When an installed electron gun has failed testing, the gun is cut out of the neck of the Cathode Ray Tube (“CRT”) without destroying or damaging any other portion of the CRT. A new neck is then formed on the tube which can be re-inserted into the production line and re-used. The reclaimed electron gun can then be analyzed and tested to determine the cause of its malfunction or test failure. In this way, minimal damage is done to the CRT in which the gun is originally installed and as much of that CRT as possible is salvaged for use in a completed unit.