Someday projects

[fatelk]

I was looking for something today, and in the process of looking I realized that I have a lot of old non-functional guns that I don't have the time, resources, or interest in fixing up, and they probably wouldn't be worth it anyhow. I've accumulated a lot of junk over the years. I suspect I'm not alone in that regard. I found a worn out Spanish Mauser in the closet, a Noble single shot .22lr that's missing a bolt, a #1 Enfield .303 that needs a barrel and a few other parts, a turn-of-the-century Forehand & Wadsworth revolver that needs some parts, a Turk Mauser that needs a barrel installed, and a couple other practically worthless things.

Some of them would be worthwhile projects, someday. I can't justify spending the money on gunsmith work, figure someday I'd like to get some tools and do that kind of thing myself. It doesn't make sense to pay a gunsmith $100 to install a barrel on a gun that would hardly be worth more than that. At the same time I can't bring myself to just get rid of them. So, I guess I'll just put them back into the closet and call them "someday projects". Someday I might get around to tinkering with them. :)

Just thinking... Hope you all don't mind.

[richhodg66]

Probably a lot of us like that here. I know I'm in the same boat.

[toallmy]

I am on the other side of the project gun need , I have avoided buying surplus or beaters my whole life / now I find myself looking for projects .
In the 80s I could walk around in the back room of our little 5-dime store and pick up all sorts of military surplus / now it seems you spend as much for a project military surplus as you would a used Remington or Savage .

[labradigger1]

Projects here as well. One no. 2 rolling block, 3 martini Henry’s and one savage 325 in 30-30.
I have began one martini project though. So far so good.

[Preacher Jim]

Man must have projects problem is time to complete them.
Someday I am going to retire and have time to finish them if I live long enough and if I retire. I am only 75 why stop now?

[baileyboy]

Wait until there's a "gun buyback" and turn them in.

I knew a very old gunshop in NY that turned 50 years of junk and made enough to remodel the shop !

[Texas by God]

On any given day, I'll probably have 19 projects going! Of course some of them are going nowhere[emoji16]

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[elk hunter]

I suspect quite a few of us are members of the SABLE group, that is: "stash acquisition beyond life expectancy".

[Hossfly]

I’ve got so many irons in the fire right now, some of em will probably burn up.

[bikerbeans]

My problem is once i get a project rifle to the point i can shoot it i start doing load workup. I never get around to finishing the last 5 or 10 percent of the work.

I have shot deer with leverguns that wouldn't cycle because i hadn't finished mods to the carrier. Last deer i shot was with a smokeless muzzle loader a friend and i built. It is still roll stamped 45-70 and 12ga (stub barrel) and has a temp forend and needs refinished.

BB

[fatelk]

Unfinished projects used to really bug me. Now they don’t bother me at all unless for some reason they need to be completed.

I had an old Winchester 670 years ago, with a sewer pipe barrel. I had pulled the barrel off back when I had access to the tools, then it sat for years as an action. It bugged me so I paid a gunsmith $100 to install a take-off barrel he had. Then I realized that I didn’t need it and didn’t really even like it, so I sold it for what it was worth, about the same as I could’ve sold it for as an unbarreled action. Turned out it was pretty stupid to spend the time and money to finish that project just for the sake of finishing a project.

Nowadays I figure they’re not costing me anything to just sit there. Someday maybe I’ll feel like messing with them, or not. I would like to get that old WWI Enfield going again, it just needs a forearm, hand guards, magazine, barrel... I’m in no hurry though. Someday

[lightman]

I guess we all have projects that we hope to get around to. My current one is a Remington Stainless Sendero that I rebarreled to 6.5-284 for a long range Varmint gun. The chamber was cut with the same reamer as my match rifle. Another is a non gun project. A farm bell that my neighbor gave to me. I had it sand blasted last year. This year I need to make a pole for it and get it set up. I just run out of energy now days!

[mold maker]

From the beginning, stacking projects for a rainy day is foolish. The projects will remain long after the rainy days expire.
I'm 77 and still have a double lifetime of projects, even after thinning the herd several times. and finishing many. The only "someday project" left that surely will be finished is my life's expiration date. No matter what stage in life you find yourself, there will always be more than enough to keep you busy for the remainder.
I never intentionally accumulated "projects". they just fell into my lap while my attention was elsewhere. Some were trade bargain profits, while others were accidents or overlooked favors from deserving individuals.
At any rate, navigation of the 14 steps, and through the clutter of family storage to the cave is more than my energy level will withstand, and then there is the return trip to deal with.
Please don't leave "projects" for those less capable or interested to deal with. We all have an ample inventory of junk mixed with all the "good stuff". Some day we will leave it to our heirs like my parents did me. It's taken since "92 to sort through and dispose of their collections (treasures) of projects left unfinished . Like me, they both had a wild assortment of interests. The difference being I had no room to collect.

