Tips and tricks

[crsides]

I was cleaning out some watch repair stuff and came across some oilers. You just need a tiny amount of oil for a watch, a drop is WAY too much. Watch makers use oilers, which looks like a long needle. Dip just the tip in a bottle of watch oil and touch it to the arbor, etc. I carried this over to lubricating my handguns, using a wooden stick from long stemmed Q tips; think round tooth picks, just longer. Find a small bottle with a metal cap (baby food jar?), punch a hole in the top just big enough that the wooden "oiler" will stay put, and keep it handy on the bench.

If you old guys have any tips and tricks, please add them to this thread.

Mods can move this to the gunsmithing section if appropriate.

 

[Model5]

Kroil is extremely useful to have around not only for firearms but anything around the house or garage. I had a beretta 92fs that I leaded the snot out of the barrel and the only thing that got it to budge was saturating it in kroil and it come right out. Also used it to break loose break lines off the rearend of an old 71 mustang I had.

 

[Jack Flash]

This one is more outdoor / hunting related. Naturally, it involves a story:
I was out once hunting crows when a big rainstorm came out of nowhere. I was near an old outhouse so I ducked in to get out of the rain. It seemed like I waited there forever (how long do you want to spend in an old, but still used, outhouse) so I decided to just walk home in the rain.

I didn't want my gun to get soaked, so I unloaded it and leaned it up in a dry corner and walked back home. Of course it stopped raining about the time I got there. Figures.

This experience gave me the idea that I should always stick a construction sized plastic garbage bag in my pocket when out in the field. That way I could have just put the gun in it and kept the gun dry. You could also use it as a makeshift poncho, emergency shelter, etc. It takes up very little room in a pocket or ruck sack.

 

[deadin]

I don't think anything can beat the uses for "STOGEROL".


Main claims include:
An unexcelled Nitro-Solvent.
An Excellent Light Cleaning and Lubricating Oil.
Never Hardens on Guns.
Mixes with Water in an Emulsion.
Loosens and Removes Rust.
Softens and Preserves Leather
A First Class Wound Sterilizer. (More on this below)

"STOGEROL" kills pus-germs and bacteria in wounds in man and beast, and sterilizes them until medical assistance can be procured. Effective in running sores, chafing and soreness after horseback riding, perspiring and sore feet, burns, frostbite, prickleheat, eczema, rheumatism, gout, colds in the head, coughs, (rub nose, throat and chest or other affected parts with "Stogerol.") If used before hiking and hunting tramps, prevents soreness and chafing. "Stogerol" relieves piles, eczema,(dry and moist), destroys fleas, body lice, mange, crabs, scabies and all other vermin on man or beast.

Even More uses:
FOR PHYSICIANS AND DENTISTS:
"STOGEROL" is indispensable as a rust protector of surgical instruments.
Dentists will find it never failing in separating positive plaster casts from the negative.

And finally:
FOR POULTRYMEN, RANCHMEN AND FARMERS:
"STOGEROL" is invaluable to poultrymen in foot sickness, poultry diphtheria and pink eye. Beneficial results are obtained by daubing feet, eyes or throat with "Stogerol"
Ranchmen and Farmers will find it effective in combating foot and mouth disease, by simply applying "Stogerol" freely to infected parts. Also very effective in treating udder and other inflammatory disorders of livestock.

This came out of a pre-war copy of the STOGER Catalog. There are even more claims of how great it was…. (And all before Billy May……)

 

[fiasconva]

I saved some syringes that my wife had used for some infusions. No needles present so no danger of getting stuck. I took the plungers out and put some gun grease in the tubes and put the plungers back in. Nice, easy precision greasing for those hard to reach spots when cleaning and lubing your guns. They have nice end caps on them so the grease doesn't leak out while storing them.

 

[turnerriver]

I put my gun cleaning supplies in a plastic tub and cover them with rags and bags of patches. I paw through all of it looking for the right brush and then have to find the right rod that the brush will fit. I try to always be out of one size patch that I need so I can take everything out to look for a couple of stray patches in the bottom of the tub because I usually don't seal the pouches that the patches are in and some fall out. I put some solvent in a small cap, that way when I knock it over I don't spill much. I keep a brand new multi caliber pistol cleaning kit nearby that is too nice to use so I just paw through the plastic tub. You're welcome to use any of these tips, they have worked for me for a long time apparently as I haven't managed to change them.
Regards,
turnerriver

 

[Hair Trigger]

I saved some syringes that my wife had used for some infusions. No needles present so no danger of getting stuck. I took the plungers out and put some gun grease in the tubes and put the plungers back in. Nice, easy precision greasing for those hard to reach spots when cleaning and lubing your guns. They have nice end caps on them so the grease doesn't leak out while storing them.

