I love your motivation talks. We need more of this in our society. Our youth need to unplug from the games and pick up a tool.

That monologue at the end was straight up inspirational. I don't even have a gun, but it made me want to get up, grab a tool and maintain something.

just finished restoration of a Stevens Crack shot 26 that had been treated poorly. It took everything from rust conversion to silver brazing with some rust bluing and stock repair thrown in. I want to thank Mark for showing me what good work looks like. I'm sure this project would not have come out so well without all the wisdom he has shared with us.

@marknovak8255

2 ай бұрын

Outstanding. Just sayin

@andrewbolasky7827

Ай бұрын

Small world! I’ve also got a Crackshot 26 that I “saved” with knowledge from Mark. Sounds like mine was in better shape than yours, I just needed a basic conservation - no more of that brown “patina”. My grandma learned to shoot with it, nicknamed the “rat rod” in reference to the targets of choice at the local dump about a century ago.

@paulwosmek7316

4 күн бұрын

Worked on a 26 & favorite 15 a year ago simple guns & good to learn with I felt

I've started conserving some guns and just successfully re-blued a Winchester 94. Thanks for teaching us how simple the process can be.

Thank you Mark for showing slobs like me the tricks of the trade. Too many craftsmen are taking their secrets to the grave.

"Do the maintenance!" Needs to be a T-Shirt. I'd buy it.

Loved this, watching Mark work on unicorns is great, but that's not how the rest of us can acquire the skills needed to keep these things running long into the future. I learned what I know by resurrecting basket-cases that weren't worth the time and money I put into them, but the experience gained is priceless!

I have about $250 and maybe 20+ hours invested in an old Stevens bolt action .22..... Why? Because I wanted to. It was a rusty barreled receiver when I got it and now after a parts kit and a lot of work it looks as good as new. I'll never get that money back out of it, but that wasn't the point. It's going to be my daughters first rifle one day and hopefully worth more than just money to her

This channel has been extremely valuable. I was able to fix a duffle cut on a Type 38 Arisaka that had the full mum. That motivation for me to pick up the tools and to make that repair came from this channel.

One more point. Because of you, I have set up part of my basement to do nothing but gun conversions. I've done 25 or 30 and I have many more lined up to do. It's amazing how many "gun men" have never heard of rust conversion and maintenance.

@theshadowrunner28

2 ай бұрын

Same here man. It's amazing what hides beneath the surface of old guns, and also even more cool what old guns you can salavage from the grasp of time.

Thank you so much Mark. If you ever feel some tasks in your videos seem redundant, they are not. For your aspiring gunsmith subs, it is priceless knowledge

That carbide Burr is the funniest looking stone iv'e ever seen lol. Quite the rabbit hole sir

@enricomandragona163

2 ай бұрын

Ditto 🤣🤣

Bought a Mauser 1910/14 a while back, made in 1918. Looked really nice on the outside but when oiling/cleaning the insides, the towel came back brown/red... Took it apart, cleaned it, boiled it, gave it the steel wool treatment and replaced some springs with a wolff kit. Shoots really well now! Thank you Mark for the knowledge. I am doing my part! Cheers from Switzerland

Well spoken Mark - Small Arms, Big Responsibility!

There is a Turkish Mauser in my safe right now, that whilst old and tired, is clean, rust free, and safe to shoot, thanks to your videos mate. You're doing the Lord's work.

I did the same repair and conservation procedure on my fathers identical J. C. Higgins 12 gauge last month. Have another one to due in the near future! Great guns! They will reach out and bust a birds ass at an unbelievable distance!

I loved the model 12 reference since my first shotgun was one, got it for my 13th birthday, I passed it along to a young lad about 20 years ago and he still shoots it to this day.

You guys are a hoot. Expert advice and skill demonstration with humor. The best!

Brought back to life a W. C. Higgins .22 Click-Clack rifle made in the mid to late 40s. Rifle had no real intrinsic value, but it was a friend's grandfather item. It also has a "cool" factor in that it is a bolt-action / semi-auto rifle. Let that sink in...

