Colt's Manufacturing Company said it will introduce a new and improved version of the classic Colt Mustang. The new Colt .380 Mustang Pocketlite is small, lightweight and boasts enhanced durability, reliability and accuracy, making it an ideal handgun for personal protection.
The precise machining process, use of high quality materials and improvements in design make Colt's new .380 Mustang Pocketlite an excellent choice as a small backup gun.
The aluminum alloy receiver, stainless steel slide and barrel are CNC machined from solid bar stock for precise tolerances. “Machining solid stock is certainly a more involved manufacturing process,” said Joyce Rubino, Vice President of Marketing, Colt's Manufacturing Company, “But it is that process, combined with our engineering specifications, expertise and demand for perfection that allows Colt to deliver one of the highest quality products available to today's marketplace.”
With a loaded magazine, this handgun weighs less than one pound. It measures 5.5 inches long and has a 2.75-inch barrel. The minimal weight and length of the gun, combined with the short single action trigger, grip design, frame design and firing pin safety block, make this firearm ideal for personal protection.
The magazine holds six rounds. Improvements in powder and bullet design have increased the velocity and terminal performance of .380 caliber ammunition, adding to the viability of the Colt .380 Mustang Pocketlite for personal defense.
“Accuracy and reliability was a top priority as we looked at what improvements could be made to make this classic backup even better,” said Rubino, “Though the changes may seem subtle to the untrained eye, every Colt employee takes great pride in knowing that their dedication has helped bring a vastly improved and enhanced firearm to market.”
The new Colt .380 Mustang Pocketlite descends from a famed line of pistols, including Colt's Government Model, and improves upon the best that each had to offer.
For more information on Colt's Manufacturing Company visit www.coltsmfg.com.
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. has announced new Ruger LCP and LC9 pistols equipped with LaserMax CenterFire lasers. They will come factory fitted with a trigger-guard-mounted LaserMax CenterFire red diode laser.
“We are very excited about the introduction of the LCP and LC9 with the LaserMax CenterFire lasers,” said Chris Killoy, Ruger Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Our customers have made these two pistols some of the most popular concealed carry firearms in the nation, and we're happy to provide more options in this product line by incorporating durable LaserMax CenterFire lasers into factory production models. For those who prefer a firearm with a laser, this combination can't be beat,” he concluded.
The new LCP and LC9 pistols both feature a LaserMax CenterFire trigger-guard-mounted laser with ambidextrous on/off switch. The laser can be adjusted for both windage and elevation, and can be removed easily with an Allen wrench (included).
These pistols are polymer-framed, hammer-fired, double-action only. The LCP is chambered in .380 Auto and has a capacity of 6+1 rounds. The LC9, which is available for sale in all 50 states, is chambered in 9mm Luger and has a capacity of 7+1 rounds. Both pistols are designed for snag free carry in a pocket or holster, and come with both flat bottom and finger groove extension magazine buttplates that can be changed to accommodate the shooter's preference.
As a press release by Ector noted, “The boycott was initiated by a local Michigan CCW Class Instructor, Rick Ector, in response to that eatery's ban on the possession of all legally carried firearms—openly carried or lawfully concealed carried with a state of Michigan permit. In Michigan, open carry of a pistol in a visible holster is legal without a license. Furthermore, the concealed carry of a handgun is also legal if the person has a Michigan Concealed Pistol License.”
“Ector, a former robbery victim, believes that the restaurant's ban on handguns creates a dangerous dining environment for customers. The reasoning, according to Ector, is that if a business bans guns then armed criminals will know where they can find unarmed people to rob, rape, and assault. The boycott will remain in effect until this local IHOP location drops it gun ban.”
A National Rifle Association credentialed firearms trainer, Ector provides CCW instruction in the Detroit area. Read More
The originator of the AR platform has turned its popular M-15 SPR Mod 1 system into what it's calling a “Family of Calibers.”
ArmaLite’s Mod 1 carbine started as a .223/5.56mm carbine built around a one-piece upper receiver/rail system with exclusive detachable side and bottom rails.
This year, ArmaLite is introducing the SPR Mod 1 6.8mm SPC II and the SPR Mod 1 7.62X39mm
ArmaLite’s SPR Mod 1 6.8 is especially well-suited to hunting, according to the company. It is powerful enough to meet the minimum energy requirements of many states for taking medium sized game such as deer.
