Free for All Fridays

Free For All Friday 9-19-2014: Conversions, Cleaning and Youths…arrrr

Ahoy! Well, today be Talk Like a Pirate Day. It’s one o’ me absolute favorite internet created holidays. Why? Because I get t’ annoy t’ heck out o’ me mateys and family. In other news, it looks like t’ NSSF be startin’ their promotion for SHOT Show 2015 and I’m as excited as can be! I’m used to t’ craziness at this point and can really enjoy t’ show. It’ll be interestin’ t’ see how it turns out this time. I’ve got some predictions for it already but that’s a different article. On t’ t’ questions ye scurvy dogs! Yaharr!

[What is the] cost versus application to convert a 1911 Colt from 9mm over to a 45acp? -Billy H.

While there are numerous decent .22LR conversions, moving to 9mm is an entirely different story. The problem with moving a 1911 from .45 to 9mm isn’t just a matter of swapping a barrel, magazine and possibly slide then calling it a day due to the different size requirements of the internals (like ramps and such). There are kits available, mind you, but the reviews I’ve seen on them are typically a bit dubious at best. I don’t want to sound like one of “those guys” but this is one of the cases where getting a 1911 that was built from the ground up to handle 9mm would be a better choice. There are quite a few good ones that run right about the same price or slightly more than your average conversion kit. Personally, all things being equal, I’d rather have the purpose built item than one where the functionality was shoe-horned in.

How soon after a range session would you recommend cleaning the guns? Is it best to do it right away? Or will the “I’ll get to it when I get to it” attitude make things more difficult? -Mike H.

I always jump on the cleaning as soon as I get home. I’ve talked about it before but that tendency is really just my borderline insane need to have shiny guns. I don’t like fingerprints on my gun. Dirty, nasty fingerprints. I think I’ll clean them again when I get home tonight. Sorry, Gollumed myself a bit there. That’s right, I’ve turned Gollum into a verb. Anyway, the best advice I can give on it is this: Make sure you clean and lube your guns before you would actually need to use them. I think that’s a good rule of thumb. Keep in mind that the longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to clean.

I have a nephew (he’s like a son) who loves his bb gun and is always begging me to take him shooting. I’d like to take him to a range and have him try a small 22 rifle (with the proper safeties as always), but I don’t know if he is old enough. What’s your opinion on when to really bring your kids into the gun world? -JD

This is a sensitive subject to many. Personally, I’m all for removing the mystery and stigma of guns early on. The problem is, there’s not clear cut answer. I wish there was a hard guideline like “At exactly 2 minutes past their 8th birthday they are perfectly ready for the responsibility”. Actually, raising kids would be so much easier if we had those kinds of schedules for everything, wouldn’t it? Some big document that lists stuff like “At exactly 4 years, 6 hours and 27 minutes they will start using the toilet on their own.” Right now all we have is driving a car at 16 and getting thrown out of the house at 18 and possibly bailing them out of jail after their 21st birthday celebration.

But I digress. In this case, it really comes down to the point where you realistically feel the child is ready. I don’t have kids myself but I can use the annoying neighborhood kids who live around me as an example. One boy that lives nearby, about a year ago I wouldn’t have trusted him with a nerf gun, much less a live one. Now, in just over a year he has noticeably matured to the point that I think he could easily handle the responsibility now. His older sister, on the other hand, I would have been more than comfortable putting her on the range quite a few years ago as she has always been remarkably responsible and behaved for her age. The kid across the street who thinks it’s fun to run head first into walls and cars? I would never let him even hear the word “gun” in any context.

So it all comes down to your gut feeling. If you think the kid is ready, then by all means go for it. Be realistic, though. You’re starting him out with a .22LR rifle and that’s perfect. A .22LR gun is the absolute best gun to start any kid out with. Try and make it as fun as possible for them. You can even go so far as to make the safety rules and stuff a bit of a game. Good luck!

