin company got out of the shotgun business, (I believe they eventually sold most of their IP to Browning) a handful of the former Winchester execs decided to form their own company, Classic Doubles. They wanted to create a gun that both resembled a Winchester Model 21 with the improved features of a Winchester Model 23. The same plant in Japan that manufactured shotguns for Winchester continued making them for the Classic Doubles company. They were high-quality, well-made shotguns that cost a pretty penny back in the day. Unfortunately, consumers weren't willi...  Read More

Get rid of the creep: Installing a Timney trigger

01/12/2022
One of the simplest upgrades for a rifle is removing the creepy factory trigger and replacing it with an adjustable one from Timney Triggers. When I say creepy, I mean a trigger that feels coarse, gritty, jumpy -- basically anything the opposite of smooth and crisp. Creep filled triggers can also interfere with your shot and cause you to miss your target. This Remington 700 22-250 came to the shop for a clean & lube. While he was in the gun, the customer also had Chris install a new Timney into the rifle. Now, it's set at a crisp 3.5 lbs and smooth as buttah. 🎯 View this post on Instagram A post shared by McClelland Gun Shop (@mcclellandgunshop)  Read More

Browning Citori: A classic double gets Chris' over & under tune up

12/22/2021
This Browning Citori 12 gauge shotgun came to us with a broken screw in the forend iron and the top lever was grinding. It also needed an overall tune up to get it back in tip-top shape!Chris started by extracting the broken forend screw and replacing it with a new one. He then stoned the locking lugs and locking block to eliminate galling, cleaned & lubed all the internals and externals, and honed & polished the chambers. To increase the life of the firing pins, he machined and polished the noses. To insure a strong strike, he replaced both mainsprings. Finally, he replaced the top lever spring and stoned both the sear tails and inertia block steps. A final test fire and function check proved this Citori was back in business! ...  Read More

Ghost Sights: A way to make your home defense shotgun spookier

12/01/2021
We hooked this Remington 870 up with a new set of Trijicon Ghost Sights to make this home defense shooter a hair more accurate. Chris drilled & tapped the receiver for the rear sight installation. He then prepped the metal near the muzzle and installed the front sight. While he was working on the gun, he found the mag spring had collapsed and replaced it with a fresh one. The mag tube also needed a quick hone and polish. Intruders beware! View this post on Instagram A post shared by McClelland Gun Shop (@mcclellandgunshop)  Read More

Rara Avis: When Ron Talks Someone Out of Paying Him Money

10/16/2021
Got a fun one for y'all! This Remington 740 Woodsmaster in 300 Savage came to the shop for both a function check and a drill/tap to mount a scope on the action. We performed the function check but -- and this is a rare occurance -- Ron talked the customer out of the drill and tap. Why? Because this 740 is such a rare bird, especially when chambered in 300 Savage. Ron says tapping the receiver would spoil the value, both to collectors and as a piece of gun history. 🔸 Overall, the rifle's in great shape for its age.🔸 It has a low four digit serial number, making it a possible first year of production piece.🔸 300 Savage is a relatively unique caliber for a semi-auto platform.🔸 That little hole you see in the receiver shows the ejector reta...  Read More

A Whole Lotta Stevens Going On: When 13 Favorites Came to Our Shop

10/02/2021
A Service Shop customer brought in more than a dozen guns he inherited from his late father. Thirteen of them are Stevens Favorite single shot rifles in various calibers including 22 LR, 32 Rimfire and something we think is .44 Long (if you have any insight, please share!). Stevens introduced the Favorite model in 1889, roughly 2 years after they allegedly invented the .22 LR cartridge. The rifle's popularity exploded in Britain, where a large market for 'rook guns' existed for folks who wanted a method of pest control (rooks are in the crow family). 🐀🐇 Overall, about a million were produced and thirteen of them ended up in our shop! View this post on Instagram A post shared by McClelland Gun Shop (@mccle...  Read More

Bringing Bisley Back: A full restoration of a Colt Single Action Army Bisley in 32 WCF

09/15/2021
This was suuuuuch a fun project! A customer brought a well-loved Colt Single Action Army Bisley revolver -- dated to 1911 -- in .32 WCF to our shop for a top to bottom restoration. The Bisley model was introduced in 1894 as a target pistol, and was named after a firing range in Bisley, England. The Bisleys differentiate from the Peacemakers with their longer grip, wider trigger, and wider hammer spur. 🌠 Sterling first attacked the metal. It wasn't in entirely terrible shape, but he needed to do a lot of polishing and prepping. You can see near the patent date and the 'Bisley Model' on the barrel he couldn't remove all the pits unless he sacrificed the engraving. I happen to like that since it keeps a little bit of history with the piece...  Read More

A Smith & Wesson Classic: Rebluing a 19-2 in 357 mag

09/01/2021
Sterling's back at it again! He reblued this Smith & Wesson 19-2 in 357 mag and gave it a perfect, new finish. He managed to keep all the engraving intact, which can be tricky. We also fit & installed a new set of oversized target grips on the revolver. I just never get tired of seeing these old Smith revolvers in the shop! 🥰 View this post on Instagram A post shared by McClelland Gun Shop (@mcclellandgunshop)  Read More

Viva Colt: When a Pancho Villa compatriot revolver walked into the Service Shop..

08/12/2021
When this Colt Single Action Army in 45 LC came into the Service Shop, little did we know about the amazing history behind the shooter. We initially noticed the hash marks on the grip. As we disassembled the revolver, we found 'Viva Villa' and a cross with the name Carranza etched onto the inside. We called the owner to tell him what we found and he was totally stunned. He told us the older man who pawned the revolver at one of his shops over 25 years ago would tell a story about how his grandfather ran with Pancho Villa back in the day. Apparently, the man used to pawn the Colt from time to time for quick cash, but one day, he never came back to retrieve it. Assuming the story is true, this piece of Mexican history witnessed so much! P...  Read More

A woodsmith's life for me: Remington 700 30-06 gets a new stock

07/28/2021
Buckle up! We're going a little into the woodworking weeds on this one! A good customer brought us a pair of 90% finished Fancy Turkish walnut stock blanks to install on a pair of his Remington 700s. The rifles featured dull, factory stocks that didn't quite match the engraving so he opted to jazz 'em up a little.Tom first inlet the stock to fit the action. With the action fit, he bed & floated the channel, which is something we do to improve accuracy. He then shaped the entire stock to give it a slimmer profile, as well as to make sure it was balanced.To make the stock one-of-a-kind, he reshaped the forend tip into the traditional 700 BDL look and the pistol grip to the customer specs. He then carved out a French-style cheekpiece wi...  Read More