At the same time, the 6.8mm is lighter than the 7.62×51, reducing the weight of ammunition carried into the field. As part of the AR-platform family, this carbine is also more versatile and ergonomic than traditional hunting models. The Mod 1 6.8mm is built with the ArmaLite-developed mid-length handguard and gas system to provide the best in form and function.
ArmaLite’s SPR Mod 1 7.62X39mm provides all the flexibility of the Mod 1’s one piece upper receiver/rail system but now for the world’s most available cartridge. The original AK-47 was built to use this cartridge.
The ArmaLite designed mid-length handguard and gas tube technology provides an optimal gas pulse to power the 16″ system so reliability is never an issue.
More on the SPR Mod 1 Platform
The SPR Mod 1 is forged, one-piece upper receiver/rail system with exclusive detachable side and bottom rails. The SPR Mod 1's three o'clock, six o'clock, and nine o'clock rails are detachable. That's so you can change your 1913 rails to fit your changing needs for sights, lights, lasers, grips or swivels.
Each SPR Mod 1 comes with extra rails standard, at no extra cost. You get a 1913 rail with quick detachable sling swivel hole. Each rifle comes with a low insert for when you need a bare rail with a low profile. There's also a plain insert with a quick detach sling swivel hole. And there is a half plain, half Picatinny rail as well. Changing your rails and add-ons of the SPR Mod 1 is as easy as turning a torx wrench.
Another good thing: Its one-piece construction offers you a continuous optic platform (COP). There's no gap to bridge between receiver and upper rail when you're installing your scope or sights. This one-piece construction also gives the sighting platform extra rigidity. It's a good, strong backbone. That means your sights will stay zeroed in the most trying conditions. Visit Armalite to Learn More
SPECS FOR THE SPR Mod 1 6.8mm SPC II
Semi-Auto
Caliber: 6.8mm SPC II Barrel: Free Floated 16″ Double Lapped, Chrome LinedChrome Moly Vanadium MIL-B-11595-E, Threaded 5/8-24 Rifling Twist: RH 1:11″ 110-115 Ammo Grain Muzzle Device: Flash Suppressor Front Sight Base: Gas Block with Picatinny Rail Top of gas block is .293 (+/-) lower than top of upper receiver Upper Receiver: Forged Flattop with Picatinny Rail & Laser Engraved Rail Numbering, 7075-T6 Aluminum w/ 8″ Hand-guard Lower Receiver: 7075-T6 Aluminum (forged) Trigger: Tactical Two Stage, 1st Stage 3.5 lbs – 2nd Stage Approximately 5-6 lbs Overall Length: 36″ with stock extended, Approximately 32.75″ collapsed Weight: Approximately 7.4 lbs
A Superposed engraved by Ron Reimer. The pattern is inspired from the D5G pattern which first appeared in 1965.
Even unlikely critics, like CNN Money.com lists the “Super” as one of the world’s finest shotguns.
John Moses Browning, arguably America’s premier firearm designer, first visualized the Superposed as an affordable over and under shotgun for American hunters and target shooters, in contrast to the much more expensive European models. Browning also reasoned the Superposed would be one of the last firearms regulated out of existence (but instead of modern day gun grabbers, Browning was more concerned by conservationists of the day who referred to Browning’s other design, the widely popular Auto-5 as “game exterminators”) as mentioned in Ned Schwing’s book, The Browning Superposed, the definitive word on the history of the Superposed from inception to the final days of production.
This D5G-inspired pattern engraved by Ron Reimer offers full coverage engraving. You must look closely to see the barrel and cocking lever when the action is closed.
The Superposed endured many problematic issues even before its introduction, the most far reaching –finding a manufacturer to produce it. Browning approached Fabrique Nationale (FN), who was already producing not only Browning’s Auto 5, but was weighted down with military contracts. The two parties met several times to no avail, price being the major obstacle.
Speculation surfaced that Browning went elsewhere to get FN to agree to previously rejected terms. Ultimately, FN agreed with Browning’s terms and contracted to build the Superposed, the first order for 10,000 firearms at a cost of $30 each.
In the fall of 1926, John Moses traveled to Belgium to help speed production of the new shotgun. Two months later, he passed away, doing what he loved – working on guns.
