Identify at least one case of unprofessional work that has been performed on a 1911, how this work negatively affected the operation of the firearm and provide information as to how this work should have been performed to give a better outcome. Define why the resources you used to identify the proper method of conducting the work are credible resources and should be trusted. Detail if you would have performed this work appropriately, if you had been asked to in the past, or if you would have made a mistake that would have cost you money, time, confidence, etc.
I found it hard to locate a lot of unprofessional work done to the 1911 platform. Not to say there isn’t a ton of it out there, but most people will not advertise poor quality work to the world. I was able to find an illustration on thearmorylife.com titled “don’t do these things to your 1911”. The source is a blog of sorts put together by Springfield Armory and can be considered credible because this company makes a number of 1911 models and would never recommend something unsafe. In the illustration you see someone who has used rubber bands to disable their grip safety. This negatively impacts both the safe operation of the firearm and the user’s ability to control the firearm because it allows the user to fire with an incorrect grip. Deactivating a safety is never advised and can lead to legal trouble if the firearm is accidently discharged and someone is injured or killed. If you dislike the way the grip safety feels or are having trouble activating it while firing you can look at an aftermarket grip safety that feels better and is easier to activate. A lot of 1911 grip safeties have a flat palm type grip safety and if this is hard to use correctly, I would recommend something that has an added bump at the palm section of the safety. This raised bump makes it easier to activate even if the shooter doesn’t have a perfect grip. I have been asked by customers in the past about this and I usually recommend this raised type grip safety because it’s a quick parts swap and is next to impossible to mess up or damage the firearm.
As a gunsmith, what are the most valuable resources you have available to ensure that you return a firearm to your customer in better condition than you received it?
As a gunsmith some of the most valuable resources available to me are my cleaning tools. Most of the time when a customer hands you a firearm that needs work, they are handing over something that was just fired or has been carried for an extended period of time without cleaning. One of the easiest ways to return a firearm to a customer in better condition than when it was dropped off is just to disassemble it and clean it up. Not only have you fixed their problem but by handing back a clean firearm the customer knows you took good care of it.
What additional ethical concerns can you think of that are important to consider each time you receive a firearm for gunsmith work?
Additionally, it is ethical to return any old used parts of the firearm that were removed or replaced. I have known one or two gunsmiths in the past to keep any parts they removed and replaced stating things like “well they don’t need it anymore because they have the new part installed”. I usually return these things to the customer and let them know that the old parts are with the order and if they say something like “just toss it” then I may end up keeping the old part so long as it is not broken. Returning the old parts that are still serviceable allows the user to reinstall the original factory parts if they later decide they don’t like the new upgrades.
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