GEW 88 Jacket Dent Repair/Restoration: Anvil 116 

I love watching your videos cause they never make me feel dumb, but they are always insanely educational

Hi Mark, Im not much interested in guns and rifles, but I find your videos (watched them all) enormously interesting. I'm a watchmaker who works on old watches and pocket watches a lot and your approach especially to conservation and restoration is directly applicable to my work. The whole concept of understanding what will be the outcome of an action, making tools, trying to understand what took place before you took on the job and many other aspects of the way you work (patience, methodical approach, use of tools etc) has so many similarities with my field and I suppose many others as well. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

It's so nice to see you conserve a gun properly. Recently I saw a show where the people 'restored' a 1911 by wire wheeling all the nicks and scratches out and re-bluing everything, and added brand new grip panels. They were so proud of themselves for making it look new, but lost pretty much all of the historical value.

Every time Mark uses the tiny hammer; that Beetles Song plays in my head.

I know I'm late, but I was awe struck by how delicately you removed the dent from the barrel jacket. It's great to see someone that knows how to PROPERLY repair an antique gun! Thank you for showing me the correct procedure.

Growing up, our neighbor had one of these rifles and asked me to make a floor lamp for his reading chair. I thought it was total junk, but was in much better shape than this one. that was 1957, and I was 13. I took it to school shop and made the base from a piano stool seat. Hiding the cord throughout the length was a trick, but worked, and the family has it to this day. Great video, and I'll look for your other works. Thank you for bringing back those memories.

I found a de activated Gewehr 88 a half a year ago on a fleamarket, it was in a pretty poor state. watching your video's rigoursly finally gave me the confidence to buy the correct tools, take it apart and conserve it. It was a fun and challenging project to do and I'm happy with the result. Thank you for putting these video's up!

Love watching your videos. I know you claim they are not How-To's, but they are with a bit of research and a bit of outside training added in. I find it fascinating some of the tricks you use in your conservation projects. I have adapted some of your tricks to other projects and was amazed at how well they worked. Thanks very much for sharing.

I'm from the UK and we don't have many guns here but I find these videos absolutely fascinating. I'm a big fan of Mark, he has so much expertise and is so knowledgeable. Everything he says is brim full of knowledge and experience. Some of the best stuff on RU-vid here. Thanks Mark!

Hey Mark, been watching for a long time now. I just wanted to drop a comment to let you know that thanks to your videos, there are not one, not two, but four rifles in my safe that are in much better shape than they were when I got them. Nothing particularly rare, or remarkable, but they are all clean, conserved, fully functional, and ready to get shot for another 50 years. I'm no gunsmith, and if a backyard tinkerer like me can do it, anyone can.

Imagine archeologists in the future digging up the test fireing ground......This dude really did not like moles. 😉 Great video as always. 😁

The amount of Knowledge you have to do what you do is incredible, thanks for sharing it with us Mr Novak

Ahhhh yeah. A good episode to enjoy a cold sudsy beverage to.

I've used Kroll for years also and it smells the best!

You and your Kroil... I've been admiring your commentary, your videos, your experience and workmanship for 2+ years, and I love them all, but I always wait for the Kroil to come out...Thank you for being you...

Saponification? Boy, I had to look that one up and I consider myself to be very literate. Also, I really like your point about restoration vs. conservation. Words do matter. I think your precision in language is reflected in your work.

This dude is on another level... A true craftsman.

I have just found the greatest channel on RU-vid. Your such an amazing and skilled gunsmith and it's just amazing to watch you work. I'm just a hobbyist who can refinish outside restorations of firearms and I am just in awe to watch a real master gunsmith at work, I am humbled!

Another option to loosen old screws is to warm it by holding a soldering iron on the head for a few minutes at a time. I do tool restorations but I like your explanation of conservative vs restoration.

Just ran across your channel. Thanks man, now I’m addicted to something else.

It's been too long, Mark. Down the rabbit hole!!