Thanks for the questions!

So do you have a question burning in your mind? We answer them every Friday so send them in! It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it’s arguably gun related we want to hear it! Head over to our Facebook or Twitter or Contact Page and send them in. See you next Friday!

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Free For All Friday 10-12-2014: Holsters, new guns and stuff!

Ever notice how we often try to make solutions far more difficult than they need to be? As a long time programmer, I find myself running into this quite a lot these days. I’ll have a feature I need to implement and I’ll start coding. After hundreds and hundreds of lines of code, I’ll have something that works but not as well as I’d like. I’ll sit back and stew on it for a bit then, after yelling a swear word or two, delete those few hundred lines of code and replace it with about a dozen lines that does exactly what I need and exactly how I need it. I recently heard another programmer mention that he could “complicate the heck out of a ball bearing”. Keep this in mind when problems present themselves to you. As is stated in Occam’s Razor (although paraphrased greatly): the simplest solution is often the best one.

I am getting a Taurus Millennium G2 soon and in my state we only have a concealed carry, open is not an option. My questions are 1. What’s a good holster to start with (with cc in mind)? 2. With holsters, do you normally get what you pay for? And 3. Just out of curiosity, what do you think about versacarry holsters ( if that’s what you would call them). Thanks a lot for all your advice! -JD

Trying to squeeze three answers out for the price of one, are ya?! Well, I’m sorry to say I’m going to have to charge you full price for all three. So that’s the normal price to $0.00 times 3 which, let’s see….carry the one….ok, your total is $0.00 plus tax. I accept payment in Bitcoin. Now that’s settled, let’s get to it!

I like the combination leather/kydex holsters that are becoming more and more common. We’ve done a review of Dragon Holsters here but I would recommend anything from Crossbreed Holsters as well. Stay away from those cheap nylon ones that are all over the place at sporting goods stores (usually names Mike’s Holsters or something to that effect). They are uncomfortable, flimsy and they have absolutely zero retention for the gun and that can lead to accidents.
Yes. Holsters, like a lot of things in the gun world, has a equivalent quality to price ratio. There are diminishing returns at some point, mind you. I wouldn’t pay more than $100 for a holster unless it was some custom job made for competition and such.
I am actually writing an article about the Versacarry Holsters for this Monday’s article. I’ll give you a hint: there’s a reason I didn’t mention it in my answer to the first part of your question. Be sure to check back Monday for the full review!

What are some of the pitfalls that a first time buyer might run into when buying a pistol, and how can new shooters to avoid the “One gun to do it all” mentality when looking for a pistol? -Steve G.

The “one gun to do it all” you spoke of is a great description, actually. Many people when they go to buy a gun will say they “want a gun for home defense and possibly to carry later on”. The best bit of advice I can give anyone buying their first gun is to go in with the understanding that there is no Swiss Army Gun. Okay, well, there is a standard issue gun for the Swiss Army, mind you but I’m talking about their knives. While there is some overlap, a gun for home defense is mostly likely not going to be your best bet for concealed carry. At the same time, the perfect concealed carry gun for you is more than likely not going to be the best for home defense. I’ve said it before many times on this site: your carry gun shouldn’t be your first gun. Get a full sized gun for your home and for practice. Once you’re comfortable with that, then look for a smaller carry gun.

Also, when you are ultimately ready for a carry gun, don’t get drawn in by some gimmicky folding revolver or neat looking cheap derringer. I wouldn’t bet my life on either of those and neither should you. Stick with the tried and true pistol styles. Find a store you can trust and talk with the clerk. They’ll help you find one that’s right for you.

You can also look through our Beginner Gun Reviews for a look at guns from the “is this a good first gun for a person” point of view. /ShamelessSelfPromotion

Thanks for the questions!

