Table Of ContentThe Gun Digest Book of *8*
GUN CARE, CLEANING
‘& REFINISHING 22:
W, WHEN AND WHY OF PROPER MAINT
GUNS, BLACKPOWDER LON
The Gun Digest Book of
Gun Care
Cleaning &
Refinishing
Book Two: Long Guns
by J. B. Wood
DBI Books, Inc., Northfield, Ill.
About Our Covers
hale Oars ee eo ty pes
2) fe = Sh chr oh Kale
‘opr © MEMO by DB Pk a One Neild
ISBN 0.910676:828
About the Author
Library of Congress Catalog Card #84.071764
Table of Contents
‘Acknowledgements 4
Introduction 5
Section One: Gun Care 6
‘Mainspring Teasion u
Magacines 13
Exractors und Ejectrs 5
Lnose Srews 8
Safety Systems w
Canying a
Cases 2s
Safety 38
Storage ®
Alarm Devices a
[Evaluation und Insurance 8
Gunsmithing »
Safery Rules 30
Section Two: Gun Cleaning 3
Equipment 3
Solvents and Lubeicants w
(Cleaning Methods a
Rifles 2
Shotguns 103
Muzrie-Loaders 1g
A Final Note on Cleaning 18
Section Three: Gun Refinishing ns
Brown 140
Ble... 12
Nickel 43
Chrome 146
Black Chrome 447
Silver and Gold 148
Parkesiving 150
(Color-Casehardening 131
Anodizing 182
Tetloa 153
Armoloy and Other Hanl Chromes 154
Electroless Nickel 156
Lubri-Bond 157
Kolene QPQ 159
SS Satin Black 160
‘A Final Note on Refinishing 160
Acknowledgements
My thanks to these people, who helped to
rake this book possible:
Doug. Wright, Charles Magee, Araold Carl-
son, Al Selleck, Lee Keppler. Bll Cooper, Bob
and’ Frank Browuell, Ted Bollomley. Km
Brobst, Doug Evans, Brady Brown, Richard Si
mons. Joha Stupero, Anthony Rupp, ‘Ted Froc-
land, Bill Wilson, Jim Kelley, Alexander
Zemke, Richard Floyd, Darrell Rocd, Foxi Ma
fuire, Ronnie Butler, Al Paulsen, Pauline Mela-
tosh, Jim and John Yarger, Frank Droege, Spike
Brown, Rober’ Greenberg, Milton Seltar,
Robert Ellsworth, Michael Kera, Dale Davis,
and Wayae Gurossky,
‘A special thanks to Michael Schmit, for his
expert developing and printing of my photos.
4) GUN Care, CLFANING & REFINISHING
Introduction
OVER THE PAST 10 years, in my magazine
column, “The Gunsmith’, I've handled lot of
firearms questions. In every packet of letrs
from readers, there aze certain questions that 1
know will be dhere, They'll wast to kaw how
much # gun is worth, or where 1 find a particu-
lar par, or how to disussemble and reassemble
thelr guns, The valuc questions T usually sie
sep, because no realy valid figure can be set
Without an actual examination of the piece.
Sometimes. for a good general estimate, 1
recommend two fine DBI books, Modern Gun
Volues, and Flayderman’s monumental book
covering antique American guns.
For the parts questions, I can usually give a
known source for new or used replacements. [
have an easy answer forthe kedown and eas
sembly inguiries—mast of them are referred 10
the six volume Set af books on this subject pro-
duced by this writer and DBI Books.
Some questions, though, can't really be
covered well in the one-paregraph space of a
‘monthly columa, Here's an example: [sit harm-
ful to leave the magazine of a repeating rifle or
shotgun fully loaded for a long petiod of time?
Will t weaken the magazine spring? This ques-
tion could be put under the general heading of
“Gun Cae."”
Another example is this one, and it would re-
‘quire 4 more extensive answer: Many experts
sy that the direction of cleaning should always
be from the chamber tothe muzzle, especially in
rifled hares. However, quite a few rifles and
shoeguns can’t be cleaned that way. Will clea
ing from the muzzle end harm the rifling? This
is not te sort of question that can be property
handled in a quick one-paragraph answer, be
cause there are (oo many factors involved. The
falegory for this one would obviously be
“Cleaning.”
