I had it – then I didn’t.

[sm]

It is no secret I subscribe to Schumann’s take on cleaning barrels. Meaning I don’t.

I do take care of chambers, extraction, magazines, speed-loaders…Bores get something if wet, snow, mud or some-such finds it way there…

Now “somewhere” I do have a Otis Tactical Kit and a Kleenbore 3 pc GI style rod – “somewhere”.


Weekly inspect and clean of CCWs simple to do with pipe cleaners, Q-tips and such. I “had” rawhide in a short and long length, with a slit to hold a patch in a old shoe polish tin, like I have used since I was a little brat. Mentors & Elders did this, and they made me one (okay more than one, this is what one loses as a kid...and gives away to another person...how raised, what we did...) and just I still like and use this method.

For shotguns, I “had” a couple of wooden dowels with slits for using in a drill, and I “had” a couple of aluminum rods and such…including ones cut to make chamber brushes.

Already shared how I bounced a Pro-Shot one piece rod of cement 3 flights down…they bounce nice, just not worth a flip unless you have a crooked barrel. Cutting it up to make chamber brushes and such works tho’…

Hey is it easier to hand a gunsmith buddy a gun, let him deal with it, while I go out back and dirty up/ test/ check out something he has for a customer, is building. I mean someone has to do this - right?

Students get to know how a gun works by cleaning it, so being a nice guy I let them clean mine to practice on….

So I get this real nice gift. Total surprise because of something I did awhile back.

FoxRiver makes a really neat pull thru system like a boresnake. I have used one in 20 ga, and for 45ACP. Otis for me offers more versatility, still I really like the FoxRiver over the Hoppe’s boresnake.

Also received was a brand new Outers cleaning kit in nice box, steel rods, and new product line.

I had this new stuff about 45 minute’s tops.

All I did was run down the road and come back, and find Grandkids coming to visit for the weekend. Seems grandkids have a Birthday.

Two girls; born on the same day, one year apart.

Did I mention they are shooters and both cute as a buttons?

Grandparents have given them guns – again.

Granddaughters “had” aluminum rods for shotguns, seems the boresnakes got lost on an out of town trip.

Did I mention I was a sucker for brunettes with brown eyes?

“Thanks Uncle Steve!” <hugs>

I go to pour coffee, Grandma comes in…” that was supposed to be your gift, we didn’t know the young’uns had a need for..…parents are giving them ammo and cases...".

“No, these gals I changed their diapers, was there when they recited 4 rules…things work out for a reason, so I was supposed to be here to pass forward…”

Uncle Steve can still make chamber brushes out of “old” aluminum rods while Grandpa does the Grandpa part about the new guns. Grandma drives everyone nuts with great smells coming from the kitchen.

Not the first time I have done a weekly inspection and maintain using a stick from a Popeye’s corn on the cob …

Left with a good feeling….grinning…Seems my shoe polish tin with rawhide was confiscated by the younger one…

Grandma scurrying to find a empty shoe polish tin, Grandpa having to clean it out, Grandma hunting for rawhide boot laces “somewhere in all this junk” , and two girls having the best time watching me grinning, egging them on…

“Hey, these gals have to have the same stuff, you old folks get with it and get this made up will ya?”

Grandma still tosses a mean dishtowel.

Sometimes it is good to be the Adopted Uncle, being one does not require owning a cleaning kit.

“Don’t forget a glass vial to put oil in….
…them itty bitty Tobasco Bottles work well…”

I left as the B- day gals were dumping Tobasco into another container from the itty bitty bottles- the dog was told to bite my leg ( he thinks I hung the moon) and walked me out to the truck to get his peppermint…

I sent him back in with a bandana around his neck…

I should have stolen more home baked chocolate chip cookies...

Steve

 

[bumm]

Steve, there are some people who are gonna remember you long after you're gone.
Marty

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

Steve, there are some people who are gonna remember you long after you're gone.
Marty

Steve ain't never gonna be "gone".