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Free For All Friday 9-5-2014: Lawyers and stuff…

As always, I start out Free For All Friday by talking about things that interest me personally. It’s not always about guns and you can always feel free to skip right to the questions (hint: they’re always italicized). That being said, the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza is this weekend and there’s an interesting bit of drama going into it. After that crazy collision with Hamilton and Rosberg last race, there’s some noticeable tension in team Mercedes. While Merc is on top in the league this year, the competitiveness between their two drivers, I think, it going to give them trouble. It’s presenting a major chink in their armor and is creating a big hole for other teams (like my favorite Ferrari) to climb through. At the same time, I think Rosberg feels like he has something to prove because, if you look at the numbers, the only reason he’s on top right now is because they can’t seem to keep Hamilton’s car working. With that desire to prove something, he’s starting to get a bit reckless.

Side note: Next season, there will be an American team racing in Formula 1 for the first time in a while and I’m looking forward to cheering them on.

We’ve got one question this week but it’s a really good one…

I was hoping for your opinion on lawyers, more specifically should I have a lawyer on retainer if I carry concealed? -Corey M.

Great question! A lot of people stop at “I have a CCW and I know how to use it” and don’t think about the slim yet horrible possibility that they might have to use it at some point. Having a lawyer after the fact is is an absolute necessity, especially if you live in a less than gun-friendly area. I don’t think that I would spend the cash to have one on retainer, however. Granted, it’s your money and you can do what you want with it. Were it my money, I’d rather put it in savings that could be used for anything I need, even if it’s a lawyer. Now, there are some “legal insurance” type of products you can get for FAR less than paying a retainer fee. Those are great because they cover situations like auto accidents and personal injury as well as self defense situations.

A good free alternative is to locate a good lawyer in your area that has experience with gun laws and self-defense defense and just keep his or her phone number in your wallet next to your carry permit. You can use services like Angie’s List and such to find a good one. I might also recommend talking with your chosen lawyer for a bit (it may cost some money but many do a free consult) and just finding out some steps you can take after the fact to make the lawyer’s job easier.

After all, the easier the job the lawyer has, the better your chances of staying out of trouble if worse comes to worst.

Thanks for the questions!

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Free For All Friday 8-29-2014: The Doctor, cleaning tools, glasses and shot shell reloading.

There’s a few things I really look forward to every year. One of the big ones is the start of a new season of my favorite show: Doctor Who. Now, I’m not one of those people that just started watching a few years back when the quirky attractive guy was playing. I’ve been watching it for a good portion of my life starting WAY back with the 4th Doctor played by the brilliant Tom Baker. Not to get all hipster but I was a Whovian before it was cool. Anyway, this season premier was a particularly big deal because a new Doctor was starting. I had everything ready for it. I was wearing my Doctor Who shirt and we had prepared a big batch of fishfingers and custard (tastier than it sounds, believe it or not). Five minutes before the show was ready to start, **blip**, the power goes out. Fortunately, it came back on before the show was over….ten minutes before it ended. Thankfully, modern technology is modern and I was able to watch it the next morning on demand. Wasn’t as much fun (first world problems, I know) but still, it was great.

Interestingly enough, I had a couple of emails and messages asking my opinion on the new season. Peter Capaldi, the new actor, was fantastic. His take really reminds me of the 4th Doctor and I’m looking forward to the darker, less flirty Doctor. Side Note/fun fact, Capaldi chose the Doctor’s outfit based on his feeling that it would be easier for plans to dress up as. That’s freaking awesome. As far as the episode itself, some people didn’t like the plot but, personally, I thought it was a perfect episode for introducing a new Doctor. It really gave him a chance to shine but didn’t overshadow the regeneration. I think this is going to be a great season. The new episode, features the Daleks, is tomorrow night.

I could go on and on but that would probably kill my page views. On to the questions!

“Do you prefer boresnake or rod/patch for cleaning? After cleaning barrel do you lube the inside or leave dry? If lube do you have to wipe out before using next time?” -Brian M.

