Sharing the knowledge: Tips and Tricks you've learned

[BHPshooter]

Many of us, through time, figure some nifty things out. Some tips are better than others, some tidbits come sooner than others.

Let's share some tips or tricks, shall we? It just might make somebody's life easier or more convenient.

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I've owned a handgun for over a year now, and initially I would put a drop of lube here, a drop of lube there...

It always bothered me that the lube would run into places I didn't want it. It seemed like the "drop here - drop there" routine was pretty excessive.

Here's what I've figured out: Every time I need to lube a gun, I get out the q-tips. With the straw on the bottle of CLP, I give the cotton ends a good squirt to saturate it.

From here, you can "paint" a good coating of oil where you want it, and it won't run all over and get everywhere. No mess, no wiping up afterwards.

Wes

 

[Longbow]

Hhmm...where do we start?

Okay, how ' bout better shooting. I've learned that trigger control is more important to practice than sight alignment. I learned it at Rob Leatham class, were Robby did the trigger and I only do the sighting (25 yards). We managed to print much tighter group compared to just me doing the shooting alone. It proves that sight alignment is easy to learn, almost anybody can do it, but trigger control needs much more time and attention to master. So dry fire alot! Familiarization is the key, be aware when the shot breaks and when the trigger resets. My double taps is much, much better now. Thanks to TGO!

 

[joegerardi]

My contribution...

Don't run into doorknobs naked...

(Okay, now that THAT is out of the way...)

Don't rush the shot. be willing to take you time, and wait until you're ready to shoot. Far too often, shooters get tired of sighting it in, and just squeeze off the round. At the range, if the sight picture just ain't happening, be willing to lower the weapon, step back, take a breath and start over.

..JOe

 

[Standing Wolf]

Clean guns shoot better.

 

[Navy joe]

Longbow, to tag onto that, sight alignment and sight picture are misunderstood. Sight alignment is the two sights and your eye, sight picture is that plus your hold on target. Alignment will always be more important than picture. The error of alignment multiplies in a linear manner as distance increases. Sight picture error of an imperfect hold on target is constant. So, quit holding the gun up dinking around with the sight picture. In the end you will just jerk the shot. Brain Enos does a much better job of saying this in parts of Burkett's Vol III video.
Which leads to another tip. Learn from those better than yourself. Going to the top doesn't hurt, so take a class with TGO, buy Matt's videos, buy Brian's book, hang out with the local bullseye pro, whatever it takes to gain knowledge.

Last one, "See what you need to see" -BE

 

[sm]

-Pipe Cleaners,
great invention, ...cleaning guns, applying lube...

-Take a fired .357 case, use a triangle shaped needle file, and cut "teeth". If you want to get high tech...drill a pilot hole in primer, and screw a long screw into for handle, one can even bend to 45*. So...when you shoot .38spl out of a .357...the "teeth" cut through the burn rings in chamber and charge holes.

-Itty bitty Tobasco bottles hold lube, as do emtpy Iodine, and nail polish bottles. [ the last two have applicator built in]

-Testor's paint...pick a color, The Poor Man's front sight improver...

-Dryfire, Dryfire some more. Put a dime on the front sight, and run a cylinder dryfiring...

- RIG under stocks and grips to prevent rust...

-4 rules always

-Have fun

-Take someone shooting

- Did I mention PIPE CLEANERS?

 

[albanian]

One thing that helped me was simply bringing the gun closer to my eye during shooting. I always held the gun at arms length until a guy at my Bullseye leauge showed me that if you bring the gun closer, it is easier to see the sights. Small thing that I never thought to do that really improved my shooting.

 

[P95Carry]

Albanian . if you had tired, hypermetropic eyes like mine - you not say that!

Steve .. pipecleaners ... ditto and amen! Also, tooth pics great for ''crud pickin'' cos they cause no damage. Oh and ... never throw away used toothbrushes!! - great gentle scrubbers.



Been quoted before but ... a great BP cleaner, as well as good for after corrosive ammo ...... called ''Panther Piss'' by Cornbread 2 ...

3 Pts Peroxide 3%
3 Pts Iso propyl accohol (rubbing alcohol)
2 Pts Murphies Oil Soap.

Take Pts to mean pints or just parts ... this is a ratio. Once mixed, store in something like a yellow antifreeze jug (well rinsed) .. and keep out of light... use a peroxide bottle for holding stuff in current useage.

I made a gallon ... doubt I'll have used a damn pint before I become worm food!

 

[SteelyDan]

This was sm's tip (put some white paint on the visible part of the front sight), but I think it's a great idea so it bears repeating. Also, you can use white nail polish instead of paint. (I use some Revlon product named "White on White," guess what, it's pretty white.)

If you're going shooting, bring along a small screwdriver. For adjusting sights, removing stuck cases, whatever.

Upgrading grips can make a big difference in accuracy and managing recoil.

If you get carried away with disassembling a gun, and you're not 100% sure you put it back together correctly, take a humble pill and bring it to a gunsmith.

Wear safety glasses when disassembling guns and magazines.

 

[Boats]

If the thought of ever buying a revolver has crossed your mind, don't wait 15 years to buy one.

 

[Longbow]

Okay, here's somemore...

If you use Kydex holster (okay, plastic to some), Armour All makes a good inside the holster lubricant. Some say it protects the gun from wear too. I don't know that for sure, but it does slick it up good.
Mobil 1 makes a good gun lubricant, ' maybe better than others that's says firearm somewhere on the label.
Yellow color shade (protective eyewear) is great for low light shooting.
Lastly, .45 ACP is better than 9mm...Ooops sorry!