From the first prototype of the Super in 1923, until his death and beyond, John Browning’s touch was indelible on the Superposed, but the work was not yet complete. Browning’s son, Val, following closely in his father’s footsteps, put many years in perfecting the trigger and the selector/ejector assembly, two of the elements that perplexed and haunted the elder Browning.
Even after production began on the Superposed, things weren’t as smooth as one might expect. The attention to detail and the amount of handwork required for each shotgun took time and manpower, slowing production to a crawl.
The Superposed was introduced commercially, in 1931, to the United States sporting market in four grades; Standard (Grade I), Pigeon Grade, Diana Grade, and Midas Grade. The Grade I retailed for $107.50 with the initial offering introduced in 12-gauge. The Superposed was offered standard with double triggers. Three other options were available; the single selective trigger which could be manipulated to fire either the top or bottom barrel first at the shooter’s discretion, the Twin-Single, which prevented the shotgun from doubling and a single, non-selective trigger, a raised matted solid rib or Browning’s “Non-Crossfire” ventilated rib for an additional $20, and one of three stock configurations; Field, Trap and Monte Carlo crafted in European walnut.
The Midas Grade retailed for $374. The response for the new shotgun, fueled by the outdoor writers of the day, was favorable.
In 1934, in the midst of the Great Depression, Browning dropped the price of the Grade I to $99.50, the next year the price was reduced further to $69.75. Other models were reduced accordingly. These reductions were to attract new customers and to steer customers from other established American manufacturers. The ploy worked. Sales nearly doubled from its first year and its popularity soared.
A Grade I Superposed shows some wear, but will give its owner many more days afield.
Along the way, in spite of ‘technical difficulties’ which included; Browning’s death, the Great Depression, the Nazi occupation of Belgium in May 1940 which decimated the FN facility, ceasing production – Browning sold more than 13,000 Supers in the U.S. establishing itself as a force to be reckoned with in the sporting arms market.
After World War II, and the rebuilding of FN, military sales began pouring into the new manufacturing facility. Welcome news for the war-torn gun maker, not so good for Browning. Much of their effort was busy filling military contracts and the Auto-5, which required much less attention than the labor-intensive Superposed. By 1948, the Superposed’s presence was again felt in the U.S. However, loss of both manpower and machinery hampered shipments. The shotguns were much like those shipped before the war, but only in hunting grades or Grade I. In 1949 the 20-gauge found its way to the states, but again, only in Grade I configurations, change was in the air.
When the Super again hit the U.S., the model moniker had been changed – the entire lineup was known as Grade I through Grade V. Also in 1950, Browning began marketing highly engraved models known as their “Special Models Superposed.”
These shotguns were not just works of mechanical genius, but a canvas for the talents of some of the world’s finest artists/engravers, many being trained under the watchful tutelage of FN’s chief engraver, Felix Funken.
Each Superposed was engraved. The Grade I was embellished with a delicate scroll on both sides of the receiver. This work often fell to the least experienced engravers who could produce four per day.
The more elaborate work went to the craftsmen and women with more experience. The engraving pattern on the Grade II took a skilled engraver 15 hours to produce. The higher the grade of gun, the more elaborate the engraving, the fancier the wood and so on. The Grade V offered full coverage engraving that took even master engravers more than 35 hours to complete.
The Grade VI, introduced in 1957, had its customers waiting months to receive their works of art, the gun featured a hand-matted rib, gold-plated firing pins, and ejector pins. The gun was stocked in high-grade walnut and hand checkered. The elaborate engraving scenes on the Grade VI were unique even if only slightly and included 18-karat gold inlays and deep engraved relief birds. The 12-gauge usually featured ducks and pheasants, the 20-gauge featured smaller game birds. In 1959, Browning introduced the small gauges, 28 and 410, which sold out in six weeks.
A sharp engraving tool produces a curl as the tool cuts the steel.
By the end of the 1950s, FN had produced more than 86,000 Superposed shotguns, the majority of those being sold by Browning in the U.S.
If the 50s felt like change, the 60s showed it. Browning went public in 1961 and began diversifying its product line dabbling in boats, fishing rods, bows and arrows, as well as, new firearms under the Browning logo.
