Ithaca Flues 20ga.

[35 Whelen]

Got in the shop at the moment an old Flues model for restoration. Unfortunately some horses a*s that calls themselves a gunsmith ( in America that can be anyone with an old surplus belt lathe and a set of rusted out Brownells blueing tanks)has already done it once. Their workmanship is typical of the 1960/70/80s work that we all see at gunshows....... Devalued from 50/80% from if they had just left them alone.
Alot of folks can recognize over sanded wood when it is below the metal or severely radiused out on the edges but
Dont seam to realize metal is exactly the same just harder,Here is a great example of the muzzles of a nice old double having been filed and then sanded by an idiot that has zero idea how to do it correctly. I had turned some plugs to fit the bores a couple thousands undersized the choke diameters and polished that part out to 800 grit so it couldnt scratch the insides, with the ODs turned the same as the muzzles min dia, Now here is how far out they were over radiused on the first pass, by "Butchers Gunsmithing" LLC from Anytown American.
.
If you click on this picture you can plainly see where the file is striking the plug and the barrel is radiused way low still showing perpendicular file marks left over from the so
Called "gunsmith" and his handywork. After considerable draw filing here they are trued back up with a constant taper right out to the edge.
And here they are sanded out with tapered cork blocks
With unbroken lines then polished out until I was satisfied with them.
This is a great example of going in behind an idiot to restore their lousy work. When we get done with the outside of these barrels and apply about a 10 coat "soft rust" blackening finish; using the original formula, to reproduce the correct color. They will once again look like
They did in 1920 when they left the factory......
The difference between twiddle dee and twiddle " dumb".
So even though I have not attended a formal apprentice ship in Europe were when compleated one would actually
Be a true gunsmith, I was fortunate to have been able to work under some of the best, while in NZ that had worked for some of the "Londons Best" shops, and here in New England
Under past Winchester employees. So it doesnt hurt to have that sorta background to start out with.........

 

[truck driver]

It will look great when your done E. And yeah I have had a similar experience with kitchen table gun smiths in the past. One Colt 70 series 1911 that twiddle dumb had filed the rails on so it would run smoother and soft soldered the front sight on which came flying off with the first magazine fired threw it. I had to have the slide welded and dove tailed to hold a new front sight and sent the slide and frame out to have it machined and new rails fitted so the slide would align properly with the frame.
Another problem one sees with the older shot guns is where twiddle dumb takes steel wool and polishes the insides of the barrels. :shock: