A restoration approach to handling unsightly holes in a firearm.

by Robert E. Fried

The title of this probably should read “Making Ugly Holes Disappear” because that’s what we’re actually covering in this article. Ugly holes can be on any firearm, such as long guns where they were drilled and tapped for either scope mounts or a sight of some sort. Over time of installing bases, sights, and later removing them, sometimes these holes can become unsightly and require repair.

Gunsmithing often requires things like drilling and tapping a hole or milling a slot, but here we are going to partially do the opposite. If you have an older firearm that is in the need of refinishing, this is the perfect time for this restoration work. This isn’t limited to older firearms as newer firearms may require this as well. Recently, I had a customer bring in a fairly new Henry Repeating Arms Golden Boy that “someone” had messed up the scope base holes appearance and threads. Some gunsmiths might prefer to weld up the holes but such a fix is drastic on a barrel or receiver with good bluing. This repair procedure can be done on blind holes, through holes, blued areas, or – best of all – a firearm needing to be refinished.

To begin, determine the…

Read more in the August 2017 issue.

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