Browning Supers again were renamed Standard, Pigeon, Pointer, Diana and Midas grade. In 1966, the long tang trigger guard was replaced to a shorter trigger guard. This changed the physical appearance of the Superposed, as did the switch from the “Y” tang to the “U” shaped upper tang.
A shortage of high-grade French walnut, forced the change to Claro walnut of progressive grades.
The Super was selling like hotcakes, but nearly met its demise from its own maker’s hand – a decision to speed up the process of drying the wood by utilizing salt.
In case you didn’t know; steel and salt don’t mix and the effects from the salt-cured wood are not pretty. The metal is deeply pitted and the affected steel must be removed, welded and reshaped. The original salt-cured stock and forearm are useless and must be discarded.
Browning and its dedicated employees rolled up their sleeves and rectified the dreaded “Salt Wood” fiasco righting their wrong – instead of burying their heads in the sand.
Another hurdle cleared, Browning marched on to the tune of more than 11,000 guns annually for the entire decade, but once again change was coming…
The carefree days of the 60s came to a screeching halt as the 70s hit and even the Super could not avoid this recession.
Superposed sales dropped 25 percent in 1970. Browning’s competition had already begun to cut costs, but the Super held its own even though profits were down. As the 70s progressed, the other shoe dropped – sporting arms sales plummeted across the board. By 1975, only 1,276 Supers were sold.
Browning was going through some difficult times and dumped many of the losing subsidiaries started up in the 60s. Things went from bad to worse. Finally, in 1977 Browning was sold to FN, and the Superposed ceased being a production firearm, though FN still offers it as a custom shop firearm.
For its 46-year production run, Browning sold more than 255,000 Superposeds in North America. John Browning’s final legacy of an affordable over and under which became the Superposed, remains atop another list – as one of America’s all–time favorite shotguns.
This article appeared in the November 8, 2010 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
Gun Digest is the source for firearms news, pricing and guns for sale. Readers benefit from in-depth editorial expert advice, show reviews and practical how-to instructions. With your Subscription, you'll also learn about threats to your Second Amendment rights. Click here to begin your subscription to Gun Digest.
Inside this issue:
– Deer rifles of Maine – Field gun review of the Marlin Model 336 – Duracoat to your favorite arms – Favorite handloads for deer – Gun review of the McMillan TAC-308 – Trends of values for rifles, shotguns and handguns – Guns for sale: Extensive classified listings
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One in four applying to get into the military are rejected because they are too fat! These are people who want to get in… they want to serve… they want to have the “warrior mentality”….well, the warrior mentality starts with keeping fit, eating right and exercising. You can't be a warrior if you are too fat to fight. Get fit. Get in the game.
NEW CASTLE, Del. (AP) — New Castle County police say a woman shot and killed her ex-husband after he broke into her home and beat her.
Fifty-seven-year-old Gregory Thompson of New Castle was found dead at the unidentified woman’s home.
It happened Thursday about 11:30 p.m., when police received a 911call from the woman.
Police say Thompson, who was wanted for violating aprotective order his ex-wife had against him, used a ladder to get into the victim’s third-floor bedroom. Read more
KEARNS, Utah (ABC 4 News)- Police are investigating a deadly shooting in Kearns after they say a homeowner shot and killed a man who was attempting to break into his home.
Police say the shooting happened around 3:00 a.m. Monday morning in the 5900 block of Loder Drive.
Thatis where police say a homeowner caught a man trying to get into his house. The man fired in self defense, hitting the would-be intruder once in the chest. Read more
Percussion half-stock target rifle by one of New England’s finest gunmakers, John S. Dutton of Jaffrey New Hampshire c. 1850s. Made for George F. Ellsworth, whose name is engraved on an eagle inlay on the left side of the butt. 42-caliber with detachable false muzzle on the 31-inch octagon barrel. Illustrated here surrounded with a unique collection of original manuscript notebooks (dated 1858-78), all kept by that gunsmith John Dutton, with his personal notes and drawings on how to make and decorate rifles. The double patchbox of this rifle was a trademark of Dutton’s.
(As illustrated in Steel Canvas; The Art of American Arms, with permission of the author)
The proliferation of superbly assembled and printed, color illustrated auction catalogs, the likes of which have never been previously seen in this field represent a credit to the auction houses that issue them and to the antique arms community in general (and they certainly place generations of gun catalogs that preceded them in their shadow).