 

[sm]

Nah...I'm no big deal, I know that.
Appreciate the kind words though.

--


So Grandpa was going to pull the old lesson about Shinola and something else that starts with the letter "S".

"Grandpa, we know what the first stuff is that starts with the letter "s" and we know what Shinola is".

"You do? Shinola was before your time..."

"Yeah, Uncle Steve told us....<snickers>...and he stole them cookies you are looking for that "were" on that other sheet Grandma...stole a baggie too...<laughter>.

<Expletives from Grandparents - my name included >
<More laughter and dog barking>.

---

Larry is nice to me because if I show up he is gonna sell tickets to folks watching his wife Sandy chase me with a cast iron skillet.
Only thing that'll protect me is Sadie, I intend to spoil her rotten so she will protect me from Grandma Sandy.

Smoke has a BP cannon on his front porch, I start up the drive , and fear of spoiling his kids " hey kids, ever seen a blue truck get hit by a cannonball ?"

kudu has 3 girls, two are twins. Understand his wife never got into skeet, but is interested in how far that rifle of hers will range out to a blue truck coming up the drive...

Never said being an Adopted Uncle was easy...worth the risks tho'.

Hey kids, don't forget the fried apple pies when I come around...

 

[Rich K]

You seem like the kind of uncle every kid should have at least one of.

 

[1911 guy]

It's official.

From here on out, I will endeavor to be the uncle to my three neices that you are to your neices, nephews and grandkids. My compliments, sir.

 

[kudu]

Hey, I heard someone talkin' 'bout me. I should of figured it was Steve.

Since my wife doesn't know yet you have a blue truck, you should be fairly safe coming down our road. We tend to notice vehicles on this road as there is only about 30-40 a day that comes down it.

I keep expecting to find a double gun catalog in the mail addressed to my girls, or a small envelope with purty gun pictures enclosed with a postmark from Arkansas. It's a good thing I don't have a dog at the moment or he would threaten to disown me if I kept Steve away.

 

[sm]

Update

B-Day Gals...

Okay, after I was "run off" [ I recall very well I left on my own accord after stirring stuff up, stealing most of that sheet of cookies...and a baggie to put them in] Things got back to "normal".

'Normal' - I do not think a definition exists for that word...

So we last left off with B-Day guns, (1) Outers cleaning kit, (1) FoxRiver Pull thru system and that second "so sweet and sentimental kit" being made with a Shoe Polish tin...rawhide shoelaces, remnants of "granny panties" and itty bitty Tobasco sauce bottles.

FWIW Grandma' s still speak in hushed tones about "delicates" even to Granddaughter's, when making gun cleaning patches of of...granny panties.

Mom and dad do the ammo , cases and ...

Now the girls are real close , get along great, share everything, and have a 4.2 GPA ...

Seems I taught Grandpa well...meaning I am to blame for what happened today.

Grandpa in Grandpa talking to parents of these gals mode :

"Them girls only have one or the other of them Kits Uncle Steve gave 'em, them gals been craving Mexican food. You can't have a soda and you can't pee in my bathroom until you promise to take them gals out to eat and run over to the Gun Getting Store and get them each of the other one they need"

Parents : " Uh What?"

Grandpa : "Well since you put it that way, Grandma and I would be delighted to have you buy us lunch , and take us shopping...we will even ride in your SUV and use your gas"

Granted it sounds like something I'd say or do...that is why I am to blame and I was not even there.

I should have crashed this party...Mexican would have been great...

Gals got the kits to match what the other one had, Grandma got a tin of WhoopButt Peanuts (this is THR, ya'll figure it out), and matching linen napkins, placemats that match the dog at home.

Grandpa would not quit shouldering a 28 ga...and a case of Fiocchi 28 ga shells followed him home.

