Fall Hunting Season: Essential Gunsmithing Services for Hunters

Fall hunting season is the time to shine in the field or to fall down at the job. Many hunters either come out to the field with old guns with shifted zeros or mechanical problems, or with new rifles that lack such essentials as sling swivels. It’s the gunsmith’s job to help the hunter figure out how to make the most of the season. 

Scopes 

As hunters try the rifles at longer ranges, imperfections of home scope mounting become more apparent. Laser bore sighting combined with proper scope re-mounting, without over-tightening rings or tilting the reticle, saves not only ammunition and time during re-zeroing, but also reduces misses in the field.  

Sling Swivel Studs 

Not all new rifles, especially lever actions, come with sling swivel studs. Drilling into the forend has to be done carefully to avoid cosmetic and functional damage to the firearms. Rifles that already have such studs might benefit from a second one up front for a bipod. Gunsmiths would do well to advertise a checklist to the hunters, bringing needed upgrades and mechanism regulations to the forefront of customers’ thoughts. 

Cosmetic/Functional problems 

Many guns develop cosmetic and functional problems after being neglected since the previous year’s hunt: fingerprints, condensation, powder residue, or saltwater can all cause rust, especially inside. Having had a charging handle on a rifle frozen solid with surface rust, I’ve experienced that first hand…and that was on a rifle that wasn’t even exposed to anything beyond a slightly humid summer day. 

Suppressors 

With sound suppressors already mainstream and poised to become far more common in 2026, muzzle threading is likewise becoming more in-demand. Since threading is a very demanding task requiring high precision to guarantee perfect suppressor alignment, it’s not a likely home-smithing task. It also requires a bit of time to accomplish, so the orders for machine work should be placed well ahead of the hunting season’s start to allow time for re-zeroing. 

Conclusion 

It helps to verify that rifles or shotguns are complying with game laws: tube or box magazines may have to be blocked to the permitted capacity. Hunters themselves aren’t always aware of the requirements, but good advice would both save them legal trouble and produce business for the gunsmith. Other improvements worth recommending, usually for lightweight magnum guns, are aftermarket recoil pads and muzzle brakes. Some customers benefit from trigger tuning. An individual approach is the way to go. 

Written by: Oleg Volk, Firearms Photographer