This great change of pace was ostensibly brought about by those few auction houses that had the foresight (and good fortune) to acquire from consignees significant outstanding specimens of antique arms and make them available on a reasonably steady basis. With proper promotion and marketing they frequently achieved startling values.
New England-made flintlock, half-stock rifle of exceptional quality; attributed to noted gunmaker Silas Allen of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts (1750-1834). Silver and brass mountings with silver wire inlays on the handsome curly maple stock. New England made rifles of this type were seldom embellished as elaborately.
(As illustrated in Steel Canvas; The Art of American Arms, with permission of the author)
Widely reported in both the general and the antiques press, those exceptional prices were ostensibly the stimulus for owners of similar material to take advantage of what was developing into a really hot market; there was no doubt that it truly was just that. In their aftermath, a veritable flood of great material, the very best of their respective types emerged on the auction scene and so it has remained.
It is important that the collector bears in mind that those record values were achieved by what are considered to have been the very top, the ne plus ultra, of their particular category of firearm and that those very same prices seldom transpose to even slightly lesser rarity, quality or condition levels of identical models. There is little doubt that the notoriety of those auction values has been favorable for the hobby.
They have certainly been responsible for a remarkable turnaround for a number of auction houses. In order that the neophyte collector as well as the veteran gun trader not be carried away by the excitement of those recordbreaking values, it bears repeating that they have seldom had relevance or influenced values on antique arms of the same types if anything less than the very best or the most rare.
A few words about auctions are in order here for the collector … and the dealer. Auctions will continue successful only if they do not revert to their former common practices of taking everyone’s “cats and dogs” with protected prices, while allowing the very owners of those pieces to bid them up during the auction. These abuses were so flagrant that they colored the entire American gun auction market, with but a handful of notable exceptions.
With reputations at stake, it has been observed that many houses have taken great precautions to keep their acts clean. When a legitimate collection has been offered at auction on a no-holds-barred basis, results have often been spectacular. Those results certainly attracted the attention of the collecting world and were equally noted by the auction houses themselves.
Many abuses to which auctions have been, and still are, subject will continue to be the major stumbling block to their success. An uncomfortable feeling exists when auction houses either own all the material themselves or have given healthy loans or advances towards the material they are about to auction. By the very nature of these actions there is an obvious conflict of interest.
This article is an excerpt from Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms. Click here to learn more.
When handling collectible firearms, the first rule of thumb is that whatever you do will be questioned by half the people you tell. Even cleaning a collectible involves considerable anguish in some quarters.
David Arnold, the conservator at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site Museum in Springfield, Massachusetts says there are a few simple guidelines to help care for an antique gun – or a collection.
Avoid dramatic swings in relative humidity (RH). Try to keep the humidity stable and between 40 and 50 percent. Consistency is more important than precise maintenance of a specific RH reading, though RH control is critical because of an unusual physical property of wood called anisotropy. Wood cells expand or contract very differently in response to changes in relative humidity – depending on their specific grain orientation (axial, transverse or radial) in the log from which they came.
Large swings in RH can result in cracks caused by compression-set shrinkage. If the humidity remains fairly constant, changes in temperature make little difference to either metal or wood. A rapid rise in temperature, though, can pull the moisture out of the environment (including your artifact), causing a sudden drop in RH. Cell shrinkage and cracking or splitting can then occur.
Handling
Wear gloves when handling your collection. No protective coating can stand up for long against repeated barehanded handling. Best to always wear gloves and I recommend Nitrile examination gloves when cleaning and coating your collection. Once an item has been coated, wear plain cotton gloves.
Housekeeping
Keep your firearms dust-free. Dust can trap moisture increasing the likelihood of corrosion occurring.
Don’t use commercial dust cloths, though. They often leave an oil film behind which traps dust and dust traps water vapor from the air. When dusting, use either a vacumn with a soft brush or a soft cotton cloth very lightly dampened with water. Without moisture, dust merely gets shoved around and will not be picked up. Dry the gun immediately with a clean cloth.
Don’t use alcohol of any kind when dusting or cleaning a firearm stock. It can skin or strip an historic finish. Never use liquid or spray dusting products, either, because most of them leave mineral oil behind, which traps dust. Remember that dust traps and collects moisture.
