My Old Home Defense Gun...

[sirgilligan]

Well, I am replacing one of my home defense guns, my first pistol, a S&W 659. It has been in a "grab bag" for probably 30 years. Yep, 30. Nice and clean and dry. Well, I have moved a different pistol into that bag and decided to use the ol' Smith as a range gun.

While I was unloading the ammo from the mags, they came out very slow, next one nose diving a bit and slowly rising. I am thinking, "Well that would suck, it would probably have failed". Now it has been in a holster, in a carry bag, in a safe, in a very dry climate. I am thinking, what could be going on. The pistol probably has around 150 rounds through it total (I bought it new) and never shot it much.

So I decided to clean the mags. After a bit of a fight with one of the floor plates I cleaned them all. My best guess is that some kind of residue of the original lubrication or maybe some gun oil got down in there and had thickened. I took a tooth brush and cleaned them up, then a paper towel and cleaned the oil out, and now they are behaving like new.

You just never know the state of readiness unless you check it.

Just rambling today... and looking at my thumb that is bleeding after jamming the spring from one of the mags into the side of it and I must have hit a good spot because blood was all over me and the mag.

 

[bannockburn]

I cleaned my brother's postwar P38 after he got it and found that I couldn't get the magazine out. The gun was LNIB and appeared to have been test fired only. Took quite a bit of solvent but I finally got the mag free. Turns out the magazine, both inside and out, had some sort of congealed oil on it that acted like cement after it had dried.

 

[JO JO]

I shoot my night stand gun every few months clean and put back in its spot,

 

[rondog]

I shoot my night stand gun every few months clean and put back in its spot,

As we all should. Thanks for the reminder, guys! Got a couple that need exercising.....

 

[vba]

Interesting story "Little Buddy". Have you tried to shoot it after the cleaning? I think many have let things go but this is a good lesson.

 

[sirgilligan]

Interesting story "Little Buddy". Have you tried to shoot it after the cleaning? I think many have let things go but this is a good lesson.

I will take it to the range the next time I go out. I bet it will be just fine now, I can flip a bullet out and the next one comes right up into position.

 

[Deaf Smith]

I shoot my night stand gun every few months clean and put back in its spot,

Me to. I don't have any HD gun I don't check at least quarterly.

Deaf

 

[Robert101]

Same here. I shoot my guns (all of them) periodically. That would be at least 100 rounds every 2 months in each. My HD gun is a daily carry and is shot 150 rounds every month. I love shooting and don't mind keeping the machines working properly. This is exactly what I bought them for - to shoot not look at.

 

[kokapelli]

I shoot my SD guns every month and then clean and lube them.

 

[Stony]

A lot of years ago, I had an elderly lady bring an original 1911 into my gun shop...cocked and locked in a holster. Her husband had died years before and she hadn't touched the pistol since as she was basically afraid of it and knew nothing about firearms. She wanted something that would be easy for her to use and simple to operate. I lowered the hammer on her 1911 and to my surprise there was no spring resistance. I don't know how long it had been loaded with the original GI ammo and in the cocked position, but the spring had collapsed. I've never seen anything like it before or since...but I know it can happen!
I worked out a deal with her and she left with a smaller revolver and a smile on her face.