In this week’s No Lowballers Podcast by GoWild presented by GunBroker.com, we’re at SHOT Show joined by Louie Tuminaro, aka The Gunfather.
Starting out Logan dives into the background of Louie’s restoration business, that you can see in episodes of the Outdoor Channel series, The Gunfather. Starting out on his show, Louie did a ton of Colt restorations, enough to the point that it caught the attention of Colt which has led them to being an Authorized Colt Service and Restoration Center! Louie gives us a rundown of what all exactly they do under “restoration,” his biggest priority is doing the right service for people even if that means turning down a restoration on a beautiful firearm because it would be better suited left in the condition sent to him. Make sure to listen in to this episode Presented by GunBroker.com to hear all about Louie and The Gunfather: Restorations!
Next up, Louie dives into the process of restoring a gun to right-off-the-line, brand new condition! He covers the entire process from sanding in the right direction, to sourcing the parts that takes the firearm back to day one condition. We have a discussion on where he sources parts, why he sources the original parts, and how much of a difference it makes doing a complete date period restoration. We discuss the values of firearms such as the Colt 1911 in different states, including modified and completely restored. You may be surprised at just how much the values vary depending on what state the firearm is in at the time. Louie nails the values directly on the head with how they differ from one to the other.
Closing out, we discuss using laser engraving during restoration. Logan cringed a bit when he first saw a laser engraver going on a firearm restoration, however Louie discusses how his business uses them versus using roll marks to restore the firearm. Louie emphasizes how he and his business really pour their all into the restorations they do, with the customer’s happiness being the absolute end goal. This is not an episode you’re going to want to miss!
The show launches every Thursday morning. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.