I’ve noticed there is a reluctance of preservation in militaria collectibles in general. Especially something so simple as leather preservation (the use of Lexol) which is far easier than proper gun maintenance and preservation. The leather items are skin and need preservation and moisture to survive indefinitely if properly looked after but instead just dry out and degrade away into dust and crack because of this fear losing its patina. I guess they’d rather lose the entire item to keep it original. 🤷🏻‍♂️ Like you say they’re not making anymore of them and it’s only original once.

Thanks to watching you I restored that M LE16 French Berthier in 8mm Lebel. Took a lot of hand work with a broken thumb, but she looks great and shoots straight. Thanks for everything Mark. God bless.

Mark I just love watching you work. I'm no gunsmith that's for sure, but I can't wait to watch a new video.

You're a fantastic motivator, Mark. And I really appreciate the little tips and tricks you share. Thanks a lot. 🤝🏻

No cigar in this video Mark!! 😂 Because of your generous tenacity and wisdom and all around skills i was able to do a conservation of my 1944 Ithaca 1911 that belonged to an Army B-17 pilot. Appon taking it apart i found rubber inlays from aircraft windows or vehicles soldiers used for sweetheart grips! The internals had to be changed because the gun wouldn't safely eject as the recoil spring was week and the extractor was buggered up!! Lol. I went to a military armory and got original internal parts all springs disconnector and sear and a forged guiderod. I boiled the frame and slide then soaked it in Varsol blew her out and oiled. Finally i was lucky to find a not used left grip panel that matched up exactly. The original saw better days although it was usable. Wish i could show you a picture! Can't wait for you to do that 1911! I see it's an original Colt from the two-tone magazine. This was my first build btw 😅

@enricomandragona163

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for the Love Mark!! Have a Cigar on me! What do you smoke?

That J.C.Higgens reminds me of my first shotgun. A bolt action 20 ga Mossberg with an adjustable choke. :)

I learn something from every one of your videos. The skills are applicable to more than just firearms.

Thank you... for the videos, and for the motivation to do better. I've got an 1897 Winchester sitting in the corner calling my name and rightfully expecting a little TLC thanks to you.

So good to see you back Mark! Very good video as always.

Thanks for the tip on the acru-glass, warming it up mine is getting a little stiff. also the vinegar clean up.

I gotta say, I dont own any old guns, but if I did, I'd be doing the maintenance. To be fair, I maintain my new stuff probably more than most people. Either way, it's a pleasure to watch a master work, as always. Thanks fellas.

Hey, first for once, I miss these videos. I wish they were more frequent.

Another gunsmith taught me to use a pencil before silver-soldering, the way you did the scribe but marking all over that piece of barrel. It mostly prevented the silver solder from sticking and made the cleanup much easier.

I appreciate ya highligthing the often forgotten department store soecials and the like. They may not always be that fancy, or that high a pedigree. But they are an aproacable history. What put food on the table each fall, or what was trusted by the doorway for 3 decades, or what kept the rats out of the chicken coop, are still worth remembering fondly and preserving

The funniest thing is I lost a bolt handle that was brazed onto a Glenfield Mod 20 and was hoping to see how bad it would be to braze it back on (I'm a welder so that's what I'm used to rather than brazing), this definitely gives me a good estimate! Thank you very much! Thank you as well for another great video! I've always been interested in guns and love finding out how they work and things like that. My biggest annoyance are guns similar to the Winchester 77 and the Rossi Puma carbine that I've had the privilege to look at and clean only to find out that I don't have the tooling to give it a proper cleaning! Usually stupid things like not having the right size punches and such. Still, thank you so much for continuing to spread your knowledge and instill in the next generation, like myself, to be patient but to maintain what we have.

@donmurrin5269

2 ай бұрын

Making tools adds to the experience or...there's harbor fright.

Thank You Mark for presenting the most informative and enjoyable gunsmithing content i have found. Best Wishes to You, Your Family and Friends.

“Fly it out in space…”. That’s awesome.

I had 2 teachers in my life that you remind me of, and both made a profound impact on my dealings in life. I wish I could have had you as well. I guess through KZread, in a way, I do. Thank you for your time and the production of these videos!