 

[MrMurphy]

Use a mag loader for MP5 or the last five rounds are a real pain. Ditto Uzis.


Keep your eyes open. I had a guy cover fifty yards in less than three seconds, or he came out of a dark spot I couldn't spot him in. Nearly carjacked me, but Mr. Smith, Mr. Wesson and the reverse gear made things go other than he planned.

 

[BigG]

It's good to carry a decent cleaning rod with you. You can use it as a ramrod to drive out squibs.

 

[andrew17]

RIMFIRE TRICK:

Take a piece of weed eater line and melt one end. While still hot, touch it to a flat serface to creat a "nail" type head on it. Then, sharpen the other end to a point.
You can pierce a patch with the sharpened end and run it to the other end where the melted flat end is and use this as a patch pull through.

The great thing is, if the flat end deforms, you can just re-melt it over and over again. I've been using the same weed eater line for about 5 years now. Works great!

 

[Steve in Utah]

Learned this in the Military - acronym of BRASS:

Breath
Relax
Aim
Sight
Squeeze

 

[halvey]

Learn from those better than yourself. Going to the top doesn't hurt, so take a class with TGO, buy Matt's videos, buy Brian's book, hang out with the local bullseye por, whatever it takes to gain knowledge.

What specific books and videos would you suggest? I read the Combat Handgunnery book by Ayoob and some various articles that really helped out, but figured some books or videos would help better.

As for my tips:
1) focus on the front sight. If you can't, get a sight you can focus on. Paint, night sights or fiber optics, whatever it takes just focus on it.
2) on 1911's keep your thumbs up and inline with the slide

 

[BHPshooter]

Also, tooth pics great for ''crud pickin'' cos they cause no damage.

Yep, toothpicks are absolutely indispensible for good cleaning.

I've learned that creating a "reserve" of ammunition is a lot easier if you buy twice as much ammo as you plan to shoot. Immediately put away the extra, and repeat every time you buy ammo.

Wes

 

[Werewolf]

$24 Laptop Computer bags at Walmart are absolutely identical to $220 range bags sold by various gun accessory dealers.

ON those really hot days at the range a t-shirt makes a heck of a good bandana and keeps the sweat off your head and out of your eyes. (and it looks cool too - that is if you're into the pirate look and all)

Grease is your auto's friend. Use it!

Low price and high quality are not mutually exclusive. (can anyone say CZ)

If it feels too tight then it probably is. Go with your gut and don't force it.

There's lots of advice on THR. Most of it's good. Some isn't. Learn to tell the difference.

Be creative when you're at the range practicing. Remember - that BG who wants your stuff or your life isn't gonna just stand straight and stock still while you take careful aim and plug 'im.

Unless you know a guy well enough that he will willingly share his wife with you then don't shoot his reloads. Hell, even if you do know him well enough to share his wife don't shoot his reloads (and if by chance you have shared his wife most definitely don't shoot his reloads).

Never tell a sheep that he or she is a sheep. Sheep are food. You know it. They know it. It is thoughtless and cruel to remind them of a condition that is well outside of their ability to change.

Concealed means concealed - nuff said.

And YES! You can have too much gun.

 

[Onmilo]

Never drink liquor from a motor oil can.

 

[Longbow]

Take a piece of weed eater line and melt one end. While still hot, touch it to a flat serface to creat a "nail" type head on it. Then, sharpen the other end to a point.
You can pierce a patch with the sharpened end and run it to the other end where the melted flat end is and use this as a patch pull through.

The great thing is, if the flat end deforms, you can just re-melt it over and over again. I've been using the same weed eater line for about 5 years now.

Brilliant! Thanks for sharing!

 

[spartacus2002]

Train yourself to the point where trigger squeeze is a reflex reaction to a proper sight picture (obviously this one is more suited to target shooters than to folks who are making shoot-don'tshoot judgment calls)

Natural Point of Aim with a rifle: Keep the left elbow under the rifle, shift your body around so that if you shut your eyes and get into a comfortable firing position the rifle's sights are on the target when you open them.

Before buying a particular pistol that you have your heart set on, rent one or find a buddy who will let you shoot his/hers.

 

[Dr.Rob]

The plastic top of a felt tip pen is the PERFECT take down tool for a Ruger 22 cal semiauto pistol.

Always have a cleaning kit with you, even if it's just a pull through in your range bag or glove box. Q-tips and pipe cleaners make cleaning a BP revolver so much easier.

Skateboard tape can really improve your grip.

How it looks isn't as important as how it shoots is. (bbq guns aside)

Practice makes you better. Practice as often as you can.

The barrel from a disassembled 1911 is a crappy go-no go gauge... spend a few bucks on the real deal.

Clean your reloading tools and oil them just like you would your guns... many parts are carbon steel and get surface rust easily.

When you find a great deal on a gun, put something down on it. Don't walk away or it will be gone.

 

[NMshooter]

If you have to do it all for real, be deliberate in your actions. Take some time and force yourself to think things through instead of just acting on what you assume the situation is. And yes, you will have to force yourself to think, in fact it will be difficult to do anything, especially the first time, regardless of past experiences or preconceptions. Sometimes it is harder to not shoot, but generally not shooting generates less paperwork, and less paperwork is a good thing.

 

[Longbow]

Before buying a firearm...

....check THR first and ask for opinions. I know it saved me alot of $$ (and headaches) just by asking here and searching the archives.... I love this place!

 

[Drjones]

Neat thread.

I'll post some stuff when I'm not dead tired.