I have a couple of old syringes, and put a 14 gauge blunt needle on them, if your wife can get those. No chance of getting stuck, and they are large enough bore you can force grease through them. I use Lubriplate 130A on my guns that get grease, the needle allows you to get into difficult spots.

I was cleaning out some watch repair stuff and came across some oilers. You just need a tiny amount of oil for a watch, a drop is WAY too much. Watch makers use oilers, which looks like a long needle. Dip just the tip in a bottle of watch oil and touch it to the arbor, etc. I carried this over to lubricating my handguns, using a wooden stick from long stemmed Q tips; think round tooth picks, just longer. Find a small bottle with a metal cap (baby food jar?), punch a hole in the top just big enough that the wooden "oiler" will stay put, and keep it handy on the bench.

I found that an injection needle will snap fit over the tip of my gun oil applicator, and I put a 22 gauge needle on it, but kept the needle guard so I can cap it after use. You can put small bends in the needle, and I can oil spots I'd otherwise have to disassemble the gun to get to, such as reaching down in the trough between cocked hammer and frame, or the frame notch where the trigger sticks out. A drop from the needle is much less than the drop from the applicator tip.

 

[arjay]

I put my gun cleaning supplies in a plastic tub and cover them with rags and bags of patches. I paw through all of it looking for the right brush and then have to find the right rod that the brush will fit. I try to always be out of one size patch that I need so I can take everything out to look for a couple of stray patches in the bottom of the tub because I usually don't seal the pouches that the patches are in and some fall out. I put some solvent in a small cap, that way when I knock it over I don't spill much. I keep a brand new multi caliber pistol cleaning kit nearby that is too nice to use so I just paw through the plastic tub. You're welcome to use any of these tips, they have worked for me for a long time apparently as I haven't managed to change them.
Regards,
turnerriver

I use the same system and have a beautiful kit (Christmas gift from my son) that's far too nice to touch lol

 

[ACORN]

I don't think anything can beat the uses for "STOGEROL".


Main claims include:
An unexcelled Nitro-Solvent.
An Excellent Light Cleaning and Lubricating Oil.
Never Hardens on Guns.
Mixes with Water in an Emulsion.
Loosens and Removes Rust.
Softens and Preserves Leather
A First Class Wound Sterilizer. (More on this below)

"STOGEROL" kills pus-germs and bacteria in wounds in man and beast, and sterilizes them until medical assistance can be procured. Effective in running sores, chafing and soreness after horseback riding, perspiring and sore feet, burns, frostbite, prickleheat, eczema, rheumatism, gout, colds in the head, coughs, (rub nose, throat and chest or other affected parts with "Stogerol.") If used before hiking and hunting tramps, prevents soreness and chafing. "Stogerol" relieves piles, eczema,(dry and moist), destroys fleas, body lice, mange, crabs, scabies and all other vermin on man or beast.

Even More uses:
FOR PHYSICIANS AND DENTISTS:
"STOGEROL" is indispensable as a rust protector of surgical instruments.
Dentists will find it never failing in separating positive plaster casts from the negative.

And finally:
FOR POULTRYMEN, RANCHMEN AND FARMERS:
"STOGEROL" is invaluable to poultrymen in foot sickness, poultry diphtheria and pink eye. Beneficial results are obtained by daubing feet, eyes or throat with "Stogerol"
Ranchmen and Farmers will find it effective in combating foot and mouth disease, by simply applying "Stogerol" freely to infected parts. Also very effective in treating udder and other inflammatory disorders of livestock.

This came out of a pre-war copy of the STOGER Catalog. There are even more claims of how great it was…. (And all before Billy May……)

Josey Wales; "How is it on spots?" SPIT!

 

[walter o]

actually some of the small metal oilers that were for sewing machines have a needle on the cap to put a drop of oil on gun parts

 

[MNruss]

That Stoegerol sounds kinda like Copenhagen...