Storage/Display
Narrow hooks or loops of wire should not be used to support collection pieces either in storage, transport or on display. The weight of most long arms on such devices is sufficient to cause indentations in their stock at the points of contact. Instead, use broad, padded supports.
We use thin sheets of a closed-cell polyethylene foam material to pad our display fixtures. To avoid mold and mildew during long-term storage, avoid at least two of the three conditions known to promote bloom outbreaks: elevated temperature, still air and elevated humidity.
Cleaning and Coating: Cleaning Wood Stocks
Classified as a percussion/flint conversion musket with a Confederate Civil War heritage, this old rifle showed an age to match its purported military provenance: rust, obvious signs of wear and a seriously weathered, beaten-up surface. If you owned it, would you clean it? Restore it? Or would you choose to preserve it “as is?”
First, separate the wooden parts from the metal parts. They are cleaned and coated differently. Unless it should become absolutely necessary, leave the unfinished interior wooden surfaces alone.
Clean the exterior of the stock by placing a few drops of a mild detergent in a gallon of warm distilled water. Apply with a slightly damp soft cloth and rinse with clean cloths dampened with distilled water. Dry with soft cloths immediately after rinsing.
Clean again with mineral spirits, using a soft cloth to apply. Be sure to work in fresh air or a well-ventilated area. Avoid using “oil soaps” as they can be caustic and may damage an historic oiled surface.
Cleaning Barrels and Other Metal Parts
[Please note: I believe that it is essential to practice any new technique on a sacrifi cial piece first, before applying it to something irreplaceable.]
Use nylon or animal-bristle bore brushes. Avoid using brass or steel brushes because such hard materials can scratch, but also might (under certain conditions) cause galvanic (bi-metallic) corrosion (specifically when using a copper-alloy brush on ferrous metals) by leaving a slight metallic smear behind. Use mineral spirits to soften accretions. Work in fresh air or a well ventilated area. (Are there other solvents that are stronger? Yes, but they are difficult to work with safely.) Swab clean with a cloth patch.
Use only extremely fine abrasives such as oil-free 0000 steel wool. Use only if absolutely necessary to remove stubborn rust or other accretions. Work slowly and watch constantly for any changes to the surface. There is always an element of risk in such work. If you are at all uncertain, hire a conservator or qualifi ed gunsmith before causing irreversible damage. When cleaning brass parts, never use products that contain ammonia.
Ammonia can damage old copper alloy materials by corroding them from the inside out. In addition, such products may include abrasives, which may prove too harsh. Elbow grease and mineral spirits should be tried first. If something slightly stronger is needed, try applying small amounts of wet tooth powder with a cotton swab and rinse with water. So – a general comment about commercial rust removers.
To date, I have not found a rust-removal product that is entirely safe to use on historic metal surfaces. The problem is that most rust removers can’t tell the difference between iron oxide and iron metal, and will leave an etched surface even where there is no rust. Some products do seem to come close, though. Often they require extremely close attention and precision – too much for most of us operating on a home workbench.
In short, there are no magic solutions that are risk-free and I advise against their use on anything you value. Most surface rust can be removed by first lubricating the area with a light penetrating oil and cleaving it off with a sharp scalpel held at a very low angle to the metal. It requires close attention, a steady hand, and some patience, but if you are careful, you will probably get most – if not all – of the surface rust off without leaving a scratch. When done, remove any remaining oil with mineral spirits.
Disassembly and Reassembly
If you are organized and systematic you should be able to safely disassemble and reassemble most firearms successfully. First, probe the floor of every external screw slot with a sharp point held at a very low angle. It’s amazing how much dirt can be packed into a clean-looking slot. All foreign matter must be removed for the screwdriver to do its best, safest work. A good selection of screwdrivers is a must.
Their tips must be matched perfectly to each slot in order to maximize the area of mechanical contact. Taking this precaution will minimize slippage and the scratching and scarring that can result. The internal shapes of screw slots have changed a lot since their invention and screwdriver tips often have to be ground or filed in order to get a good match. Keep this in mind when regrinding a screwdriver’s tip. There are many publications that offer exploded drawings and disassembly/reassembly tips.
There is also a brilliant web site that illustrates with moving images how various types of firearms work.