Your inspiration and work that you do pushed me to decide to overhaul my Enfield Model 1917. It was re-barreled with a 2-groove and parkerized (unfortunately). Found some rust scale inside internal magazine that got parkerized over. That was one tedious clean up of chipping, Dremel work, removing slush and then re-bluing. It did turn out to be an outstanding rifle!

Love your videos! I started with a Savage 24 (.410 and .22 mag) in a real bad way due to neglect, conserved it and later sold it to a guy WHO HAD TO OWN IT. It's a spiritual thing, what we do for rusty steel and grungy wood!

J.C. Higgins, a house brand for Sears and Roebuck, model number 583.1 built by High Standard. according to S.P. Fjestad "Blue Book" of gun values.

@grahampalmer9337

2 ай бұрын

- And recalled by Sears for a bolt safety problem.

Neat! I got one of these Higgins guns. Seeing that on your bench made me smile. I'm active in my pursuit. To find old, odd, and otherwise rusted, busted cast off pieces. To see how they work. While gaining the experience and appreciation of the once bustling industry. That was American gun making. Thanks a ton Mark. You've shown us so much. 'preciate yall

Duck guns like this iv had a few iv done..got a love a bolt action

Absolutely right sir. This was a very enjoyable and informative video thank you for sharing this with us six stars

@marknovak8255

2 ай бұрын

My pleasure

Mark. As always - "Outstanding" ✅

This is the first time I have seen another one of the J.C. Higgins bolt action shotgun. I own one of these, it came from my grandpa, and the front end of the barrel was a pitted mess. Here is a feature that mine has that you might want to test out. Put a round in the chamber, safety off, and bump the butt on the ground. It doesn't take too hard of a bump for mine to go off. And yes, for some reason this bolt action kicks. Not something you give to a first time shooter. Great video on it though. Wish mine looked that good.

All the videos are excellent, you learn a lot from them. Many greetings from Argentina.

Classic Mark, Thank you.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and insights.

You are an inspiration and a tremendous mentor. Thanks to you, I'm willing to give it a go.

Thank you Mark for another great video.

Love the videos. I plan to try out the rust conversion on some rust tools so I can practice for if I come across a gun to do.

The only patina I like is on old Chevys. I'll admit, I've left an old pitted on the outside, amazing bore on the inside, 22lr with a coat of tung oil to keep it from getting worse. Thanks for the content, guys. It's always nice to see new videos when you put them out. 🤙🏾

I have two jc in 20 and 12 beautiful hunting guns thanks mark

Love watching your craftsmanship. Thanks for sharing.

I inherited my grandpa's JC Higgins model 20-12 gauge, it just needs to be reblued and the trigger guard is bent in towards the trigger. Other than that it works great.😁

I love those Ithaca Model 37s. I have several, from Featherlight to Trench/Riot guns.

Great restoration!! Thank you

Very informative! Thanks Mark!

Great video....as always!!

Great video Mark!!

I like this kind of episode where we see whats going through the shop at the moment!

I don't think of what's it worth..I just feel..it's got a be so it can be use..ya I do it cause I love to do it..

Fun fact about the Ithaca M37. It is a shotgun that the trigger can be held down and shuck shells. The trigger does not have to be depressed in order for the gun to fire.

@marknovak8255

2 ай бұрын

If the trigger is held, the gun will discharge when the out of battery interlock clears. Slam fire for the win....

Love the videos Mark keep em coming

Great work !!!

Outstanding!

Nice work sailor !!

thanks Mark

A friend invited me to look at a few old guns that he had gotten from his late uncle. He has them in a wooden wardrobe in a spare room. I was sad to see the condition of the guns with a layer of fine rust on all of them. Most were in a state of disrepair and some missing parts and a couple of broken stocks. Enough to keep you in videos for a month. A simple oil rag and a few minutes of time could have saved them some time ago.

@CAMSLAYER13

2 ай бұрын

Some fine surface rust is really no big deal most of the time

Thanks for the video.

Thanks Mark

You tell 'em Sailor. ✌🇦🇺

Thanks for sharing

Your wife is going to kick your butt for doing that to her Tupperware 😂

Loved the rotary stone you have there, awful course grit though.

