My turnaround time for barrels is generally 90-120 days, and I feel bad telling customers that. As a much respected gunmaker, writer, photographer once reminded me “it doesn’t matter how long you backlog is if you don’t get paid until you get the work out” . Restorations I can generally get out in under a year, but again, I stick to specific models that I’m set up to do.
Yes the shop is mildly machine intensive, for a couple of reasons: a. I like machines b. the machines are set up to do repeat operations. One of the mills is set up just to octagon barrels, and make the mag tube relief cut; the second mill is for “other” operations: dovetails, extractor/ejector cuts, general milling/drilling etc.
Some are very specific: The Volostro Rotary Milling head; its only purpose is to cut the rotary dovetails for the magazine tube hangers.
The factory used stamps & roll dies for their markings, to do a proper restoration I have to do it the same way the factory did it. Some of these roll marks are very specific; only applicable to a very narrow serial number range i.e.. the “broken D”, but if you’re going to do it you’ve got to do it right.