Why not both? Personally, I use the boresnake for a quick clean after each trip to the range and also as an initial “get the majority out” stage when I do a big clean. At that point, I switch to the rod and pass cleaning patches through until there is no trace of grime on them. Keep in mind, I clean my guns far cleaner than they need to be. I like them to look like they just came out of their box, partially because I’m just weird like that and partially because I might need to take a close up photo of them at any given moment. As a result, following my cleaning technique exactly might be a bit of overkill for the vast majority of shooters out there.

As far as lubing the barrel, because I use a CLP (“cleaner, lubricant, protectant”, Ballistol for the win!), it’s going to leave a lubricating residue inside that I don’t have to worry about. A thin layer is always a good idea because, considering the metal inside the barrel is exposed, moisture will kill it faster than the rest of the gun. Considering the forces involved, well, you don’t want pitting in that area.

“I am just wondering what kind of eyewear protection wouldn’t fog up while I am shooting. If I buy more expensive shooting glasses will they not fog up as much as the inexpensive ones I wear now.” -Jacki

The good news is that a $300 pair of Oakley shooting glasses will fog up just as quickly as a $10 pair of safety goggles. Or maybe that’s bad news? Either way, the fogging isn’t exactly an indicator of quality as it is an indicator of fit. You see, there’s two factors going into this. First and foremost, your body exudes moisture constantly, in the form of sweat, in order to regulate its temperature. The idea is, as the sweat evaporates, it causes a drop in temperature because science. If that evaporated sweat hits something with a difference in temperature before it can get away and join it’s other evaporated friends in the form of humidity, it will condense and collect. That’s the fog on your lenses. The reason it’s collecting on them is a lack of air circulation around them. There’s nowhere for the moisture to go and, because your body heat is creating a tiny greenhouse between your face and the lens, there’s a temperature difference inside and the sweat condenses.

There’s two ways to fix this: The first is look for glasses that fit better and allow air to get through. They don’t have to be expensive, just good for your face. Everyone’s face is shaped different and glasses that fit perfectly on one person will look and work horribly on another. If you have a pair of sunglasses that you wear regularly that don’t fog up, look for shooting glasses that are of similar design. Secondly, try putting a good coat of Fog-X (http://www.rainx.com/product/glass-and-cleaners/rainx-anti-fog/#.VACK1lzA750) on the glasses you currently have. If the moisture can’t actually cling to the surface, it can’t collect.

“… we think it’s time to start looking into reloading shells. I was curious as to which shells would be the best for us to use? Can I reload any shell we may have shot? How could I look at a shell and know if it’s good for a reload?” -Michael B.

As much as it pains me to admit, I’m not that knowledgeable when it comes to shotshell reloading. My buddy Steven is though and I shot him a quick message for some advice. Here it is:

Pretty much anything will work fine but, like rifle brass, shells are only good for a certain number of shots. Some brands are better than others. The quality of the shell doesn’t really affect the accuracy or function, just the number of times it can be reused. I’ve noticed Remington and Winchester seem to last the longest. I’ve also noticed I get fewer uses out of the ones with nickel and steel heads so look for brass. Also look for non-ribbed stuff because it seems to last longer as well. Inspect everything before you use it. If a case is starting to go, it’s pretty obvious. If there’s any doubt, toss it. Somebody once told me you can tell a failing case by the sound it makes when you reload it. I thought he was crazy but sure enough, there is a difference so listen closely and learn how your reloader sounds normally. You might not want to blast music out while you reload as a result because you might miss the noise. There’s also a different feel but it’s not as consistent because every brand feels different to me.

Thanks for the questions!

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Free For All Friday 8-22-2014: Shoulder holsters, unloading guns and poking a hornet’s nest

Did you know that, according to various studies, more people would rather give a speech in front of thousands of people than undergo a major change in their life even if that change is for the better? Something interesting to think about.

