Whynot Gunsmith Shop

Re*****on 550-1, .22. Old enough that there is no serial number. Customer said it was taken apart at some point for an unknown reason. The parts were put in a zip lock bag, which was lost. Sentimental gun, asked if it could be returned to functional. A quick assessment showed it was missing the Deflector, Deflector Screw, Bolt Handle and most of the Bolt parts. Disassembled. Missing the Action Spring, Action Spring Bushing, Action Spring Guide, Action Spring Guide Retainer, Receiver Plug, Mainspring, Mainspring Plunger, Firing Pin, Receiver Plug Retainer, Receiver Plug Retainer Screw and Receiver Plug Retainer Screw Lock Washer. The internal threads for the Receiver Plug Retainer were damaged. The only good news was no one had tried to unscrew the Sear Spring Case. After assessment called the customer back. Of the 14 missing parts, I had about half in inventory. The others would have to be ordered. My biggest concern was the damaged threads. That’s a proprietary thread pitch, .795X20, I certainly didn’t have a tapp that size. Not to mention it’s a 3/4 hole in the Receiver, not fully round. In the end he made the wise decision not to pursue the repair. Nothing irritates me like not fixing customers guns. Sometimes you have to know when to say when.
Vance Moore
Whynot Gunsmith Shop
Meridian, Mississippi
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Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen, 1970 DOM. Customer got it in and asked for a cleaning/maintenance cycle and put Sling Studs in the Stock and Mag Tube Cap. Assessed. The Buttpad is a non original Decelerator that someone did a really nice job or grinding & fitting. Disassembled, Friction Ring set up was completely incorrect, with the Friction Ring on top of the Bronze Friction Piece. The synthetic Magazine Spring Retainer was distorted and pushed deep into the Mag Tube. Moderately dirty and gummy on the interior. While the sonic cleaner was heating up, used the Kleinendorst Drill Jig to drill for the Stock Sling Stud and drilled the Mag Tube cap for its stud assembly. Sonic cleaned. Resembled with a new Action Spring & Plug, Sling Studs, Recoil Spring, Magazine Spring Retainer and Magazine Spring from inventory. Function checked and test fired.
Vance Moore
Whynot Gunsmith Shop, Meridian, Mississippi
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Browning A5, 1966 DOM, Light Twelve with two Barrels, a Light and a Standard. Customer said
“…someone worked on it a few years ago…” now it’s not functioning, but he couldn’t remember the specifics. Assessed, Action Spring and Recoil Spring were both weak as ‘tater water. Magazine Tube Cap had been drilled for a Sling Stud, but the stud was missing. I can tell from the amount of gold missing from the Trigger it’s seen its share of honest field time. Disassembled, Bronze Friction Ring was in completely incorrect. Handmade wood Mag Tube Plug, Hammer Spring Screw was so loose it was about to fall out. Sonic cleaned. Reassembled with a new Action Spring & Plug, Recoil Spring, Sling Stud parts and Mag Tube Plug. Function checked and test fired.
Vance Moore
Whynot Gunsmith Shop
Meridian, Mississippi
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J Frame Smith & Wesson Model 37 Airweight, 2” .38. Customer said the gun was stored for well over a decade. He has taken it to two gunsmiths due to excessive play in the Bolt and when the Thumb Piece is pushed the Cylinder is giving trouble releasing. According to him, the Bolt that’s in it is not the correct part. Removed the Sideplate and disassembled. Got the Bolt out, it appears to have been brazed back together and ground on to fit. Pulled a Model 37 Bolt from inventory and compared the two, substantial differences in several measurements. Customer was adamant he didn’t want it sonic cleaned. In good faith I wiped out some of the internals with Q-Tips and solvent, at least left a light coat of lubricant on some parts. Tightened up the Extractor Rod and reassembled with the new Bolt from inventory. Function checked and test fired.
Vance Moore
Whynot Gunsmith Shop
Meridian, Mississippi
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I only work one gun show a year and it’s this coming weekend, so I’ve got a busy week. Trying to get a few things repaired and finished up before then. Re*****on 1100, 12 gauge. Complaint was the customer couldn’t get shells to load into the Magazine Tube after the last dove hunt it went on. He did say he took it apart trying to find the problem, ended up putting it back together and bringing it in. He also asked for a new Front Sight Bead, the original was missing. Disassembled. Normal amount of gun gunk inside the internals for a user dove gun. Action Spring was rusted, but had been recently oiled. No Magazine Tube Plug parts or pieces were present. Sonic cleaned. The Front Sight Bead hole still had remnants of the original bead and damage inside. .140 Drill Bit and 8-40 tapp to get the new bead threaded in. Reassembled with a new Action Spring, Barrel Seal, Front Sight Bead and Magazine Tube Plug from inventory. Function checked and test fired.
