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Post by woodyz on Jun 8, 2018 11:52:16 GMT -7
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Post by USCGME2 on Jun 24, 2018 6:06:07 GMT -7
I would add a set of dental picks to get in crevices. BE CAREFUL with them though and know what you're doing lest you damage any springs or sensitivities. I also have a ton of those wooden Q-tips they use to iodine wounds with. Makes it easier to reach in to tight spaces. IMO, cleaning weapons is the best way to become familiar with how they operate, break down, and make safe. It's also the best way to keep an eye on the wear n tear in them too. Oh yeah, a good silicone impregnated cloth is worth its weight in gold too. Don't forget to clean and service your mags from time to time.  |
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Post by woodyz on Jun 25, 2018 12:06:26 GMT -7
I have a kit that has the dental picks made of hard plastic I store all of my weapons in silicone impregnated gun socks A word about spray cleaners, they do a good job in hard to reach areas like a trigger assembly etc But remember they remove dirt and grim, but they also remove all of the lubricants. Most weapon types have a lube diagram in their use and care manual Remember also that you can lube too much, lube attracts and holds dirt/dust/burnt powder etc. With the tight fit specifications of some of today's weapons you can actually restrict performance with too much lube. Absolutely learn to break down and inspect your weapons, there is a field breakdown everyone should know how to do. And if you can learn to do an armorer breakdown of the smaller assemblies. If you are not comfortable breaking down the assemblies into their parts and pieces find one locally and take your weapons to him if you have a problem and/or for a semi-annual check-up. As an example: www.calguns.net/calgunforum/archive/index.php/t-315379.html
"An armorer is more of a parts "replace-man". We're also good at identifying problems, ordering and installing parts, tuning up bad or damaged parts with the tools of the trade... rawhide mallet and honing stones. An armorer is usually intimately familiar with a range of firearms, but not as many as a gunsmith.
Yeah, there are some guys that will watch a few videos and call themselves an armorer while in all actuality are just gun enthusiasts that like to take apart their gear.
In the military, and armorer is also in charge of maintaining custody of weapons, performing preventative maintenance, and inspecting/repairing weapons.
Things and armorer doesn't do (or at least, things I didn't do as a Marine Corps armorer of 8 years):
- fabricate parts,
- do anything that required use of a lathe or mill (apply checkering to stocks, cut dovetails in slides for custom sights, etc),
- Apply any sort of custom finish like hard chroming or parkerizing shiny metal parts
- heat treating or cold tempering parts
You can see the difference.
IMHO, any armorer should have all of the specialized tools for any particular weapons they claim to work on... thinks like that bench block you use on an AR to hold the gas block when you knock out the pins. Also, an armorer should have any needed gauges... like for head space checks or bore straightness/erosion checks.
Some guys do get in over their heads though. Me personally... I fix all my own stuff, unless I know it requires a special tool that I don't have, or is beyond the scope of my abilities... then I take it in to the shop.
Training is another big difference.
In the Marine Corps, armorer school is 6 months long, and you learn about 20 or so weapons. Gunsmith (2112) school is over a year long, and you learn just sniper rifles."The first thing I do with a weapon, new to me, is to break it down as far as I can. Maybe 2% of the time I can't get it back together correctly and I take it to an armorer I use. After is is done laughing at me, he shows me what I did wrong and I can do it again at home. I once bought a gun off the intranet sold as a "parts only" sale. I took it apart and right away I saw what was wrong. It had two springs in the trigger assembly that looked almost the same. Whomever had put it together had switched the springs, forcing one to fit. A new spring kit and it worked fine. $25 for it, $9 for the springs and I had a $250 weapon for $30 I also use a dremel with a cloth bit and "polish" the mating parts. Its something very few manufacturers do any longer, but it make a difference you can feel. Just remember to "polish" not grind, you don't want to remove any material. Although some weapons need some sharp corners rounded and the sear enhanced a little, don't try it if you aren't sure what to do. Last a funny story. I had a 12 gauge pump that locked up with a round in the chamber. I took it apart, got it unlocked and when putting it back together I lost a tiny spring. So I took it to an armorer and he fixed it. I got it home grabbed some shells and it locked up after the first shot. Took it back he got it unlocked and could not find anything wrong. We fired it several times and it worked well. I took it home loaded it and it locked up on me. This time he was as mad as I was, but this time I stayed there while he got it unlocked. I picked up the shell and knew exactly what the problem was, and it wasn't the shot gun. The year before a friend of my Son's decided he would reload shot shells for the first time and he gave a box to my Son.When I first looked at them I could see that he thought the more powder the better, the same for shot. The plastic of the shells were bulged out where he forced the ram down to make it all fit. I through the shells away, but my Son found them and put them on a shell belt where I had been taking shells for the shotgun from. This time I cut the shells and dumped the shot for reuse and burned the powder. Moral a firearm problem is not always a problem with the firearm |
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