Dumbest thing you ever did on gun repair

[SkiPatrolDude]

While driving in a roll pin for a forward assist on one of my AR uppers, the punch somehow got wedged inside the roll pin and the hole. Unfortunately I didn’t notice it until the roll pin was driven pretty much all the way in, and once I noticed, the punch snapped like a twig when trying to remove. (My mistake was using a slightly too small punch).

Well long story short I took a Dremel and cut/sanded the remaining portion of the punch until it was flat with the receiver. It’s still there to this day. Doesn’t impede function of the forward assist at all, but it does bother me a little. It’s on my wife’s rifle, so I can live with it.

This was back before I knew better.

[hodgepodge]

Watched the video and believed I could replace the springs on a Ruger GP-100.
Well, the Match edition has unique bushings.

Took a pistol and a bag of parts to Scott's. Waited while it was reassembled.

[dist1646]

Dremeled the top cover of an AK because I couldn't get it to go back on. Immediately afterwards, I figured out the right way to reinstall it. DUH! Replaced the cover.

[JamesDong]

Originally Posted by hodgepodge

Watched the video and believed I could replace the springs on a Ruger GP-100.
Well, the Match edition has unique bushings.

Took a pistol and a bag of parts to Scott's. Waited while it was reassembled.

What did they charge out of curiosity?

[GASSMAN]

A friend of mine needed his Browning A5 disassembled and cleaned, or should I say he wanted it disassembled and cleaned. The second time I put it back together there was no extra parts, and I learned I will never do that again... wheew

[ralph.mclean]

Two for me:

1) Replacing the safety on my Mossberg 500 with a brightly-colored/larger/enhanced NDZ Performance one. Watched the video. In the video they say, "be careful that you don't let the little BB/detent thing underneath the safety fall into the action. You'll have to take the whole gun apart." Being SO careful, guess who let the little BB fall down into the action, and had to strip the gun all the way down...? But, I did learn a whole bunch more about the construction of my Mossberg.

Almost exactly a year later...

2) Replacing the original trigger on my SIG P-365 with a straight trigger. Watched the video several times. Made note of the spot that said, "Don't pull this one tiny piece out too far, or you'll have trouble getting your trigger assembly back together." It was going so well. After the Mossberg issue, I was determined to be so much more careful. Guess who pulled that little part out just a wee bit too far... An hour and 45 minutes later, my gun was finally back together...

[psybersapien]

I ordered an AR lower with support for an ambidextrous bolt release and the bolt release itself separately. Of course the 2 didn't fit perfectly so I set out to make very small customizations for fitment.

A bunch of minor adjustments turned into a major adjustment and I was left with a useless, regulated lower which is now sitting in a drawer. I can't throw it out without reporting it and I don't feel right selling a non-working lower.

I might as well have used $120 in ones to light my fire pit.

I'll leave gunsmithing like this to the professionals next time.

[Ranchero50]

Broke a trigger guard on a 10-22 because I forgot how to get it out of the stock...

[Ilexopaca]

Decided to replace my Marlin's sights with skinner sights. I needed a new, higher front blade. It was a tight fit and when I was drifting the blade in I must have become too aggressive because it hasn't shot straight since. Doh!

[556sbr]

Had my head right over an AR when I was installing the hammer for my B-GRF Geissele Rapid Fire Trigger. The hammer shot straight up from the hammer spring pressure and I moved fast enough that it missed my face and it hit the ceiling instead.