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I haven’t made a Winchester-related episode to share on the forum for a while, but I thought some of the history buffs on the forum might enjoy this episode on Old West firearms repair made from a 19th century blacksmith shop here on the ranch. Merry Christmas everyone! Mark
History buff here. Thank you for the video Mark. Really enjoyed it and all you’ve done so far! Hope you continue posting them. Great barn!
Merry Christmas all!
Mark, you just keep surprising! Lovely history and its so nice some of the old buildings and contents survive! Way to go!
Tim
Thanks guys! For a history buff like me, this was a very enjoyable episode to make. Mark
November 7, 2015
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Very nice, that old barn is tangible history. Glad you know the story behind much of it. I have a few of my grand-dad’s old tools, only about 100 years old but still interesting. Glimpse of a different time.
Mike
Mark – very enjoyable video. I’ll not be as judgmental to those who did some of the old gun repairs. I’m sure that back then, concerns about impacting the, “collectability” of some of these old working guns would be incomprehensible to their owners. A gun was a tool and it only had value if it worked. I suspect that the emergence of repeating rifles posed additional challenges for the blacksmiths with rudimentary tools and probably not a working base of knowledge for complicated and intricate actions. Take the Colt Lightning for example. Even in current times, getting one to cycle and feed poses significant challenges to gunsmiths with the latest tools. I suspect that back in the day, many repeating rifles spent the end of their lives being used as single-shots.
Awesome video as always Mark I really enjoy the history of the old west also.
RickC
Oh how much I’d love to go through the stuff in that building. Where I grew up no one tore down their old barns and out buildings. Eventually they were nothing but a heap of wood and memories.
May 3, 2020
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Great video Mark really enjoy watching, every one is interesting and informative
BASC member
Mark, I enjoyed your video and I see how independent a Western Ranch was. Talk about jack of all trades, you break it you fix it. Thanks for the insight. T/R
TR said
Mark, I enjoyed your video and I see how independent a Western Ranch was. Talk about jack of all trades, you break it you fix it. Thanks for the insight. T/R
I am awed by the challenges faced by these Jack-of-all-trades gunsmiths/blacksmiths. I suspect many of the repeating rifles proved too much. I mentioned the Colt Lightning Repeating rifles. Modern gunsmiths with the latest tools and resources have found there is a tremendous learning curve on fixing these rifles. I hadn’t thought this through before, but I can better see the advantage of ordering a single-shot rifle back then vs. a repeater. A single-shot rifle is much more likely to keep working and not let you down. Back then, a rifle letting you down could have been a much bigger deal 
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