Coating Stocks
Available in most grocery stores, inexpensive latex gloves are fine for handling precious collectible firearms. However, the protein in latex causes irritation and an allergic reaction in a significant number of people. Nitrile gloves, used by your personal physician during examinations, are made of synthetic latex and contain no latex proteins. They are available inexpensively at medical supply stores or via Internet vendors.
Wood is neither thirsty nor hungry. It is usually covered by a finish that may have become corrupted in some way, thus making it look “dry.” The wood beneath the finish does not need to be “fed,” despite what wood-care product commercials may claim. So never put oil of any kind on an historic finish. There may well be unintended but permanently damaging consequences to ignoring this advice.
A cautionary word about linseed oil. Linseed oil takes forever to dry, will trap dust and will not stop water penetration, either. When linseed oil oxidizes, its molecules cross-link with one another, making it increasingly more difficult to remove as time passes. Oxidized linseed oil (linoleic acid) eventually becomes linoxin, better-known commercially as linoleum!
Repeated, or seasonal, applications eventually develop into a surface that can look like very dark brown alligator skin, and can become almost impossible to remove. Applying a modern finish over an equivalent historic finish can forever confuse the finish “history” of a stock by making it difficult, if not impossible, to tell what (if anything) is original, and what is a restoration material – even with an analytical microscope. Therefore, you would not want to touch up, say, a shellac finish with shellac.
Use paste waxes only. I prefer carnauba-based furniture waxes such as Kiwi Bois, Mohawk or Behlen, or Black Bison on wood stocks. I also recommend using pigmented paste waxes. “Clear” waxes can collect in pores and appear as white specks against a dark wood background. As much as we love bees and honey, avoid wax mixtures that include a high percentage of bee’s wax when preserving wooden firearm parts. These wax mixtures are not especially harmful, but they are relatively soft (fingerprint easily) and can be slightly acidic.
Coating Metals
(Note: this advice is strictly for guns which have been “retired” from use and will never be fired.)
Avoid using oils. Oil is not the best material for long-term protection of collection pieces because it traps dust and dirt, eventually breaks down and has to be periodically replaced. A high quality light oil is fine for maintaining a gun you still shoot. Use a microcrystalline wax, such as Renaissance Wax as a protective coating. Such a wax is practically inert, remaining stable for a very long time. Apply and buff out with a soft cloth or brush. I coat all parts this way, inside and out. Brass parts can also be coated with wax.
I prefer to use Incralac acrylic spray lacquer because it is easily removed with solvents but bonds especially well to copper-alloy metals, and will withstand more abuse and last longer than wax.
Minor Stock Repairs
If a split or detached piece of a stock must be repaired, use an adhesive that is both strong and reversible (i.e., can be safely removed at any time in the future). There is only one: traditional hide glue.
Do not proceed if there is evidence that the damaged site has been previously repaired. In this case, if the gun has any value at all, I recommend that you consult a conservator. Unless you work with hide glue every day, make it up fresh in small amounts as needed.
It doesn’t take long to prepare and it will do a better job than using old glue. Hot hide glue is preferable to liquid hide glue as it is less affected by humidity. Dampen the area to be glued with hot water. Blot the area and wait a few minutes. Then apply hot glue to both surfaces with a brush and clamp immediately. An appropriate clamp can be as simple as a few pieces of masking tape, rubber bands, bicycle tire strips or small padded weights.
Use the least force needed to do the job. Clamps can usually be removed in a few hours, but it takes at least 24 hours for the repair to fully harden. Excess glue can be removed with a lint-free cloth dampened with hot water. The best time to do this is usually right after removing clamps. If you still need help, seek the services of a professional conservator. Contact me or the American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works for a referral.
Here is good news for those who like great duty gear.
Increased demand for the models 381 & 391 duty holsters gives uscause to celebrate. To secure ourcompetitive edge, we’re passing on a cost savings to you. Effective November 1, 2010, for alimited time, Gould & Goodrich is offering you the opportunity to stretchyour dollars.
The 381 holster price has been reduced to $149.00 for Plain Black, Black Weave and Hi-Gloss. The 381 in Kydex finish is now offered at a price of $116.00
The 391 holster price has been reduced to $155.00 for Plain Black, Black Weave and Hi-Gloss. The 391 in Kydex finish is now offeredat a price of $120.00.