Tank you men👍

I love Mark.

Great Video 💯💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

Some guys watch cute chicks asmr to fall asleep. Others watch angels pissing

Aye! Maintenance, aye!

13:47 and a certain AC unit.

I normally don't have any suggestions your great ! however doing refrigeration for 40 years id say refrigeration silver solder would have been a better choice , i also cut my teeth in the 70s doing bodywork back when we still fabricated and brazed in patches , I've learned a lot from your programs, thanks for sharing your knowledge

@marknovak8255

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing

@billtheunjust

2 ай бұрын

What's different about refrigeration silver solder?

@ericschulze5641

2 ай бұрын

​@billtheunjust it's not pre fluxed , it's thinner & stronger & can be applied far more precisely than brazing rod , it's not the stuff you buy at a home center, you have to get it from a refrigeration supply/ high silver content .

Mark es muy macho.

That gun looked like a prolific winter hunter kept urinating on it to make it warmer to hold, I imagine 😂

I got a ww2 trench gun that’s in better shape than this gun but still has some rough spots. It’s something I want to get cleaned up eventually but I learned a lot from this video and I think one day if I feel confident enough I’ll attempt it

@enricomandragona163

2 ай бұрын

If I can do it so can you!! Just have the right tools!! See my story here

If I was making a joint as obvious as the one above, I would make a paste of flux and filings of whatever the joining metal is going to be. Paste it on the joint sparingly, clamp it up, then heat the more massive part gently until all the water has steamed off. Clean the outside of the joint at that point, tighten clamps if necessary and then begin serious heating, again of the massive part. You will see when the joint flows and can stop heating at that point. Much less mess to clean up.

I think I have the JC Higgins 583.17 shotgun. It is just as bad as the rust. I also think it has a problem with the firing pin. There was a recall on it. I have never fired it. I kept it for a future project.

@donmurrin5269

2 ай бұрын

I understand the recall on mine. Was regarding the retaining screw for the bolt.

Magnesium Chloride, aka "deicer" will strip the chrome out of stainless, allowing the iron to oxidize.

I'm a patron and can't unlock previous videos

@marknovak8255

2 ай бұрын

I have to get back to the shop computer in the am. I will solve this

Boron burns green like copper

7:54 If we do this right, no one will know that we're here.

If carefully done, it's possible to get a great value on cosmetically damaged guns. Just don't expect to add much value.

That's either deep rust or significant patina - depends on wether you're looking for a good deal or you need to screw yourself out of some money.

Could go into more detail about the hot water bluing process in future video? Curious as to benefits and downsides compared to rust bluing and how the process would differ.

@CAMSLAYER13

2 ай бұрын

Its the same thing

@BillWilsonBG

2 ай бұрын

​@@CAMSLAYER13 He said he was going to do a hot water blue instead of a full rust blue, made it sound to me that it differed or was a more expedient/less intensive process compared to a rust blue which is why I assumed it would be somewhat different.

@marknovak8255

2 ай бұрын

I have several videos up covering bluing as well as parkerizing for your convenience.

@BillWilsonBG

2 ай бұрын

​@@marknovak8255 I have seen your bluing videos, but it has been a long time so I couldn't recall "hot water blue" being referenced before. Is that referring to Dicropan "IM"? I had not heard of that method before so I was left somewhat confused to if it was a different type of rust bluing method or what have you. Thanks.

That is a nice sander you have there. Let me show you it's features. Hah hah hah hah.

Little surprised you didn't put the barrel into lathe and just spun it with using some wet dry paper on it. Seems it would have been easier and would have even left the original looking machine marks on it.

Mark, you got time to work on your own stuff? How's the collection looking? Patinaful?

Get them geese

I'm surprised you used 15% silver to braze the lug back on the shotgun barrel, 45% melts at a little lower temp, and flows way better. I have always been told 40/50% silver is what was used in all the gun factories for OEM brazing.

Ooooh, everybody says that Mark Novak does such fine work. But I can do better than that in my sleep. Or more accurately, IN MY DREAMS.😉 Unfortunately, when I'm awake, I can barely even CLEAN my own firearms. So I guess he does great work. But I can still dream.