As always Mark your skills, effort, passion and dedication to conservation really show through in your videos, thank you for passing on all the years of hard and well fought for knowledge so others can start to do the right thing.

I'm looking forward to the wood conservation episode so many grimy stocks, yet so few videos on how to save them.

This man is a absolute master.. been watching him for awhile now

I had an 1898 marked Steyr rechambered in .303 British in the 1950s for an Indonesian contract. Was a fun and interesting little carbine. Great video as always

Love how much you cram into these videos. You definitely show how much goes into each individual process!

Outstanding work, Mark. That's all the GEW 88 needed.

Really enjoy all of your videos, and really appreciate the conserving of relics vs restoring them. When handling an old rifle/handgun I've always thought "If this thing could talk, the stories it could tell" - I think preserving those unique characteristics specific to each firearm are very important for that reason. Keep up the awesome work!

It's always a pleasure to watch you display the depth of background and ability that you possess.

Time lapse replay was genius in this instance. I saw it all at first but with replay it was a solid lesson. Well done sir!

love watching you make parts or save old ones, especially the springs and screws, cheers!

Вы по истине НАСТОЯЩИЙ МАСТЕР СВОЕГО ДЕЛА!

Yeah, it's one thing I've noticed but isn't often said by Mark here, taking apart a gun isn't a race you need to get done in under ten minutes. Take your time with trying to get parts that are frozen in place to move. Use your penetrating lube and let it work before going and trying to torque on things or go all hammer time nuts. Same with working to restore a car or some other bit of equipment, take your time to look at the piece. Figure out your plan first, soak what needs to be soaked. Remember, speed kills isn't just for the highways and byways, which is another thing all together.

Hello Mark. First of all I want to congratulate you for your work as well as for your videos which I watch with the greatest attention. I would like to share this with you, having served a few years in the Foreign Legion as an armaments specialist, my Chief Warrant Officer, a Hungarian Lazlo Toth to whom you strongly resemble, a look-alike, may be a relative. I thank you for your attention and wish you a good continuation

Love your attitude smarts and kindness all through the process ! Keep on doing your thing it’s wonderful

I’ve been watching your videos for a year now and whenever I see you post a new one it makes my day 👍.

Mark, you never cease to amaze me. I can appreciate a true student of history but you go even further by preserving history.

Nice rabbit hole. Thanks very much Mark, I really enjoy this kind of work.

Just love Mark's laconic delivery of wisdom.

A werner ladder... now thats a novel testing idea... gonna do exactly that. Love the work here, top notch olde world craftsmanship methodology.

Great conservation video. Thanks. Always a pleasure to see you work and hear the tips and tricks. Looking forward to the video on the stock.

Love the work you're doing Mark... Keep it up... 👍👍👍

Always a pleasure watching a Master. Thanks so much for sharing.

Every one of your videos is fabulous! I really feel like I'm right there in the shop getting a lesson firsthand. Great in their own right, but often the techniques are applicable to the repair and conservation of other mechanical assemblies. Can't wait to see how you tackle the rest of the project.

Awesome video and informative presentation. I know Zero about guns but was completely drawn into the incredibly skill and knowledge you captured. Well done!

As always thanks mark for what you do with this old beautiful guns

Mark, that barrel jacket transformation was so satisfying, thank you!

Love the high speed. I always learn something new every time I watch your video's Mark.

You sir are a artist. Great work. Thanks from Sc.

Ah I do love it when mark posts 🎉 I get some relaxation time with he’s videos. Great 😊

What a wonderfully educational rabbit hole! Thanks y'all!

👍 much respect for the craftsmanship as always! Thanks for sharing.

Watching a true master at work

LOVE your videos, Mark. Thank You

Always nice to watch a craftsman who also enjoys a good cigar.

Once again I have learned some valuable info thanks Mark.

Great video! It was a very good learning experience watching you. Thank you for making these video's. I always learn a lot.

"And yeah it was a joke its already blue no shit" 🤣 love this guy's videos.

