doug a.'s Profile

2 Reviews

I actually already own this set in VHS format. Mr. Shue does an excellent job in showing you what to do/how to do it. You can't go wrong. I used it to build my first Mauser a few years back.

However, I will say that the assumption in this video set is that you're embarking on a career as a gunsmith and have access to a lathe. That is absolutely NOT a requirement with these old Mauser actions. You don't need a lathe and you don't need to do the action truing that he and many gunsmiths advocate. On a Mauser action that is probably overkill.

You can build on a Mauser action with simple hand tools, no lathe required, if you use the pre-threaded barrels commonly available for Mauser actions. Take a look at Patrick Sweeney's book "Gunsmithing-Rifles" for complete info on how to do this. It's not that difficult.

Despite this particular drawback, Mr. Shue's videos are still pretty useful, as they go beyond this aspect. The other material presented (gunstocks, bedding, etc) is very useful. Excellent rental value!

I actually own this video in VHS as well. I've made a number of gunstocks using his teachings in this video. Sure, you'll learn how to finish and checker your gunstock in this video. But what I especially took away from this as very valuable are the many 'tricks of the trade" that he shares with you. From what product to use for your finish and why you might want to use that particular one, to certain tricks of the wet sanding process, and so forth. This is probably my favorite technical video. Its not DVD quality, but this info is without question "prime-time" stuff.