View From The Porch: What have you been up to today?

Saturday, August 17, 2013

What have you been up to today?

Me? I've been repairing a shotgun with a nail file, using the hotel room floor as my work bench.

The Good: Two Leatherman tools. The Bad: Neither has a file. The Ugly: My nail clippers do.

25 comments:

Scott J said...: I whined about my craptastic performance at the benchrest match in your prior post.

After that I swung through my local Bass Pro Shop hoping I might could score some more 168 Sierra Matchkings but didn't find any.

However, The CMP was set up with an inflatable airgun range outside the exit and my 7 year old boy had a ball shooting (pics on book of face).

Then we got home and he and I worked to tear down 40 .30-06 rounds so I can reassemble them later with a different powder charge, then I set him up a target in the back yard so he could shoot his personal BB gun some more while I cleaned my M4Gery and then put round 9 of the 20 round barrel break in process through it.

Even with my horrid shooting I wound up 6th of 8 in the factory class at the match so the day wasn't a total waste.; 7:26 PM, August 17, 2013
drjim said...: What broke on it, Tam?; 8:00 PM, August 17, 2013
Alien said...: A request, if I may: When fully recovered at home, bolstered by an IPA or three, a list of "Not Quite SHTF Gun Tools, But Close" would be terrific. For example, you needed a file for the 870. My Range Support Box (a VERY large Plano tackle box) has several, in different sizes, along with a multitude of other tools and spare bits I've discovered the need for over the years, but there's no way I'd be able to drag 35 pounds along for the CT shoot along with all the other stuff needed.

I think I have a Leatherman that has a file, but I don't know which one or where it is, and I wouldn't have known that I might need it.; 8:05 PM, August 17, 2013
JD Rush said...: I've been seeing odd extraction on my mim'd 870 with some shells, I was going to be lazy and buy the whole bolt assembly. I'm sure Brownells carries it, too. Hopefully for the extra $80 over just the extractor it is fitted properly.; 8:08 PM, August 17, 2013
Roberta X said...: Drugstore or hotel grooming-supplies shopette: emery boards. Metal nail file. They work darned well in a pinch.

Also, next gun show, I am buying you either a Leatherman Wave or a set of small files.; 9:58 PM, August 17, 2013
Roberta X said...: Also, I totally want an after-action report on this. Dammit, I've got an 870 and if this is a user-caused or parts-fit failure, I wanna know how to never do it.

WV: "susgion 12." I'm pretty sure they tried holding up banks with shotguns. It only works well for really light banks or unreasonably high numbers of shotguns.; 10:03 PM, August 17, 2013
Drang said...: See, when you said (on Facespace?) that you were using the Leatherman MUT, I ass-you-me'd that the carbon scraper was going to be useful.

As for my day, ordered two pairs of glasses -- Wally World still has the best prices locally, and they have safety (read: SHOOTING) glasses frames for $9. Not as cool as Wiley X or ESS or whatever, but.. NINE. DOLLARS.

Then stopped in at the local Lions Car Show. Seriously, who owns a Lada?; 10:17 PM, August 17, 2013
Charlie Foxtrot said...: That's why I like my Mossberg 590: all you need is a hammer. A big hammer.

Seriously, the Mossy, the Marlin 1894, and Ruger GP100 are all seriously stout and simple designs. Each one can be repaired on a flat rock. For that reason, they're my EOTWAWKI battery.

+1 for putting together a GoTH gunsmithing kit.; 10:17 PM, August 17, 2013
DJ said...: Follower hanging-up at or near the mag tube/extension junction? Mag tube dimples not flattened enough? Or something else?; 12:24 AM, August 18, 2013
Discobobby said...: Alien, if you're running an AR, a Multitasker series 3 is awfully handy. A series 2 is a bit more universal, and has a file.; 12:28 AM, August 18, 2013
Will said...: I use a Leatherman Micra for nail clipping, and it has a nail file. It looks like it is recessed, but it will cut a flat surface (just tried a piece of wood, and on the handle of my original Gerber Multi-Plier).

Said Gerber has a two sided, full length file. Probably way out of date for multitools, by now. Bought it because it can be opened with one hand.; 3:48 AM, August 18, 2013
Tam said...: I have multiple Leatherman tools with files...

A Micra... on my desk at home.

A Style... on the part of my keychain I left at home.

A Juice Kf4... at home because I replaces it in my purse with the CS4 which doesn't have a file.