These new prices represent up to a 25% reduction in price off of manufacture’s suggested retail price.Superior product at a super price!
Gould & Goodrich products are available nationwide through law enforcementdistributors, as well as through on-line and catalog retailers. To receive a free catalog of product inleather, nylon and synthetics, write to Gould & Goodrich, 709 E. McNeilStreet, Lillington, North Carolina, 27546, USA. CALL 910.893.2071 or1.800.277.0732. FAX 910.893.4742. E-Mail [email protected]. WEB www.gouldusa.com.
The new custom gun is a level of quality so far above previous guns, that the older ‘smiths would be green with envy if they knew. Photo courtesy Heirloom Precision and Hernandez Photography
Patrick Sweeney takes a look at the custom Precision Heirloom 1911, produced as both work of art and precision shooter. Sweeney spotlights the work of Ted Yost and Jason Burton at Precision Heirloom.
Precision Heirloom is Ted Yost and Jason Burton. To give you an idea of where they are coming from, consider this: Ted’s introduction to gunsmithing was to learn how to work on (and make) British double shotguns. If what you want is the latest, cutting-edge tacticool-fashion 1911, do not come to Heirloom. If, however, you seek to have a pistol built that will be appreciated by even the most discerning (and traditional) 1911-ista, Heirloom is for you.
Unconventional checkering patterns are not the vogue here. You will have your choice of lines per inch, and they will be done to perfection. Perfectly-polished slide flats, without rounded corners, dished areas or buffed-out markings, set off with frenched borders are the norm. Front sights are commonly done with a vertical gold line in the center, rather than obtrusive tritium cells inset into the blade.
When a top ‘smith does a retro gun, it looks like the older guns, but it is much, much better than the older guns. Here, Ted Yost has done his take on a “new-old” Delta Elite. Photo courtesy Heirloom Precision and Hernandez Photography
Now, if you want tritium, you can have them, but the preference at Heirloom is a gold line, or a gold bead in the front blade. The natural trend at Heirloom is to understatement, not flashy, of-the-moment cosmetic touches. Even when Heirloom does a “fighting gun” it will be understated, classic and flawless.
Grips will be highly-figured, checkered or smooth for most guns, or aggressively-textured for a fighting gun, but in all instances fitted to perfection. A gun built by them is just that: an heirloom, something you will be proud to pass down to succeeding generations, for as long as that option is available to us. And it will, of course, perform flawlessly. There wouldn’t be any other point to it, would there?
Now, Ted and Jason are not only full-house gun guys. If you have the need of some aspect of another build needing overhaul, or upgrade, they can do that. You can send them a gun built by a name ‘smith or maker, and ask them to change something, and they’d be happy to. Just be aware, as with so many custom gunsmiths, that they are doing things in the order they came in, and small one-detail jobs get done in-between the full-house guns. So, the schedule is the schedule.
And while Heirloom prefers to work on Colt, they can and will build on a good base gun, such as a Springfield, Wilson Combat, Caspian, Les Baer, etc.
Heirloom is one of the premier Browning Hi-Power places to go, just in case you want to expand your horizons beyond the 1911.
This is an excerpt from 1911: The First 100 Years.
FFLGunTrader.com has created a brand new marketplace to help federal firearm licensed (FFL) gun Distributors and dealers to buy and sell firearms and accessories online. Because the deals are completed among licensed and verified dealers, the transactions are easier to complete and require only the swapping of licenses.
“We wanted to create an online marketplace for licensed distributors and dealers that allows them to buy and sell firearms and accessoriesfrom all over the country,” said Scott Chatman with FFLGunTrader.com.
Buyers don’t have to pay for purchasing an item on FFLGunTrader.com. Sellers pay a very small three percent transaction fee from the sales price to list the item on the marketplace to a national audience.“It is a great deal for dealers looking to move excess inventory,” Chatman said. “Plus dealers have the peace of mind knowing that each buyer had to submit to a license check to complete the transaction.”
For more information about FFLGunTrader, please check out their online marketplace at www.fflguntrader.com.
Looking to go armed, but are stuck in the weeds as to what to arm yourself with? Here are 20 of the best concealed carry gun options that will keep you on the defensive.