Amazing job, excellent video, as usual !

What a superb, articulate demonstration, I just subscribed.

Awesome 👍 it is a pleasure to watch you work.

Highly recommend watching this on a big TV. So nice

Another amazing video thank you for posting

Hi Mark, I thought I would pass along something I learned the other day. In testing it looks like Liquid Wrench worked best! And it will cost you less so you can get a cigar for the difference. Great job my friend!

A craftsman with a lifetime of knowledge, effortlessly applied.

I had a very cheap savage shotgun magazine tube which I dented when I was trying to clean it. Agonized for months on whether or not it was worth it to figure out how to buy or make a similar plug to repair it. Eventually I just sold it and bought something else. This video is very encouraging to me, it probably wasn't worth the trouble.

That was exceptionally interesting and informative.

Boltheads brand new from Myers Arms llc. Great guy I have one and frankly I am impressed. Just remember to have headspacing done because these boltheads are made I guess the word is long so as to allow custom fitting to your rifle. As far as the receiver. I have 3 and they are as follows: Spandau 1890 receiver is in the white, Loewe 1891 receiver is in the white, Amberg 1894 receiver and barrel jacket both blued.

I purchased a Gew 88, 2 years ago and it never was that easy to disassemble. I had to blow up 2 screws bc the rust was just bound in the hand guard area. You did get lucky with that. But very interesting video, love it.

Always great to watch your vids ... thank you for showing us. :D

Missed you so much Mark

Excellent as always mark!

As am electrician I totally appreciate your use of a screwdriver, great videos.

Love your channel Mark👍

Wonderful machining... err... gun smithing approaches... Very cool to see something that old being repaired back to working operation/

Fantastic video Mark!!!!!

That was very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

That plug and dent removal was very cool.

Another outstanding video thank you

YES!!!!!!!!! A new Anvil video!!!!!!!!

I am a retired electrician and injoy watching your vidios. My nephew has an L.C. Smith 16 Gage shotgun that was his Grandfather's, now his. If had fallen over and and dented the barrel. I did the very similar repair that you did on the 1888. The difference is the plug I made slitly smaller than the bore and rapped it foyal as needed to expand. Can't see ware the dent was.

Mark, you really had the gun gods smiling down at you on this one. Great job on the barrel shroud dent.

Very impressive work.

And you dropped this on election day, OUTSTANDING!. I really needed the distraction. Excellent video as always Sir.

Thank you for the Great videos

Thank you Mark for sharing

Absolutely amazing!! Just found your channel, subbed & can't wait to see more. I got a couple oldies I's love to do some conservation on.

Really enjoyed that. I'm a fan of old-school rifles.

Excellent video so much that I learn that plug is brilliant thank you for sharing this five stars my friend

I'm keeping up my support. Thanks!

Dame can’t come to your show! Live in Sweden 🇸🇪. But like your show and your handyman’s work. Locking fore se a nice good year of show!

I know that people all have their favorite chemicals or methods for working on rusted or frozen parts and fasteners. I, like you, prefer Kroil over anything else. It's not that other things can't work but when you are working on something like this, there's no substitute. I might use PB Blaster working on a car or tractor. It does a pretty good job and is cheap. When a broken part means having to fabricate a new part, it is definitely Kroil! Nice work and video. Ya'll Take Care and be safe, John

Bruno's animations, here and on CnArsenal are excellent.

Awesome stuff Mark. I have a barreled action missing the entire bolt assembly. I bought it thinking a bolt would turn up eventually but no it hasn’t yet.

Hi Mark , I do guns and find your work thoughtful and interesting. Thank you

Sacrilegious, Mark. You got Kroil on the wood at the barrel band. LOL!

I miss watching your video's. Been so busy this past year or so. I just don't have the time to sit down and watch them. Even this one i had to skip around to finish. Well life will slow down eventually......

I know very little about guys. I have enjoyed your videos very much.

Outstanding indeed 👍

Outstanding!