By Clint Hawkins
Owner Hawkins Arms LLC,
AGI Pro Course Graduate, GCA Member
The Marlin Model 1897 became famous by being the rifle used by Annie Oakley. Before she met Buffalo Bill Cody, Annie was the bread winner for her mother’s family by being a prime supplier of quail for restaurants. They especially liked her birds because they didn’t have lead pellets in them. She shot the quail through the head with her .22 Rifle. Continue reading
By Clint Hawkins
Owner Hawkins Arms LLC,
AGI Pro Course Graduate, GCA Member
A client brought in an interesting project the other day. He had purchased a rifle of unknown heritage that was beautifully blued and kind of looked like a Mauser. More on that later. It had been re-barreled, but whoever did it didn’t bother to stamp the caliber on the barrel. The man from whom he bought it told him that the caliber was “8mm-06 or .300 something or other, probably a magnum.” He also brought a stock in which he wanted to mount the barreled action. He wanted it inletted, the barrel free floated and glass bedded, but he wanted to do the exterior himself. Continue reading
by Clint Hawkins
Hawkins LLC, Pro Course Graduate & GCA Charter Member
“Best foot forward,” they always say, but you have to know the story! This is not a story about how great I am in doing Nitre Blue for you will quickly see that’s not true, or even how great the results can be if you use it on your projects. It is really about the things you need to watch out for to successfully complete the project. Gene Shuey shows all the right things to do and how to do them in his Rust and Nitre Bluing course. AGI courses do warn about what can happen “if” … but their time is too valuable to show anything except what is the right result. Continue reading
By Clint Hawkins
Owner Hawkins Arms LLC,
AGI Pro Course Graduate, GCA Member
Four years ago, while taking a SBA (Small Business Administration) course conducted by our local community college called the SBDC (Small Business Development Course), one of the key things promoted by the mentor working with me on my business plan was this:
Publish a newsletter for your potential and existing clientele. Continue reading
By Clint Hawkins
Owner Hawkins Arms LLC,
AGI Pro Course Graduate, GCA Member
I used to take a perverse pleasure in answering the question, “Do you specialize in any particular gun?” My answer for many years was, “If anything, I specialize in not working on Ruger pistols.” Words cannot begin to convey the hidden smiles, the grins, the suppressed laughter, the chortles, the outright glee when I watched Bob Dunlap struggle, successfully to be sure, with the mainspring housing of one of those #*&@% wonderful creations by Bill Ruger. But, since then, I have learned a trick or two and struggle less, but sometimes still. I cope, successfully, eventually. Continue reading
By Clint Hawkins
Owner Hawkins Arms LLC,
AGI Pro Course Graduate, GCA Member
That title is just to get your attention. Between Gene Shuey and Jack Landis and the other AGI Gurus, everybody should know how to install recoil pads. This is about the consequences of installing one with a twist. Not the pad, the job! Continue reading