A Rebar... in my range bag at home.; 5:40 AM, August 18, 2013
Tam said...: DJ,

"Follower hanging-up at or near the mag tube/extension junction? Mag tube dimples not flattened enough? Or something else?"

Replacement non-MIM extractor needed touching up to remove burrs. Also smoothed the sides of the extractor channel while I was at it.; 5:42 AM, August 18, 2013
Angus McThag said...: But but but non-MIM is inherently better than MIM in all ways.

It is known!; 11:11 AM, August 18, 2013
Will said...: Doesn't matter how many tools you truck along with you, you'll encounter a need for something you didn't bother to pack.

And then there is the occasion when you pack something that should have never left the garage. Took a small top box with a lot of gunsmithing tools to a class once, and forgot to remove the bottle of Bluing that was sitting in the under lid area. Cap failed on the ride home, and wasn't noticed for a couple days. Instant rust on a lot of tools, not to mention the felt liner was ruined, and the rusty hinge and other areas. Box was in new condition, prior to this screw-up.

BTW, I've used fine surfaced concrete walkways to file down various items over the years. The lack of any files in my toolbox, on an extended vacation in Florida (Ranchero and Norton), led me to that innovation. Was replacing cams in a Honda 450 (original Twin), and needed to clearance the cam end mount spigots.; 2:27 PM, August 18, 2013
Gewehr98 said...: Good show on the "Improvise, adapt, and overcome" bit!

I've taken my USAF-issued Leatherman Wave on every trip away from home drome because I'd feel naked without it. Sure as shit, something breaks and you're either in the middle of nowhere or the stores are closed for the night. :-(

Regardless, I think you exemplified the old saying, "It's not what you can do - it's what you can do on demand!"; 6:40 PM, August 18, 2013
Anonymous said...: Disassembled, completely, a Benelli in a motel room. Home depot had the propane torch to soften the locktite-like goop holding the mainspring tube. After all that, it turned out to be a part I'd added on interferring and not letting another part do what it was paid to do.; 9:29 AM, August 19, 2013
Justthisguy said...: Ah, reminds me of the time I repaired the safety on a cheap (Jennings?) derringer belonging to an electric-guitarist acquaintance. I used the spring from a ball-point pen I found lying around. I was happy to do that for no compensation, as I did not want his then wife suing him for loss of consortium had that thing gone off in his pocket, the way he carried it.

Ah again, drunkards, small children, the United States of America, electric guitarists, The Lord looks out for them, sometimes using us Sons of Martha.; 3:56 PM, August 19, 2013
Anonymous said...: Make sure the extractor isn't one of the batch that got through QC that need a bevel filed to clear receiver when action is worked.The sign to look for is a shiny groove on the inside of receiver behind ejection port.Can't remember his name but he used to post on the shotgun forum at GlockTalk.The info this guy puts out on his website about 870 probs and fixes is good stuff and I wish I could recall his name.; 12:07 AM, August 20, 2013
Anonymous said...: aiptactical.com is the best 870 site I have found to explain the many issues that many Express owners encounter and how to remedy them.He only works on 870's.I had to look it up after posting the previous comment where I couldn't remember his name on glocktalk (aippi) or his website.He takes up where Kuhnhausen's book didn't have to go since Remington was synonymous with quality when Jerry's bookwas written and not just a cog in the Cerberus profit machine as it is now.; 12:39 AM, August 20, 2013
Tam said...: This wasn't an "Express issue". This is "Ordering an 870P extractor and dropping it into an Express without then function checking it" issue.; 12:52 AM, August 20, 2013
Will said...: Was the original MIM part giving you problems, or was the swap supposed to be preventative medicine?; 2:11 AM, August 20, 2013
Tam said...: Will,

"...or was the swap supposed to be preventative medicine?"

I know, right?; 7:18 AM, August 20, 2013
MJM said...: Thanks for reminding us of this, Tam:
While most guns sit and never fire more than 500 rounds in a lifetime, guns are machines. Machines malfunction; parts break and fall out. Shooters most often learn this at intense training. Nothing like firing hundreds of rounds to put on display all of the failings of our weaponry, accouterments, and ourselves. Been there, done that.; 4:14 PM, August 20, 2013
Will said...: Tam,
did something similar with a Norton. There had been a rash of failures of the kickstarter pawl, so, after fixing a customer's bike, I threw mine on the bench, and replaced it. Put the original pawl on my keyring. Couple years later, the replacement part failed (not hardened, aparently). I took the original off my keyring, and re-installed it. Last I heard, it was still functioning.; 5:06 PM, August 20, 2013