Are you talking about the Mississippi rifle with the repro long scope on it? I only heard the first year he didn't take a shot with it.
I haven't spoken with Jim in a few years since I moved from Mechanicsville down to below the James River. Last time I saw him in person, his son called me shortly before Christmas in I think it was 2007 or 08. It seems his son had taken charge of getting some work done on an M1903 and after months of not getting it done by a few folks, he called me in desperation. He called me on a Friday I think. I told him sure I would work on it. THEN he told me the "problem" was that it had to get done by the next Thursday so his Dad (Jim) could get it back to someone in tme for Christmas. Since it was for Jim and to help save his son from Jim's legendary wrath (Grin), I told him he had best get it down to me quick. Well, we got it done in one day because it was for Jim. His son about fell over when I called him and told him it was done. He told me he couldn't get it that night, but would come down the next night (Tuesday). When he came it was dark and I brought the rifle out to the truck. He was MOST relieved it was done. THEN he told me there was another person to see me. Well, it was so dark I had not realized another person was in the truck. Jim stepped out and threw a bear hug around me.
Back in the early 1980's, Jim bought a damascus double barrel shotgun he wanted to use in gun safety courses to show people what the barrel steel looked like However, the barrels were rusted real bad and you could not see the pattern in the metal. He brought it to the RTE shop and I got called up to do it as I was always the one to work on anything "old." After greeting Jim, I told him, "No Sweat." I took the barrels back to the sandblaster and blasted off the last 6 inches or so of the barrels while Jim hovered over me. He was disappointed because then you can't see the grain pattern. I told him, "Major, I'm not done iwth it yet!" Then I walked into the rebluing room and spread some acid on the surface. We used the acid to "strike" SS sniper barrels before we black oxided them. After the acid ate into the metal a bit, the Damascas pattern stood right out. I stopped the acid with water and Jim reached for the barrel and I told him, "Major, I am not done with it yet." He grinned and chuckled. Then I cold blued that section of the barrel and he tried to reach for it again and I told him. "Major, for crying out loud, I'm not done with it yet, have some patience!" Then I got some 000 steel wool and oil and went over the whole set of barrels for just a few minutes. On the last three inches of the barrel, I rubbed off most of the cold blue, but left some on. Then I wiped the excess oil off and said, " OK, Major, NOW I'm done with it. Now no matter what condition the finish is in of an original gun, folks can see what the damascus pattern looks like either rusted, brown, blued or most of the finish worn off." He looked in wonder and said, "I never would have thought of that." I told him, "Major, you are just out of practice of LISTENING to your Armorer!!" He belly laughed and pounded me on the back.
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