What is an LH Deluxe or Longhunter Action Job?

 

    Over the years and especially with the development of cowboy action shooting (SASS) an “action job” has come to mean many things.  From a spring upgrade to polishing everything in the action.  Some help the gun, some hurt it.  It depends on the smith and the soundness of operation being imposed on the gun's function.  All we really want to do is convey what a Longhunter action job or Deluxe Model means as the need to define it has become more pressing in recent years. 

             Different firearms have different needs based on design and this constantly changes at the mercy of the manufacturers tolerances.  Here are  a few definitions that apply to Longhunter’s

 

Hone internal parts

            This does not mean polish everything, which is the most common use of the word in relation to action work.  It means everything from removing metal that is out of spec, squaring, truing, to adding metal and re-machining to desired specifications. Truing up or re-machining the mating surfaces of the moving parts will double the life of most any given firearm and prevent accelerated wear.  Polishing everything or too much of any part is essentially wearing out the gun.  Upon opening up one of our guns many note that we haven’t polished the heck out of everything.  Polish may be applied where it aids the firearms function and machining is applied where it must.  All the mating surfaces are trued or realigned as necessary.  This involves stoning, lapping, welding, milling, filing, tempering, and a final polish to “polish” things off.  The result is a superior feel and crispness that adds longevity and durability to a firearms shooting life. 

 

Replace Springs

Recognized by all as a necessary element to enhancing a firearms potential, this can be reducing or increasing tension of key areas to aid a firearms operation or reliability.  Springs should never decrease firearms reliability.  Good spring tension is necessary to buffer things in a firearms mechanics.  We install or modify firearm springs to aid, not hinder. 

 

Rework Sear and Hammer

Often listed separate from honing and is open to individual requests and needs.  An absolute must to excel at any type of shooting.  It isn’t enough to have a good trigger pull; it must be consistent gun to gun.  For instance a pair of Deluxe Ruger Vaquero’s or Smoke Wagons, trigger pull must be the same out of the box if you are to shoot both guns equally. Over time and use things can fall out of spec.  That is why you want them as close as possible from the beginning. 

 

Timing

 Just as important on rifles as revolvers, it is seldom correct in a stock firearm.  (hence the demand for tuning that exists these days)  Timing can be corrected in the traditional sense or in the case of a “fast draw gun” slowed to reduce the force applied to the pawl, extending the pistols service life.