Hi there! I’ve been wondering lately if shoulder holstered weapons are actually useful for concealed carry, or if that’s just plain Hollywoodism. Would they make a bulge too big, make it too difficult to draw the weapon or just be inferior compared to waist ones? Thanks in advance! -Henry J.

For the longest time, shoulder holstered guns were pretty much the defacto way for police officers to carry concealed. Even to this day, shoulder holsters are widely used. It’s a very effective way to carry due to the way our bodies are shaped as well as the way clothes hang off our bodies. It does, however, one or two serious drawbacks. As I type this article, it’s 97 degrees Fahrenheit with super high humidity and a heat index of 111. Shoulder holsters require multiple layers to work effectively (shirt + holster + jacket/over shirt). That may be fine for a lot of places but, here in Florida, there’s maybe one or two weeks where we could use that comfortably. The last thing I want to do right now is put on another layer. Your mileage may vary, depending on where you live. Keep in mind that, even if it’s cold outside, you’re going to step inside where it’s heated at some point and wearing a jacket might still be uncomfortable then as well.

Beyond that, there’s only a few easily avoidable situations where you could potentially flash your gun. The same can be said for IWB carry as well, though. The only major complaint about shoulder holsters that I have, beyond climate, is the draw. Under most situations, it’s difficult to draw quickly without lasering everyone in a 90 degree arc between your gun side and the target.

I was wondering what the best way to load and unload the weapon properly as to not wear out the round that is ejected every time and re-loaded the next morning before I carry again? -Corey M.

There’s lot of reasons why we would un-chamber the round from our pistols on a regular basis. It could be for dry fire practice, trading out mags so that you’re not shooting your expensive daily carry ammo at the range or the regular cleaning that a CCW pistol desperately requires. Ultimately, this is going to cause some wear on the round itself if you do it enough. The bright side is, the wear is going to be mostly cosmetic. If you’re really worried, just pull all the rounds out of the magazine and rotate them out so that each bullet gets to spend time being the one in the chamber.

The big thing to worry about, however, is the extractor itself. Many people, myself included, prefer to carry in the X+1 configuration meaning the magazine is completely full and you have an extra round in the chamber itself. One extra round is one extra round, after all. The worst possible way to load that extra round is to just drop it directly into the chamber, let the slide forward then load the mag. That puts wear on the extractor (the little hook that pulls the spent casing out of the chamber) in a way it wasn’t designed for. The better way is to insert the mag and rack the slide like normal, then take out the mag and put another bullet in then put it back into the gun. There’s some extra steps, for sure, but it will make sure the components last longer. The extractor is a very important component to the operation of a semi-auto and is a strangely neglected component on the gun.

Can you cite a single case where a non-LEO who is open carrying has been shot or had their gun snatched by a criminal? -Bob H.

While this one skirts dangerously close to my no politics rule, it did spark my curiosity. I spent a good long while with Google on this one and I have come to a single conclusion: the internet is a horrible place to do research when it comes to politically charged subjects. Seriously. Open carry is a pretty controversial subject even among the pro gun community and the internet is filled with lots of bad information concerning it. I was able to find some “my cousin’s uncle’s hairdresser knows a guy who works with a guy who…” type of anecdotes but after a few pages in on Google’s search results with various combinations of search terms, I gave up. I’m not saying it hasn’t happened, I just didn’t find anything reliable. I should warn you about using this kind of information in an argument, however. Saying it never happens or it hasn’t happened will only be somewhat effective until it actually happens. Then the other side will use that one occurrence to invalidate everything you try to say from that point forward. Debating 101: Stick with the solid facts that are difficult to invalidate.

Thanks for the questions!

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Free for All Friday 8-15-2014: Target ammo and steel vs lead

Didn’t get any questions last week. I was starting to think I had answered everyone’s questions and that I wouldn’t be able to do this column any more! Thankfully, that didn’t turn out to be the case. We have two questions this week.