Wife of the girls...*snicker* She wants a MEC 9000 in 28 ga for Mother's Day.
She has a single stage in 28 ga, just over the years she has added to "her" Single stages in all 4 gauges a MEC 9000, except she lacks the 28 ga one...just figures with a 9000 the girls can crank 'em out faster.

Dad? He was the guy with pockets turned out, and his wallet left with Nelphs...

Seems to blame me everytime that happens.

Started way back yonder before the gals were born. His wife noticed my Citori with the 28 ga bbls, wanted to shoot it, I said no. [granted said with a *smirk*]

He snatched the Citori away from me, reached into my pouch and gave his wife shells...

She shot it, kept shooting it, kept dusting targets, Husband could not get her to put it down...3 boxes of shells later...

Well...I tried to tell him to never let a wife, or kid or....shoot a 28 ga. He wouldn't listen.

That lesson not learned, he suggested I assist his wife on getting her a 28 ga, so I did. [Boy did I].

Some husbands and fathers are more dense than others...and wonders why his daughters also have 28 ga shotguns.

I dunno empty pocket do not get holes worn in them...wallets sit funny if full...He should thank me.

Rest of his family does....

Oh the gals have 28 ga O/U, Ruger Red Labels had these for a bit...I was asked to "assist" the Wife and the two girls...Well Dad told me too since he was out of town and all and not sure how long the problem he was there to fix would take...just doing what asked of me - honest!

This year they got 870 Express 28 gauge guns for ..."Uncle Steve says there is no bad 28 ga, and you are supposed to collect the whole set".

That and they want to play the pump gun events and do short courses on 5 stand and Sporting clays with pump guns...I have no idea who planted that seed....*ahem*

"Woof!"

Oops...the dog got a new bandana and chew toy out of this trip too...

I am available for consultation and / or personal shopper duties..

 

[bogie]

Only give the aluminum "cleaning rods" to people who (a) you hate; and (b) aren't too bright.

Aluminum oxide forms on the outside. That'll eat the bejeezus out of your rifling. DO NOT clean anything you care about with one of those things.

 

[sm]

bogie-

The Aluminum rods are bent, then cut to make chamber brushes for shotguns.

Unless we choose to use a brass or steel one for this...

Just it seems everyone gets a Al rod and...gotta figure out something to do with one. They punch holes in trash bags and this causes leaks of other garbage into the garbage can...Al rods not even good at being tossed out.

Granted AL rods work better to get stuff that roll under fridges, and that is about it. Al cleaning rods even screw up 'maters in the garden when used for stakes.

I'm a nice guy, I at least get the one pc steel rods by Pro-Shot, or similar down for my gunsmith when he is going to use one on a gun for me...

I needed to double check the Caspian Built Guns in 45ACP and 9x23 while he cleaned.

He cleans - I shoot. Works for me.

---

B-day gals:

Other Grandparents sent money, and will bring a "trashbag or two" full of 28 ga hulls when they come visit.

So the girls are debating, how much of which ammo to buy to test patterns, or use money towards reloading stuff they want to tweak loads to pattern.

Mom IS going to get the MEC 9000, they can tweak loads on the Single Stage 28 ga.

Decisons...Decisons...Decisons...Wait long enough , get into Mom's stuff?...Dad's stash is a little low. The fact that Mom's stash resembles a whole lot of what dad had...

So far they have "borrowed" loadings from dad, mom, grandparents here...making out like little bandits they are.

My fault - "something in the way you changed their diapers..." Daddy says.

This bunch are great folks, funny to see them ribbing and teasing like they do. Some parents discuss what to have for supper, who is going to assist in cooking, cleaning, or other chores. This bunch discusses who is going to get to use what reloader when. Big question is how to train dad to reload, cook, clean-up at the same time...

 

[Bob F.]

Steve: another great post; thanks!

The round Altoid tin is slightly larger than shinola can, easier to clean!!

When you say little "Tabasco" bottle do you mean the 2oz one or do they market a mini in the Deep South? Puttin' one of my own together, now!

Thanks.
Bob