Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Pet peeve about handgun owners...

No - not all of them (us). The "what you don't like" thread just reminded me about something that I find really irritating. So many guys think that it is a good idea to buy a gun and immediately begin to "fix" things that he read somewhere need fixing (regardless whether his particular gun needs it or not), using the technique that he read somewhere or heard somewhere..........but would never be done by a competent gunsmith - at least not in that manner or to that gun. I see far too many posts from guys admitting (even bragging) that they have done this. Used to attempt to tell them why they should not - but it usually seems to go in one ear and out the other.

It is for this very reason that I advise inexperienced handgun shoppers to buy new instead of used, unless they have someone knowledgeable in the given design to go with them.

I shouldn't complain though. You should see what some guys do to boats.

Like what?

Let's see....

Probably the one I hear most is polishing a 1911 ramp or "throating" the barrel. Usually not needed, and most likely not the problem....if there is one. Lots of potential to go too far with a dremel, which seems to be a popular tool.

Adding extra-high-power recoil springs. Again, probably not what should be done to fix (or prevent?) a feeding problem. At least it's reversible. Pretty harsh on the gun.

We all know about the abuse done to sears and hammers on various guns, by those who don't have the tools or the skills to do a proper trigger job.

I am not a gunsmith, so I know I can't begin to make a comprehensive list of offenses. But I about gag every time I read the words "buff & fluff".

If you've ever tried feeding flat nosed JHP's through a non-throated barrel with a piss-poor magazine, you'll revise your thinking really quick-like.

Fortunately, virtually all commercial barrels have been throated for some time.

MM

Well, yeah. I should have qualified my remark, in that I was referring to the "throating" of barrels that already came that way. I'm sure you are aware that some guys think it just ain't enough, and don't even know there are proper angles and clearances to respect.

IMO, no one should be touching a tool to a ramp or a barrel unless they have the skill and the tools to check if the geometry is correct.

Yeah, I do agree with that in all respects.

However, taken on the whole & looking at the larger scope of 1911's today...............

There are lots of manufacturers of that model today, & fortunately most are pretty good & the components come from a relatively few suppliers, but not all 1911's are created equal & not all have all the necessary details accomplished to the level of delivering a reliable gun with all ammo out of the box.

If the gun is intended for plinking, then it doesn't really make much difference; if it's a gun that is carried or is a home defense weapon, then it matters a lot.

Personally, on a typical mass produced factory gun, if it's mine, I check all the parts for fit & function & adjust as necessary before it ever fires a round.

On a semi-custom or high-end gun, I inspect it & I just use the mags I like & shoot it, usually with no issues, since whoever built it likely did what I'd normally do.........occasionally there may be an minor adjustment needed or a minor tweak, usually not.

I believe strongly in a polished feed ramp, a polished throat & a polished chamber & a tuned extractor........I was taught that early on in my exposure to 1911's & every semi-custom or high end gun I've seen has those things done, so there is, obviously, validity to their value.

However, I did learn from a number of very talented shooters & machinists who were gunsmiths & I have the tools I need to do what might be needed.

Honestly, except for a few (foreign) guns which had genuine dimensional deviations, I've never seen a 1911 that couldn't be made reliable from a functioning standpoint.

YMMV

MM

Glad you pointed out for the audience that you are, in fact, qualified to do the work.

I question whether fine polishing is necessary for reliability, but it does look nice. And it certainly can be done without harm by someone who has the knowledge and skill. OTOH, I have seen at least one rough-looking ramp that functioned just fine. Not confidence-inspiring on the face of it. No. And I wouldn't expect it to look that way after a visit to a 'smith.

But the idea of Joe New Gun Owner going at it with a dremel until it shines (as is all too common) without even knowing what makes the gun tick - that's what bugs me. I firmly believe this is some of the stuff that gives people the idea that the 1911 is unreliable.

Good thread. I'm not a gunsmith so I leave the gunsmith work to competent gunsmiths.

My Colt Gold Cup gave me trouble right out of the box but to be honest it was designed to be a bulls eye gun and not an all around combat/hunting piece. Wilson fixed that. It's a shooter today.

One of many reasons for going with a Wilson was I did not want to buy a gun and then have to send it in and have it fixed to be reliable. So I just paid the big bucks up front got the gun I wanted and went out and shot it. Good decision on my part.

I don't do my own brain surgery either.

Yep, DD. And if you saved the invoice from Wilson (I bet you did), I would probably not have a problem buying your used Gold Cup (were we inclined to enter into such a deal).

Come on Sam where's the fun in that!

yep there's only 1 DIYguy

I think we're overdue for that thread.

I've seen more than 1 aluminum alloy frame's ramp polished through the (hard) anodizing...........you can probably guess what happens then.

MM

I like my handguns just like my underwear - I don't change a thing!

OK, I admit it. I just dremeled a WHOLE BUNCH on my perfectly good,much loved, awesome feeding RIA 10mm....













On the Rosewood CT GRIPS that I just put on it! I did not and will not touch the metal parts with any kind of cutting tool. The grips were pretty fat and slippery, and can be removed/replaced in seconds with only the removal of four screws. I dremeled in a way for my thumb to reach the magazine button as well as get a better overall grasp of things, and a place for my fingertips to reside and grip on the left panel of the grips. Last I heard, the grips don't have much to do with function so long as one can keep a firm hold of the gun.

I also added skateboard tape to the front of the non checkered grip frame.

Boy you really screwed things up now that gun will never work again.

How you doing BTW?

My dad said "There are 2 kinds of people that work on watches, jewelers and idiots".

I figure that applies to all kinds of repairs...

Been throating barrels and polishing feed ramps for decades, I don't have any tools to check if the geometry is correct. Honestly, I'm unaware of any such tools.

No geometry changes should ever be made. Polishing a feed ramp involves taking as little metal off the feed ramp just to remove any machine marks up; geometry shouldn't come into play.

Throating a barrel that has not been throated means taking the throat that's already there and carrying it up about 80 degrees on either side. The geometry of the throat never chances, nor should there be any less support on the case head. I will check with a fired case periodically, but it's a visual check (you can eyeball down to a thou).

Yeah, I had better go test it out today.

I am feeling a bit worse, have to sleep a lot etc. but I FINALLY have paperwork in hand and all of the approvals (Insurance co, my Nephrologist, their chief of the Kidney Transplant center) to now be an official patient of the U of W Kidney Transplant center aka Virginia Mason transplant hospital. So, whhile I feel pretty craappy a lot of the time I try to live life to the fullest my body will allow me, and I am hopeful and excited about the future now. Getting a Nurse coach conversation today, then off to a 3 day battery of tests and testing to determine my Kidney match markers etc.

THANK YOU for asking!