[fatelk]

Good points. That reminds me I need to update my inventory for my wife. I’m three decades your younger so presumably she won’t need it anytime soon, but there’s no guarantees in life.

We made a big move six years ago and the got rid of a bunch of projects and stuff at that time, actually a whole lot of stuff, thousands of dollars worth. What I have now is mostly leftovers. I’ve told my wife that if it’s not locked in the safe, then it’s most likely non functional and of little or no value. I could probably chuck it all in the dumpster at work and never miss it.

[RED BEAR]

I am there with you. Made up my mind and started taking them out one at a time and fixing them. Got several back in service probably are not worth the time or any money i spent although havent spent very much. But they are a blast to be able to take to range and give them a workout.

[Moleman-]

Always have several that need attention and keep an eye out for others. I don't mind putting some shop/garage/man cave time and a reasonably priced barrel blank into a project. Lately though it seems that most of the project guns are being sold for much more than they're worth or at least in my opinion on what they're worth. Picked this one up about 9 years ago for $100 and it sat in my safe for 4 years until getting a $120 barrel blank for it. Front sight base and sling swivel mount were made from some 1/2" plate scrap I've been toting around for 30 years. Got a beat 336 last year that is getting a new barrel at the moment. Waiting for it to warm up a bit as my shop is unheated and if you warm it up too much the machines get frost on them and rust. So, very little work gets done in the colder months. Need to cut the dovetails in the marlin barrel and rust blue it and refinish the stock. When that's done there's a Mossberg lever action waiting for a rebarrel also.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

That 1891 Argie is coming along nicely, Moleman.

[fatelk]

Very nice! An Argentine Mauser was one of the projects that I sold a few years ago. One of these years I want to pick up a barrel vice and tools, eventually a lathe.

My projects at this point have to include little or no metal work. Of of my favorites that I restored is a Remington pre-12 .22lr pump rifle. It was in relic condition when I got it for almost nothing from an acquaintance settling an estate. I put stock back together with pins and epoxy, made a couple small parts, cleaned off the rust and grime, and just put in a lot of elbow grease. It looks pretty good now, just a fun plinker.

Most of my projects in recent years have been for friends. I’ve spent tremendous time and effort fixing, restoring, refinishing guns for friends. Most of the time I don’t mind it, but anymore I don’t like being responsible for someone else’s gun, and just want to get it done so I can get it back to them. If it’s a good friend I’m glad to help, but it does take a lot of time, and as a firm rule I refuse payment.

[Reverend Al]

Welcome brother! I suspect that there are many of us in the "family" with the same problem ...

:wink:

[Pressman]

Two projects and a lot of need to get done projects.
A Remington XP-100 rear grip that has been rebarreled to 6BR. I need to get a functional trigger and finish reshaping the grip as it's too large for my small hands.

Argentine Mauser sporterized to 257 Roberts. Needs a stock, I have a good blank, better trigger, drill and tap for scope, and refinish.

S&W .22rf revolver needs the sear notch recut, hammer pushes off too easily.
Hawes 1856 Navy needs the internals worked over,maybe parts replaced.
A couple dozen old, RE: 1900 revolvers in various states of needing help.

Maybe some day...

[Hogtamer]

Come spring I'm gonna hire a couple of stout teenagers to take everything out of my loading/junk shed and sort out the landfill items as I direct. I can prolly put the remainder back, organized, in 30 minutes. :veryconfu

[samari46]

Seems as though I'm in good company. Peabody carbine in 56-50 waiting to either find a complete centerfire breech block or send it out to be converter to CF. Beautiful Belgian 7mm mauser 29" long small ring barrel for maybe a 1895 Chilean mauser action I have. 8mm Persian mauser carbine barrel to go on a 1937 VZ24 action. And lately a beautiful Finn M39 barrel to replace the rotted out one on a Finn 39 that was given to me. Could list a few more but you get the idea. Frank