Questions about refinishing are another rep
Jar occurence. Gun people want to know what
type of Finish choose, and whether refinishing
will lower the value of certain guns. A few
years ago I wrote two aficles for Gis Mls
‘rated that covered the Finishes that were aval
able at that time, Several new finishes have beeat
inzodveed since then, and many gun people
know them only by name. With the three yues-
tions mentioned shove in mind, this waiter and
DBI Books decided to give a thorough treatment
to these subjects Care, Cleaning, and Refin-
ishing, One-half of the rosul is the book you
are now reading (the ether volume covers hand
gun).
leshould be noted thatthe Refinishing section
fof this book is definitely not a how-oxdoit
spuide. Is a description and evaluation of the
‘eurenly-offered finishes, 10 help the reader in
making a wise choice
1. B. Wood
Raintrce House
Corydon, Kentucky
Book Two: Lonc Guxs 5
Section One
Gun
I'VE BEEN A gunsmith for along time, and
When someone mentions the proper “care” of
rifles and shotguns, the first thing that comes to
‘my mind is the mechanical aspect—dry-iring,
leaving the magazine loaded for long peviods of
time, and so on. Care. though, should cover a
Jot more than just tbe mechanical questions. 11
should aso include handling safer, proper stor
‘age, security from theft, and other things. In
wating about some of ‘these, I'l inevitably
cover some points that are well known to
experienced hunters end shooters.” It may be,
thoweh, that some who will he reading this book
will b beginners. So, for them, Ltr to cover
‘even the elementary things,
Mechanical questions are stil the most impor:
tant, so TN start with one of the mest Leeguent
Inguiies: I it hurmful to “snap a rifle or shot
‘gun when it's emply? There is 1 quick and
simple answer to this one. With the exception of
the lever action rifles, must modern ropesting
fles and shotguns do not have an extcenal bam:
mer that cap be letdown easy. So, when the gun
Care
is put away after a day of shocting, ics often &
practice to pull the trigger and drop the internal
hammer or striker, to ease the tension on the
spring. (More about this factor. a lle further
on). Many shooters an hunters will ll you that
this dry fing has never harmed their guns
These are, though, quite a few cases in which
firing pin breakage and other damage can be
directly atibuted to dry fring. Some guns ace
‘ore tolerant ofthis than others, so this factor
‘often depends on the design of the particular
in.
Let's look atthe mechanical effect of dy fir-
‘ng on the ficing pin: When there is a catidge
in the chamber, the firing pin point as its iat
pact sort of softened as it sirikes the relatively
soft metal of the peimee. This fs the principle
used in the “snap aps" often used with fine
shotguns. ‘Those consist of a dummy shell that
has the primer replaced with a plug of resilient
‘material to cushion the impact of the firing pin
Brownells, the famed gunsmith supply ttm,
(Route Two, Box One, Monteruma, town
6 GUN Care, CLEANING & REFINISHING
These wo fing. pins, from
‘ide acten shorguns, oth
have broken ois. The one
‘above shows an attempted
‘opair by brazing, on oper-
‘ton tat is usually unsuc-
Cesstul I is probable that he
broken tips Were caused by
rytng,
‘omset 22 rte ting pins such
1 thase are prone fo dry
ing breakage. The too Ind
ates. the location of the
broken point
50171) bus economical snap-caps in 12, 20, 28,
and 410 gauge, and they cost around $6 each,
ach has a neoprene ring to keep it in the cham
ber, and a speing-powered nylon “primer.” The
‘ody is slid elumiaum alloy
Gelling back to the effect of ary firing, when
the chamber is empty, the Hzing pin is stopped
‘very suddenly aad abroply. A metallorgist once
described the effect for mo, and if my ter
rminology is litle off, the ertors are mine: Ifa
Gun Care
‘very saa pie of stool (a firing pin point, for
example is ia motion and is stopped suddenly,
some of the molecules inthe stel continue 19
Uni in the original direction of movement. Re-
peating this action will increase the density of
the point, unt it becomes brite, ‘This process
is, Esuppose, form of metal fatigue
When the firing pin is given an extrathand
tempering at the factory, this process will be
speeded up. I have sccn numerous examples of
Book Two: Lonc Guns 7
this, and after the eeystalization brea, the r=
‘maining point is often so hard it can be used 10
‘mark glass. When making replacement fring
pins in my shop, 1 always use semichurdened
dell rod, and I give it no heat-eeatment at all
Firing pins that Ihave made in this manner for
‘my own guns are sil in use, afte many years.
‘Two ober important factors are the mass of
lhe firing pin, and the distance it moves, For
example, the elfect is not as pronounces! with
‘An idea! fring pin shape is
lustrated by the pein! ofthis
sikor om 2. Japanese
‘Arisako rife. The ‘sweeping
lin from the body of the pin
to the pont makes i les ko
Iy to frocure.
‘These Posie Snap-Cops,
valaole from Brownels, are
‘made of sold aluminum,
They have o nylon “primer
with‘ spring cushion, ond
Neoprene rng to keep ihe unit
in the chamber. They. ore
inexpensive, ond, fr internat
hammer shotguns, on exoe-
lent Ke.
the small. shot firing pins of a modern double
shotgun. In guns that have long, slim fring
pins, breakage tends to be more frequent. Also,
the long but heavy strikers of target rifles, which
have a very short fll for more rapid lock-time,
rarely break,
Some have expressed the upinion that in guns
that have a sttog firing pin return spring and a
separate hammer, the spring wall have a cush
toning efcct onthe firing pin, in the sme way
8 GUN Cane, CLEANING & REFINISHING
