My MIL asked me to clean her gun

[El Barto]

So my mother in law asked me to clean her gun last week. I said I would since I like doing those kinds of things. I was also interested to see what kind of gun it was since she is not too familiar with what she has, except that it is a .25. Just a few months ago, she sold me her Colt .38 Super and S&W .44 mag so who knows what she could have.

She handed it over to me on Friday and I was a little disappointed since it is a Raven, but she absolutely adores the thing and is proud that she can just stick it in her pocket when she goes somewhere (I know, please don’t go there). As she was giving it to me, she asked that I look it over because the last time she shot it, the slide didn’t move.

So after I checked to make sure that it was unloaded, I began to disassemble it. As I was getting ready to run a swab down the barrel, I noticed something was already there. Apparently, the last shot she took was a squib! So I removed it, finished cleaning the gun and even re-finished the “genuine walnut grips” for her. When I gave it back to her, I showed her what I found and explained what a squib is and told her that if she had taken another shot, it was likely that she could have experienced, at the least, a bulged barrel. She was happy and said that it looks so much better!

Just thought I'd share.

 

[CountGlockula]

You're a good son.

 

[Jim Watson]

Similar situation, a friend saw me at the range with a chronograph and produced his .25 Beretta. The first shot, from a cartridge that had been in the chamber for some time, cleared the barrel but only about 400 fps and did not cycle the action. The rest of the magazine shot normally at near 800 fps.

Are these little cartridges just not as "Oilproof" as bigger ones or were she and he both just unlucky? I dunno.

 

[Headless]

I think you're on to something, Jim. The only squib load i've ever seen was a .25acp in a little beretta. I don't think i could trust myself with one of those when there are such small offerings in .380acp and 9mm these days, not to mention the ultra light .38spl revolvers around.

 

[10-Ring]

You know, I would have never thought of cleaning my mother out law's wheelgun...nope, not even if she asked!
Great that you have a better relationship w/ yours than I had with mine!

 

[littlegator]

Ahhh, cleaning my gun... If only my wife would ask me to clean my gun instead of all the other things I have to clean. It's the one thing (other than me) I don't mind cleaning.

 

[gandog56]

Some guys might a put a squib IN there for their mother in laws.

 

[silverlance]

you're a good SIL. then again, I would be quite happy to have a packing MIL. I'd not like to be known as the lone crazy survivalist in the family.

 

[sm]

Jim Watson wrote:
Are these little cartridges just not as "Oilproof" as bigger ones or were she and he both just unlucky? I dunno.

I do not think is the caliber.

Nor is it the make, model of the gun, or brand of ammo so much.

I think it is certain factors like Makeup, perfumes , colognes, and other "foreign" matter.
Not just ladies makeup.

Powders in some latex gloves , which both men and women use.

Back in the day, folks, especially Ladies would say "I am allergic to Gold".
NO.
Not gold, the nickel alloy was the most common allergen, and accelerated by the chemicals in makeup, perfumes and other products ladies use more than me.

Big money was spent on all this back in the 60's and trying to get Cosmetic companies to label , or list these potential reactions.

Same gun, same loads.
Husband does drywall and painting, he sweats, and gun is full of drywall dust, still the gun runs, and the chrono shows no difference.

His wife, when she used a certain makeup (she did not, does not use much makeup) and carried this gun, the gun ran chrono'd different.
She also wore , latex gloves, with a powder.

Colt Detective Special was the gun.


IMO/IME it is not wise to paint with a broad brush, some of these "failures" to gender, makes, models, caliber, brand of ammunition or even gun oils and cleaning products.
Not even the schedule to inspect and clean.

Each person has a different body chemistry, and different environment.
Some folks, men and women alike, are more acidic and handling metal /guns is more prone to rust than those not acidic .

My mom uses very little makeup and the like. Still I can go into her clean bathroom where she puts on her face, and wipe that light fixture over the mirror, that looks clean, was cleaned two weeks ago and get a flesh colored residue off that fixture...it is there, even if visually it does not appear to be so.

My Ex MIL #1, her Glock, had to be cleaned weekly, her system, exposures, and makeup, would be that thick in a week.
She is dead now, her sister has that gun, and she does not have this problem.

My Ex MIL #2, she is "easy" on guns, be it her Beretta Jetfire, or Model 10, it never changed at the chrono, never malf'd.
And she is a country gal, working in the garden , messing around hay in the barn, cooking with flour and whatever.

I got her some canned air, like for computers back when I was still married to her daughter.
She really got a kick out of this, just "blast out" any nelphs, light lube where need and done.


I've seen more expensive ammunition, with sealed primers go squib and inexpensive practice ammo with non sealed primer not squib.

I am in the camp of too many variables among persons, hence each person should Investigate and Verify for themselves on all this.

 

[Harley Quinn]

Interesting about the squib.

25's don't usually do that, why? Because no one reloads them as a rule.

Maybe it was a test to see if you really cleaned it and if you really love her

Some of these MIL's are tricky

HQ

 

[Radjxf]

I'm usually in anticipation of my MIL drawing a firearm on me, not asking me to clean one.
My mother has one of those little Raven 25's. Sooo many better choices out there, but it "fits right in your purse".
I've never personally seen it malf, and I can even nail pie plates at 10 feet with it...

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

The raven is actually a pretty good gun for someone on a very tight budget. They work fine. About the only thing bad about them is the firing pin is prone to breakage.

I have lot's of quality firearms and just recentely purchased a Phoenix Arms .22. It's quite heavy for a .22, but it shoots just fine. No problems whatsoever.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Back in the day, folks, especially Ladies would say "I am allergic to Gold".
NO.
Not gold, the nickel alloy was the most common allergen, and accelerated by the chemicals in makeup, perfumes and other products ladies use more than me.

Makes perfect sense to me. My wife suffered from this. She thought it was a gold allergy, but it was only from cheaper 10K gold products like her class ring. Her 14K jewelry doesn't bother her a whit. (More gold, less alloy) My best friend's wife is "allergic" to anything but 18K. Hmmm......I'd be questioning that for sure.

Those Ravens had the distinction of being the absolute best of the "cheap" .25s back in the 80s. As was said, the firing pins were the only gripe. It was not a gun to dry-fire. But even so, the pins were only about 50 cents a piece.

 

[sm]

Each person must Investigate & Verify for themselves.

Gun fit to shooter, ammunition, inspect and maintenance schedule, ...etc.

Applies to the Jewelry, each person again is different and "environments" change.

Some said " I cannot wear 8k gold from the UK, or 10K gold in the US".
Nope, sorry, blanket statements don't work on guns and ammo, nor Jlry.

Test, Investigate, Verify.

Want to find what product, Cosmetic causes the problem with what Jlry?
One suggestion is to take a Tissue or clean cloth, apply makeup, hand lotion, perfume, whatever and rub against various pcs of Jlry.
This test may show the "chemicals" reacting to the precious metals.
It will do so with Brass and Nickel ctg casings.

Just like Jlry red, white, black, green rouges do in polishing precious metals. *grin*

Each person is different, includes any medicines as well.
Birth Control, Hormones for Menopause, Change of BP meds ...may cause these reactions and turn a person's skin dark with residue, dermatititus, or other reactions.

So remove Jlry, clean it, and set it aside.
Do all the makeup stuff, and wash hands real good.
Then put on the Jlry.
Might alleviate some headaches for folks...


Sorta like MILs, each one is different, and each SIL, DIL and is going to have different effect on the MIL and she on the DIL, SILs.

I tend to break stuff down to lowest denominator, and not paint with broad brushes.