I saw .38 special ammo today at the LGS. Full metal jacket and lead round nose. Both were the same price. Which is better for target shooting at the range? -Mike H.

Under most circumstances, my answer is always “go with the cheapest for the majority of your practice”. In this case, however, price is removed as a factor. If it were me, I’d go with the full metal jacket option. Unjacketed lead rounds are typically dirtier for multiple reasons. One of the main reasons is that they usually seal it with a bit of paraffin and that stuff gets on everything. It’s also going to leave more lead residue all over and lead, as we know, is poisonous. when a round is jacketed, it reduces the amount of lead that gets expelled from the gun when it’s fired. It doesn’t remove it altogether, mind you, so you should keep that in mind…but that’s an article for another day.

Hey Noob! Now that I am shooting trap etc. quick question on shotgun shells. Steel shot or lead? Which is better for trap shooting? Thanks as always!! -Skylar R.

I’m about to contradict myself completely here. I’d go with the lead shot. First off, it’s cheaper. Secondly, I’ve yet to go to a skeet range that doesn’t say “no steel shot allowed”. Steel is a bit more destructive when it comes to the machines and equipment at the range and someone is always going to accidentally shoot the launchers. Don’t believe me? Take a look at them if you can. Lead shot, while still destructive to the equipment, won’t do as much damage. In the end, most ranges will have notices telling you which kind you can use and what the maximum shot size you can have. If they don’t have it prominently posted, ask a rangemaster what they’d prefer you use.

Thanks for the questions!

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Free For All Friday 8-1-2014: Rust and rifle calibers.

I get asked quite often when I’m going to put out more videos. I think an update at this point is probably warranted. It comes down to two things: time and quality. With time, it just comes down to a complete and utter lack of it. I work two jobs as it is and making the videos takes an incredibly long time. It really comes down to a choice of either keep up with the blog’s updating schedule or make videos. This brings me to the quality thing. I have a very particular vision for the videos in my head. While I’m happy with the videos that have been posted so far (although I’ve considered re-doing a few of the earlier ones with the better equipment I have now), they’re still not where I’d ultimately like them to be. I mean, if you all didn’t mind a bunch of quickly thrown together vids with little coherence or uniqueness, thats fine but there wouldn’t be much to differentiate myself from the loads of incoherent and indistinguishable videos on YouTube already. With that being said, I don’t want to release more videos if I can’t put enough time into them to make them the quality that you deserve. As soon as my schedule clears up, I’ll be back to them because I really do enjoy making them.

Hope that clears things up a bit. We’ve got two questions this week!

I’ve recently noticed a very small patch of surface rust forming on my Remington 870 express’s receiver. This is my home defense gun so other than the trips to the range with it (which are fewer and farther between than I’d like them to be) it sits safely and protected in a nylon gun bag away from any moisture. I was really shocked to see the rust so I started looking online and I found a lot of things saying this model is apparently very prone to rusting easily? There was a plethora of “fixes” to prevent this, all very different. What is your preferred measures? Also, how would I remove the rust that’s already formed? -Corey M.

I’d make the “guns have two enemies” joke to start out with but I think I used that joke already. Seeing one of your beloved firearms getting surface rust is heartbreaking. It’s not the end of the world, though…well…at least not if you catch it early enough. The first thing to do is get the rust off of there as soon as possible. Depending on the finish of the gun, a light brass bristle brush or some super fine brass wool will take care of it. Use it just enough to get rid of the rust and try not to overdo it. You don’t want to start digging into the finish or the metal more than you absolutely have to. I know I’ve said that multiple ways in the last three sentences but it’s an important thing.

If the rust has really started pitting the metal, you may need to send it off to be refinished. That kind of work is best left to professionals, sadly, so you’re probably not going to see a guide for that on the site. Would be fun to try, though.

