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I spilled the beans on that a long time ago
Don McCoy's secret
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Oh, I know you did. In jest I was referring to Art's insistence it wasn't the McCoy secret and refused to explain the difference. You'd think it was the key to alchemy and finding the universal elixir.
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Don taught Art that trick, Art felt he owed it to Don to keep it out of the lime light, he would do the modification for shooters, Art did them for me on individual rear site assemblies, Don only did them for me on the complete rifles he built for me, so Art continued the modification to the Service Rifle shooting community and Art should be given credit for that. Who else did them after Mac passed? I think Art was the only one, I don’t think Don Gussler, Mac’s last protégé, does them...Not hard to do, but Art would fret over the softening and reheat treating of the bases, I think that’s why he stopped doing them, as USGI NM/2A bases were getting harder and harder to find Art worried more and more about ruining one when doing the modification, his age was/is a factor in all this as well, Guys. That’s not sticking up for Art, that’s me telling you’all what I knew and what Art told me first hand.
Besides, this thread wasn’t about Don’s rear sight lash spring modification, it was about Don’s gas cylinder modification and how Don floated the rear barrel ring on the gas cylinder...Reading the first post it appears Mac didn’t reveal all his secrets...(On EDIT: I guess this sticky is now about everything Don ‘Mac’ McCoy related, so all topics on Mac are fair game in here now...That’s a little different, hence my EDIT...When we get back to Mac’s M1 gas cylinder modification it will have come full circle, but there are many McCoy subjects still uncovered like Mac’s front hadgaurd bedding, how Mac lifted the barreled receiver up out of the stock with bedding so much so that the lower band legs had to be modified, the many different lugged M1 receiver’s Mac built and experimented with, the 1000-Yard M1’s Mac built and the video about them and special hotter-than-snot handloads for them, Mac’s vegetable garden, his tutelage of the M1 Service Rifle shooter community in Southern California at Camp Pendleton, his friends and protégés and sooo much more... GI6)
I’m pulling my old McCoy rifle pictures off PhotoBucket and hosting them elsewhere, I will repost them in this thread soon...It is my hope that the many Real McCoy M1 owners will do the same, update their McCoy M1 rifle photos to this thread.
The reason why I approached Murphy and XXIVCorps about this sticky is because I know of no other Don McCoy sticky on the Web, there are many threads, but no collection in a sticky. I believe we here on the M14 Forum are well positioned with knowledge and examples to do a sticky on Don ‘Mac’ McCoy proud. Could it be hosted elsewhere? Sure it could, but I think our moderation and community is just as good as any to do this so here is where I asked...Again, thanks to XXIVCorps and Murphy for listening.
Mac GI6
Besides, this thread wasn’t about Don’s rear sight lash spring modification, it was about Don’s gas cylinder modification and how Don floated the rear barrel ring on the gas cylinder...Reading the first post it appears Mac didn’t reveal all his secrets...(On EDIT: I guess this sticky is now about everything Don ‘Mac’ McCoy related, so all topics on Mac are fair game in here now...That’s a little different, hence my EDIT...When we get back to Mac’s M1 gas cylinder modification it will have come full circle, but there are many McCoy subjects still uncovered like Mac’s front hadgaurd bedding, how Mac lifted the barreled receiver up out of the stock with bedding so much so that the lower band legs had to be modified, the many different lugged M1 receiver’s Mac built and experimented with, the 1000-Yard M1’s Mac built and the video about them and special hotter-than-snot handloads for them, Mac’s vegetable garden, his tutelage of the M1 Service Rifle shooter community in Southern California at Camp Pendleton, his friends and protégés and sooo much more... GI6)
I’m pulling my old McCoy rifle pictures off PhotoBucket and hosting them elsewhere, I will repost them in this thread soon...It is my hope that the many Real McCoy M1 owners will do the same, update their McCoy M1 rifle photos to this thread.
The reason why I approached Murphy and XXIVCorps about this sticky is because I know of no other Don McCoy sticky on the Web, there are many threads, but no collection in a sticky. I believe we here on the M14 Forum are well positioned with knowledge and examples to do a sticky on Don ‘Mac’ McCoy proud. Could it be hosted elsewhere? Sure it could, but I think our moderation and community is just as good as any to do this so here is where I asked...Again, thanks to XXIVCorps and Murphy for listening.
Mac GI6
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Okay, let's get some color in here, with no PhotoBucket tags
I have a Redfield Palma rear on it now and the Mo's front globe, I'll get pics shot of it with the Plama's, this is a PNW rear sight, the aperture is a Gehmann iris with polarizer and 6-color filter. Sight base adapters front and rear are Mo's who's still kicking last I heard...! That guy made some unique parts, Delfana, is that how he spells it?
