There are very few places in New York State that restore classic firearms. You could say repairing these old weapons is literally a dying art, but we are lucky to have just such a specialist close by in Phelps, NY by the name of Marc Arena.
I was interested in finding out what inspired this man to build a business around these old firearms all the while grappling with a challenging disability. Marc was reluctant, telling me that he felt lame talking about himself. But after promising him free seafood from his friend Ron White, he was gracious enough to convey a little portion of his success story.
“I enjoyed many years of in the shooting sports, but my mobility became compromised with the onset of my M.S. which limited my ability to participate in outdoor activities. Rather than let this slow me down, I just changed my focus to target shooting, primarily handgun training, and became well versed in the function and tweaking of semi-auto pistols. I soon became tired of the “black gun syndrome.”
“My interest switched to Civil War and Western era firearms after attending several re-enactments and taking in numerous cowboy movies and television shows. First were black powder revolvers and carbines, then came SAA revolvers, shotguns, and lever action rifles … hence the second dilemma. When they would malfunction or break, I found it difficult to locate gunsmiths who had been familiar with the workings of these older firearms as many had retired or passed away. I was the type of person to fix things myself, so I took on the task of learning how to service these “old timers” on my own. Over the past five years, I studied the internal functions of numerous firearms and began to do customization work along with repairs for family and friends as a hobby while in the meantime my health issues began to hamper my ability to run the HV/AC/R business I started 40 years ago.
“Then at the suggestion of my wife, Lydia, I decided to give the gunsmithing business a shot. I jumped through hoops to become fully licensed and insured, and began converting my shop to facilitate firearm restoration and repair. I named my endeavor “Finger Lakes Classic Gunsmithing” after the area it resides in, Phelps, NY.
“Now I provide complete gunsmithing along with restoration services for the public and local gun shops while specializing in 18th, 19th and 20th-century black powder and cartridge arms, period, antique and reproductions.”
Marc’s business “Finger Lakes Classics” is centrally located in Phelps NY, just north of Geneva. He has also begun providing restoration service for WW I and WW II era firearms including field, service and correct grade M1 Garand which have been gaining in popularity among firearm enthusiasts.
Marc observed, “It’s amazing that we are seeing so many younger people cultivating an interest in these older military firearms, primarily being influenced by movies depicting the era and playing on video games such as “Call of Duty” and others. I’ve got young firearm enthusiasts coming into the shop telling me about the Mauser or Enfield, SKS or Mosin Nagant along with the Garand’s and carbines they have or are planning to purchase soon. I believe the market for modern firearms is saturated and manufacturers are scrambling to one-up each other with design changes and rebate incentives in order to move inventory that lays stagnant because so many shooting sports enthusiasts purchased and stocked up on firearms and related accessories over the past eight years. Many firearm enthusiasts still have a desire to experience a new realm of firearm usage and what’s becoming new to them is old! You can plink with your polymer pistol and punch holes with your AR platform rifle all day long, but there’s nothing that compares to the thump of a restored 1860’s Springfield. The sight and smell of smoke billowing out of a cap and ball revolver, fanning a six-shooter or hearing that eighth-round ping of an M1 clip as it flies over your shoulder. And for folks who have been drawn into this type of firearm enjoyment, I guess that’s why I’m here!”
I want to thank Marc for his inspiring story of determination. He can be contacted at Finger Lakes Classics at 585-233-9990 or by email at marena@flcgny.com. You can also see examples of Marc’s work at Finger Lakes Classic Gunsmithing at https://www.facebook.com/flcgny/. Services and repairs are by appointment and hours of operation are Noon to 8 pm M-F and Noon to 3 pm Saturdays.
On another note: Francesca Menendez of Brockport reached out to remind me that the D.E.C. needs volunteers to keep a fishing diary on many of the lakes around our Region 8. For more details go to http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/73518.html or call 585-226-5343.
Mrs. Menendez and her husband, Nelson, are faithful readers of the Suburban News and believe it is the only paper in the area where you will never have to worry about getting fake news. I agree!
