Gary J Said
I purchased a rough cast trigger guard at Dixons and started to file it to smooth and shape it the way it should be. As I started - and never having done anything like this before - I quickly realized it is more work than it looks.
Yup, it's a lot of work. I use a rougher file to take down the obvious seams, etc, then a fine file to smooth the rest. Then crocus cloth, then fine and then ultra fine sandpaper and/or steel wool. You can darned near get a mirror finish with enough work.
The secret of hand building guns was the amount of time a gunmaker (or an apprentice) was willing to put into the work. If you look at the early guns vs. the later ones, the biggest change was the standardization of things to reduce the actual hand work. Finishes were simplified, stocks were standardized for machine production and decorations greatly simplified or done away with altogether.
Though it is tempting to say that the old guns were essentially "Rich Man's Guns" (and many were), the fact was that many people put a lot of time and effort into the less fancy guns as well. My great love of simple antique rifles and pistols come from the often meticulous care and workmanship often put into even the simplest of guns.
Yeah, it takes a while to do it right. That's what I love about working on guns. Once finished, it's not "just another trigger guard." It's YOUR trigger guard, with your work lavished on it.
Best of luck with your project!
David