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I have a Redfield Palma rear on it now and the Mo's front globe, I'll get pics shot of it with the Plama's, this is a PNW rear sight, the aperture is a Gehmann iris with polarizer and 6-color filter. Sight base adapters front and rear are Mo's who's still kicking last I heard...! That guy made some unique parts, Delfana, is that how he spells it?
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I hope this isn't impolite or a thread hijack, but I own a McCoy built M1.
Also, I'm hoping someone can provide me the name of Mr. McCoy's former apprentice that took over his rifle business after Don passed. I had sent my rifle to Don somewhere around 2005(ish) to get it checked out and at the time he sent me a paper with the details of the build that has since gone missing. I'd like to contact him to get those details so I can provide them with the rifle when it sells.
I don't have many details on it: I've owned it since 1993/1994. I bought it from a Petty Officer in my squadron at Miramar and gave it to my father as a gift shortly after that. I got it back in 2003 after he (my dad) passed away. It's been almost entirely un-shot during that period, but has been cleaned and maintained regularly.
When I sent it to Don shortly after my dad passed to give it a once over and make sure everything on it was good to go, other that re-crowning the barrel he said it was in great condition.
When I bought the rifle all I knew was that the guy in my squadron's dad had apparently shot it when he had been "on the Navy rifle team" (I have no proof of this but have no reason to doubt it - neither of us knew what it was beyond being a "Match Grad M1). So yeah, I knew it was "Match Grade" but nothing else at the time. I only found out about Mr. McCoy when I took the trigger group out years later to clean it and saw the strange numbers engraved on various parts. I had no idea what that was all about so I did some Internet sleuthing and ultimately was told about McCoy - the rest is history.
Also, I'm hoping someone can provide me the name of Mr. McCoy's former apprentice that took over his rifle business after Don passed. I had sent my rifle to Don somewhere around 2005(ish) to get it checked out and at the time he sent me a paper with the details of the build that has since gone missing. I'd like to contact him to get those details so I can provide them with the rifle when it sells.
I don't have many details on it: I've owned it since 1993/1994. I bought it from a Petty Officer in my squadron at Miramar and gave it to my father as a gift shortly after that. I got it back in 2003 after he (my dad) passed away. It's been almost entirely un-shot during that period, but has been cleaned and maintained regularly.
When I sent it to Don shortly after my dad passed to give it a once over and make sure everything on it was good to go, other that re-crowning the barrel he said it was in great condition.
When I bought the rifle all I knew was that the guy in my squadron's dad had apparently shot it when he had been "on the Navy rifle team" (I have no proof of this but have no reason to doubt it - neither of us knew what it was beyond being a "Match Grad M1). So yeah, I knew it was "Match Grade" but nothing else at the time. I only found out about Mr. McCoy when I took the trigger group out years later to clean it and saw the strange numbers engraved on various parts. I had no idea what that was all about so I did some Internet sleuthing and ultimately was told about McCoy - the rest is history.
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Thread is nearly up to date: Try Don Gussler at Gussler's Guns, Santee Ca. I'm a local boy, Gussler is President of South Bay R&G Club. Being an RSO there, I see him all the time. Mail order guns through him/ FFL. But I didn't know he was into M1s that much until reading this thread.
Maurizio "Mo" Defina. Stand up guy.
It was mistakenly stated earlier in this thread that Don Gussler was McCoy’s protege. Mark H. was McCoy’s apprentice / protege and purchased the business as well as all of McCoy’s equipment before Mac passed away. Not being argumentative just wanted to clear that up.
Casebro- I purchased Grendel2000’s rifle a couple months back. I was shooting it out at south bay this weekend. Range 6 was too busy for me so I was over at range 3.
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Saturday early (7:30) I was at Range 6, station 4. Early bird gets the official 100 yard range- range three is about 90?.
So far as Gussler's apprenticeship or not, I heard it here. And some other members of the club gets to talking and I get confused over the two Dons, with never a mention of any Mark. I'll check.
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You are right about Mac/Mark H.. Johny FFG says so. Johnny had a McCoy in .308.
Mark Heckman does business as "McCoy M1 Match Conditioning", no web site.
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Yes it sure does take the slop out but it will not fix sloppy or worn out, elevation is unaffected, find, beg, borrow or steal the article I referenced and the fog will lift.
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That is part of the problem. Finding the article is not easy.
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If I were you, I would ask that super cool Phil McGrath guy? Maybe he could hook you up with a copy have you hit him up for one? I know he has done so for others. Shoot him a PM.....
I saw this for sale and had to buy it!!
Too bad someone parted out a Don McCoy!! Must have been a H&R judging by serial. Looks like build was done in 03 and Don passed in 11? I passed on using that IHC hammer on a Tractor gun, had to buy one instead. This TG went in my not for sale case. SAD!
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