Archive for the ‘Gun Accessories’ Category
Fool’s Gold!
Keep it Clean!
Fool’s Gold: this is not the neat to have stuff or that rare mineral everyone craves; but, rather a dreaded hunter’s nightmare. It’s that unsightly orange colored muck that forms, without warning, in or on the metal parts of your weapon; but, what’s the harm if left unattended? It will destroy the weapon’s finish, pit the barrel, and adversely affect the weapon’s functionality.
Simply put, “Rust” is the by-product of iron-oxidation caused by moisture/condensation forming when left unattended on the weapon’s metal parts. However, the beauty and value of your weapon can be preserved providing you take care of it properly with reputed gun cleaning supplies. Your primary concern should be not to damage the weapon’s finish. Removing surface rust is fairly easy, providing you stick to the following steps:
- First, make sure the weapon is not loaded;
- Put a drop of light-weight gun oil directly on the surface rust. Take a lightly oiled cloth or paper towel and with a circular motion remove the rust. If not successful:
- Lightly scrub the area with a very fine, lightly oiled steel wool. Do not use an abrasive cleaner, sandpaper, or polishes not made for guns;
- Clean with a dry cloth, repeat process if needed. When the rust has been removed and as a preventive maintenance measure, cover all metal parts with a light coat of gun oil and then place in proper storage.
Safety First!
Eye Protection!
A good friend of mine recently had a shell malfunction when he was shooting skeet with his 12 ga., pump Shotgun. It was really unfortunate, in-that, he is probably one of the most safety conscious shooters I know. He had been wearing safety glasses prior to the incident, but he had taken them off to make a gun adjustment and failed to put them back on. Some-how, the weapon discharged prematurely, and the unprotected explosion caused facial burning and the embedment of small material flecks in his right cheek.
My friend considers himself lucky. He has been assured by doctors that only minimum damage was done to the right eye, and there is a strong possibility that sight clarity will return to 100 percent. However, his eyebrows and lashes were singed, and there will be some minor scaring on the right cheek.
Incidents like this reinforce the need to pay attention to what we’re doing. Safety must come first. These precautionary considerations should become part of our routine. My friend would be the first to say that he had no control over the weapon malfunctioning; but, good shooting glasses would have prevented most of the injuries – BE SAFE!
Don’t Get Caught Short!
State of the Art!
During my earlier shooting/hunting years, I was not a big believer in the need to wear hearing protection when firing a weapon. I carried to extreme, the notion that you shouldn’t wear it because doing so restricted your hearing and created a safety hazard. Also, you told yourself, the fog that the firing created in your head/ears would only last a couple days and then go away - so why sweat it?
Not quite, I have been diagnosed with Tinnitus and am currently being fitted with hearing aids. The Doctor said that this is a direct result of being exposed to loud firing noises for an extended or sustained period of time. There are presently sounds and tones that I’ll never be able to hear again.
Even-though I accept full responsibility for my hearing condition, there is no consolation when forced to tell someone to “say it again”, because you couldn’t hear/understand them. I do, at this point, wish that I would’ve paid more attention to the Hearing Protection advocates/literature back then, and as mama would say, son – “NOT TOO SMART”!
Gun Safes
Multi-Purpose Safe
The ultimate protection for weapons at home would be a built-in Gun Vault. This might be a justifiable option if your collection’s diversity, weapon size, and or the quantity of weapons so dictated. But, for the average “Joe” with a couple rifles, shotguns or pistols, they’d probably be better suited with one of the many other safes on the market today. Generally speaking, there are two types: Large and Small.
The Large gun safes are used for long barreled firearms and usually designed to stand vertically. They have racks on the inside to hold the guns side-by-side without leaning on each other; additionally, some have shelves for ammo and smaller handguns.
The Small gun safes are used for handguns, revolvers, and/or automatics. However, to be burglar proof, they must be secured to the floor, wall or something permanent. Regardless of the safe’s size, if properly installed, it should provide protection from theft, unauthorized entry, and some fires (depending on time length of burn and sustained maximum heat). BE SAFE!
Weapon Security
Be Safe!
While most people think that shooting is only for serious minded hunters, recreational shooting should change that perception. This includes the sport of trap and skeet shooting as-well-as the popular paint ball and air gun variations. Sling-shot shooting is also part of this category along with soft air gun shooting.
Regardless of the weapon’s potential lethality, home weapon’s security is important, and should be respected whether children are involved or not. Owner responsibility for proper security can be executed by providing item storage in a locked cabinet or safe. Security can be further supplemented by placing individual gun locks on applicable weapons. BE SAFE – NOT SORRY!
Is Your Gun Protected?
Hard Shotgun Case
Gun cases are classified into two types – soft cases and hard cases. The hard case type gun cases offer padded interior and can be purchased for various gun types.
Soft gun cases are often built with fabric or leather and may or may not have padded protection on the inside. But, these soft cases are easy to carry with sling straps provided.
Soft cases are the cheaper alternative, but either a hard case or soft case will provide your weapon the protection needed during transport or a cursory exposure to inclement weather. However, for a price, there are special high-end hard rifle cases that will give you water-tight and crush-proof security.
Gun Cleaning Supplies!
Gun Cleaning Supplies!
For the dedicated hunter or sport’s shooter, acquiring a layman’s skill to gunsmith and knowledge to maintain your own weapons is essential. Dependable gun shops are not always available, and this shortage should not impact on your hunting schedule.
A gunsmith’s tool box with an assortment of tools, a work station, and gun cleaning supplies are essential accessory items.
Ka-Bluey
A Protective Finish!
To keep their guns from rusting, gun manufacturers and merchants usually turn to a chemical process called bluing. Iron oxidizes over time, leading to the appearance of red rust. Gun bluing counteracts this process by applying a protective finish to the gun barrel. The name of this process comes from the fact it leaves the gun metal with a bluish hue.
More often than not, manufacturers take care of the bluing process before the gun in question ever reaches market. However, some hobbyists prefer to undertake the endeavor themselves. Either way, gun bluing keeps firearms in good working order and increases their operational lifespan.