It's a cure all too-
It cures fits, warts, freckles, coughs
Colds, runny nose
Guaranteed not to rip, run or snag
Makes conception a wonder and
Child birth a pleasure...
That's Copenhagen

Many thanks to Chris Ledoux

Russ

 

[Steve912]

I don't think anything can beat the uses for "STOGEROL".


Main claims include:
An unexcelled Nitro-Solvent.
An Excellent Light Cleaning and Lubricating Oil.
Never Hardens on Guns.
Mixes with Water in an Emulsion.
Loosens and Removes Rust.
Softens and Preserves Leather
A First Class Wound Sterilizer. (More on this below)

"STOGEROL" kills pus-germs and bacteria in wounds in man and beast, and sterilizes them until medical assistance can be procured.

Sounds like Ballistol and Kroil--they invented capillary
action, dontcha know

 

[Bugkiller99]

Pink pencil eraser to clean of burn rings on the front of your revolver cylinder.
IF you feel the need.

 

[Steve912]

Cheap q-tips (cotton swabs, amornite/melonite ) with
the paper/cardboard shafts work better than more expensive
versions with plastic shafts. The cotton buds stay on the paper
shaft under higher pressure/tension, where they tend to slip
off the plastic shaft.

Most gun cleaning can be done with cotton swabs, paper
towels, and old t-shirt. Where there's a lot of wet/oily
residue, don't waste a handful of swabs--use one swab
to push the t-shirt material around, to sop up oily carbon
and powder residue.

Pistol barrels rarely need brushing with jacketed bullets.
A good bore scrubber can be made by rolling a cylinder
of paper towel, and stuffing it into the chamber. Push it
to muzzle with cleaning rod, but retain it with finger tip
against the rod pressure. Push the wad back to chamber,
again restraining it from exiting with a finger tip. Each
cycle will compress the wad further and create more
pressure against the lands & grooves, much more than
any store-bought patch. This process is also good for
magazine tubes.

 

[Jack Flash]

Great one, Steve912!

To piggyback on Steve's post:
I keep an assortment of wooden toothpicks, shish kabob skewers, and chopsticks at the workbench. You can buy the all these at the supermarket. The latter two are sort of "super toothpicks" that don't break so easily.

I use them as non-marring rods to push cleaning patches through handgun barrels. Toothpicks are good for getting into really tight spots, but they break easily. I have some old ice picks I got at garage sales when only a sturdy pick will do.

Toothpicks are also very handy if a wood screw has come loose (wallowed out) in a wooden chair, cabinet door hinge, etc. Just jam some in, break them off flush, then insert and tighten the screw. Some people use glue but I don't think it's necessary. The wood fibers press into each other for a solid grip. I had an old anirondack chair that had a screw hole all wallowed out so I used a shish kabob skewer on it. That was years ago and it is still good and strong.

 

[Steve912]

Toothpicks are good for getting into really tight spots, but they break easily. I have some old ice picks I got at garage sales when only a sturdy pick will do.

Toothpicks are also very handy if a wood screw has come loose (wallowed out) in a wooden chair, cabinet door hinge, etc. Just jam some in, break them off flush, then insert and tighten the screw. Some people use glue but I don't think it's necessary. The wood fibers press into each other for a solid grip. I had an old anirondack chair that had a screw hole all wallowed out so I used a shish kabob skewer on it. That was years ago and it is still good and strong.

Toothpicks are the best thing for cleaning waxy fouling from
under an extractor claw...along with chairs, good for loose
sling swivels, and strap knobs on geetars too

 

[arjay]

Toothpicks are the best thing for cleaning waxy fouling from
under an extractor claw...along with chairs, good for loose
sling swivels, and strap knobs on geetars too

They're also good for filling stripped screw holes in wood

 

[Steve912]

Silica Gel and VCI paper

Prices for silica gel and VCI paper, as marketed
to shooting community, are massively inflated.

Here's a couple more dollar savers...with
quantities big enough to split with a buddy.

Get silica gel for safes/cabinets, at Hobby Lobby.
Five POUNDS runs about $20 (it's gone up a bit ).
Use a sock or fine mesh sack and hang it. Even
has the blue indicator beads that turn pink, when it
needs drying.

Get VCI paper from Uline or Office Depot.
A box of a THOUSAND 8" x 8" sheets for
under fifty bucks.

 

[Steve912]

They're also good for filling stripped screw holes in wood

Wise Guy! - Three Stooges - YouTube