But I digress. Once the rust is gone, now we move on to prevention. First off, storing in the nylon case isn’t always the best idea, especially if you live in a humid area. The fabric will absorb moisture and then hold it right up against the gun which, due to the contact and enclosed area, will rust a gun far faster than just leaving it sitting in a corner somewhere. A good protectant will do wonders to prevent most corrosion so keeping a good coating of something like FrogLube or Ballistol on the gun is very important as it will provide a barrier to moisture. Ideally, changing the storage method is the best way to go but, if you absolutely must store it in a nylon bag, I’d recommend storing one of those silica bags in the case as well. Those little ones you get inside shipments won’t be enough. Look for the ones that are made specifically for gun safes.

I was thinking about getting a hunting rifle. I was looking at a .308 or a 30-06. I was leaning to the .308 but someone told me that the 30-06 would be a better choice due the wide range of grain size ammo. You could hunt anything with a 30-06 by changing the weight of the bullet. What do you think? thanks as always! -Skylar R.

Hey look! A Year of the Rifle related question! Thanks for giving me the opportunity to plug! Size wise, both rounds are perfectly suited for animals up to Elk but I’d recommend something larger if you’re planning on going after moose, big game in Africa or Cthulhu. The general consensus seems to be that the 30-06 has more options available when handloading because, from what I can tell, most factory loads on the 30-06 are a bit on the conservative side. One thing to really consider, however, is the rifle itself that will be shooting said caliber. Most 30-06 rifles tend to be on the heavier side and carrying that heavy rifle and ammo out into the wilderness will get old fast. You can get very accurate .308 rifles with a short action which makes it very easy to transport.

Another thing to consider is, of course, ammo prices. A quick glance at ammo prices show 30-06 at about $0.55-$0.60 a round while .308 is running around the $0.40-$0.50 range. While it doesn’t seem like much in the grand scheme of things, you’re still going to be able to buy more .308 ammo for the same money and that will let you practice more before you head out.

Beyond those factors, the actual performance of the 30-06 and the .308 is close enough that it all comes down to the shooter’s ability. If it were my money, I’d go with a .308 which, oddly enough, is the caliber I chose for my Year of the Rifle rifle. Just sayin’….

Thanks for the questions!

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Free For All Friday 7-18-2014: Keep it clean!

ballistol Oddly enough, I got a lot of interest on last week’s Warhammer question. I might have to start imposing the same restrictions on Warhammer that I do on Doctor Who lest this blog stray too far from its given subject: helping new gun owners. That being said, let’s help!

“Cleaning Kits and supplies. Maybe we spoke of this in the past, but I can’t find it. Can you please break it down by rifle/shotgun and pistol? I have both. I have found kits, sprays, bore snakes and all type of brushes. What do I need at a min and what do I really need? I have the basis “gun cleaning kit” for $20 or so. Yes, it works, but I get the feeling I need something else. Especially sprays or oil. As always, thanks for your help!” -Skylar R. Continue reading →

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Free For All Friday 7/11/2014: Shotguns and Tiny Plastic Armies…

RuneLord [Insert deep and introspective opening post here that has little to do with anything other than the random thoughts that happen to be going through my head at the moment of writing this week’s FFAF post here.]

[Even more random segue into the questions] Continue reading →

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Free For All Friday 6-27-2014: Rare guns and CCW positions…

smallestBar I got married a couple years ago to the lovely Mrs. Noob. Due to various reasons, we weren’t able to go on our honeymoon right away. Last week, we finally were able to go. We spent a week in Buffettstan a.k.a. Key West, Florida. Amazing how a week of being almost completely unplugged from everything helps clear the mind. As much as I feel refreshed and ready to go, it’s still hard to get back into the swing of things. I came back to a bunch of emails and messages and I’m slowly working my way through them. Side note: there are a surprisingly large number of gun ranges in the Florida Keys. Didn’t expect that, for some reason.

Time to trim up our pencil thin mustaches, have a cheeseburger in paradise and change some latitudes and attitudes with this week’s Free For All Friday questions! Continue reading →

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