Gun Maintenance & Customization Archives

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

By Tom McHale|2022-12-27T10:30:13+00:00December 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|2023-01-23T20:52:07+00:00November 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+00:00October 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|2023-01-09T00:46:32+00:00October 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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