Vance Moore
Whynot Gunsmith Shop,
Meridian, Mississippi
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J Frame Smith & Wesson Model 60-15, 3” .357. Customer asked for the Front Sight to be replaced, said it was angled to the right and shooting far left, no other complaints. Did a quick assessment. The Front Sight was leaning right, Rear Windage screw was turned all the way right. Decide to do a test fire at the range with the .38’s the customer brought. From the 15 yard line the group was 4” left on windage. Elevation POA and POI were acceptable. In the back of my mind I kept thinking
“…something else is wrong…” Back at the shop, removed the Front Sight Roll Pin and placed in the new (also customer provided) Front Sight, was angled. God didn’t give me a 100 MPH brain, I have to stop, look at and think through problems. Finally realized the Barrel wasn’t lined up correctly w/ the Frame. Used the revolver Action Head Wrench blocks to tighten up the Barrel about 1/8”, put the old Front Sight back in. Checked the Cylinder alignment. Test fired for functionality. I’ll leave it up to the customer to check the sight adjustment.
Vance Moore
Whynot Gunsmith Shop
Meridian, Mississippi
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DPMS AR that was brought in, needed to be fully assembled. With AR’s, I always drillout the rear Take Down Pin hole about 3/16” and tapp it to 6-40, put in a Filler Screw. In the future when/if someone removes the End Plate, the spring and detent won’t go flying across the room, never to be seen again. After that just a normal AR Receiver assembly. Staked the Castle Nut to the End Plate. Nothing difficult here, I had several customers picking up and dropping off this morning. This is an easy job to stop and pick back up. Plus, I needed a break from sh****ns.
Vance Moore
Whynot Gunsmith Shop, Meridian, Mississippi
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I’ve been chomping at the bit to get into this repair job. But it had to wait its turn. 1969 Browning A5, 12 gauge shipped in from Kentucky. Customer told me he fired it, and the Magazine Tube sheared off and everything forward of that point went flying. He sent all the parts he could find. When it came in, I immediately started putting Kroil on the remains of the Magazine Tube stuck in the Receiver. Disassembled. Forend was cracked, broken and non repairable. Action Spring Plug was broken, internals very thickly coated in gun grime. Started with the remains of the stuck Mag Tube first. Used a 3/4” Screw Extractor to try to remove the remains, no success. Having faced this problem before, next option was to use a Diamond Bit on the Dremel to hand cut a channel the length of the remains, to create a weak point. Used a punch to pry up one side, exposing the threads. Then pliers to grasp and peel back/unscrew the remains, that got it out. Chased out the internal threads with the correct size tapp. Number 4 Barrel Bushing in the Barrel Vise to screw in the new (used) Mag Tube. Drill a hole in the Mag Tube for the ni**le on the Magazine Cut-Off Spring Screw, 3/32” End Mill Bit to start and a number 34 drill bit to finish. Last step is to use a Riffler File to smooth the interior. Sonic cleaned. Reassembled with a new Action Spring & Plug, Magazine Spring Retainer, Recoil Spring, Friction Ring, Bronze Friction Piece & Spring and Forend. I had a used, but perfectly serviceable, Magazine Tube in inventory, saved the customer a few Galactic Imperial Credits. Function checked and test fired.
Vance Moore
Whynot Gunsmith Shop
Meridian, Mississippi
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It’s Wednesday and I’m officially closed. But the “Fall Sh***un Rush”
has started so I’m here trying to knock out a cleaning, parts replacement job. 1973 Browning A5 Light Twenty. Customer complaint was not cycling reliably. Disassembled, it was sticky and tacky on the interior. Sonic cleaned. New Recoil Spring, Action Spring & Plug, and Magazine Spring Retainer. Function checked and test fired. I love it when I don’t run into unexpected problems.
Vance Moore
Whynot Gunsmith Shop
Meridian, Mississippi
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Instagram: vance_gunsmith

Mossberg 500 in 20 gauge. Came in with three complaints. Stuck Choke, broken Safety and the Elevator Assembly not fully cycling. Of all those, the Elevator Assembly was the most intriguing situation. Disassembled. Kroil and heat got the Choke removed. Surprisingly I didn’t have to put it in the Barrel Vise, wood blocks in the Flat Jaw Vise held it for removal. Safety Button was broken, Safety Detent Ball was missing, Safety Button Screw, Safety Detent Spring, Safety Block and Safety Detent Plate were damaged. Elevator Assembly looked like it was twisted and not aligned. Found two homemade Magazine Tube Plugs in the Mag Tube, one of them appeared to be a ground down Re*****on plug. Sonic cleaned. Reassembled with the necessary Safety parts from inventory, had to order the Elevator Assembly, of all the Mossberg parts I have in inventory, didn’t have a 20 gauge assembly. I never like the Clutch Head Screws Mossberg put in the safety. So I usually use the Screw Slot Fixture to deepen the slot. Function checked, no test fire, no Choke.
Vance Moore
Whynot Gunsmith Shop, Meridian, Mississippi
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Instagram: vance_gunsmith