Gun Maintenance & Customization

Miracle Sight Adjuster: Sight Punch vs. Sight Drifter

By Tom McHale|2024-03-21T12:09:47-04:00March 21st, 2024|

I’ve always wanted to try one of these as it’s somewhat difficult, bordering on impossible for mere non-gunsmith mortals, to adjust a tight steel front or rear sight without making a mess of either the sight or the punch.

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The Joys of Ballistol

By Tom McHale|2024-03-20T09:12:55-04:00March 20th, 2024|

You experienced shooters and professional tinkerers out there likely already know many of the uses for this stuff, but for those youngsters reading this, here’s a valuable tip: Look for the green can.

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Easy Kitchen DIY: How to Stipple the Grip On Your Polymer Pistol

By Tom McHale|2024-02-14T14:57:15-05:00February 16th, 2024|

Doing DIY work on a gun can, and should be, somewhat intimidating. You don’t want to be messing around with things that might impact safety or reliability unless you really know what you’re doing. But there are plenty of projects on the lower end of the risk spectrum. One example is customizing the grip surface on a polymer-framed gun. It’s mostly a cosmetic and “feel” customization that doesn’t impact any of the fire control elements, so if you’re careful, you can do a grip-stippling job right at home using inexpensive and readily available tools.

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Breakthrough Clean Technologies Suppressor Cleaner

By Tom McHale|2024-02-01T09:07:44-05:00February 1st, 2024|

I’ve been using Breakthrough Clean Technologies Military Grade Solvent for quite some time now for general cleaning, de-gunking and degreasing. It’s … pleasant, which is why I use it so much. No noxious chemicals or fumes; it’s like using water that evaporates from your work quickly without leaving any residue. Love the stuff.

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5-Point 1911 Safety Check: Is Your Gun Safe?

By Tom McHale|2022-12-27T10:30:13-05:00December 27th, 2022|

If I had to wager, I’d wager at least 10% of the 1911s I’ve worked on over the decades have had safety issues. Some were even new guns. If I just think about well-used 1911s, I’m betting the percentage is more like 15% or even 20% — especially gun show “parts” gun amateurs often assemble. Not long ago a friend brought me a foreign 1911 (an Argentinian “Sistema” Colt clone) saying it needed some work. No fooling.

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1,2,3,4… I Declare a Gun Lube War

By Tom McHale|2022-11-13T15:26:40-05:00November 13th, 2022|

Like all those “Housewives of Toad Suck, Arkansas” reality TV shows, capitalism is subject to the immutable and universal laws of unintended consequences. Take the gun lube market, for instance. We all need it, and presumably, there’s always room for a better mouse grease trap. So, in theory, I have no real problem with the onslaught of miracle gun lube products. Entrepreneurs everywhere have figured out you can package stuff auto repair shops purchase by pallet-loads of 55-gallon drums into teeny, tiny, plastic bottles with eyedropper attachments and charge a per-ounce price equivalent to platinum, and, these days, gasoline. It is not unusual for a container small enough to legally carry on an airplane to cost $15, $25 or even $40. If a container won’t cause anxiety and suffering among TSA agents, it’s small indeed.

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American Handgunner Gunsmithing: 1911 Pistol Sear Spring Savvy – American Handgunner

By Tom McHale|2021-10-12T10:02:15-04:00October 12th, 2021|

The more you know… here’s an interesting explanation of what that weird looking sear spring thingy on a 1911 pistol does...

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Build Your Own Pistol, Part 2: How To Assemble An 80% Pistol

By Tom McHale|2021-10-08T11:55:27-04:00October 8th, 2021|

Once you’ve milled your 80 percent pistol frame, it’s time to assemble the parts so you can head to the range. American Handgunner Editor Tom McHale shows you a step by step how-to assembly of a Glock-compatible pistol from 80% Arms.

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