Solved an Otis Problem

[TX1911fan]

This might fit better in another forum, but I couldn't think of it, so I'm putting it here. I was cleaning a new AR upper last night using my Otis cleaning kit. For those of you unfamiliar with this system, you pull a flexible cord through the bore, with the cleaning patch at the end of the cord, coming through last.

So, I had pulled one patch through with almost no resistance, so on my next pass, I used two patches. What I didn't realize is that the first patch was synthetic, the second two were cotton and much thicker. So, once they passed through the chamber, they got jammed in the bore. Stuck solid. I now understand the "pushing a rope" saying much better, as there was no way I was going to push out this jam. I used various picks and tweezers to try and pull the patches out, but there were just too stuck. I even considered burning the cotton patch, but figured that would probably be a bad idea. I had resigned myself to taking it to my buddy with the proper tools for disassembly.

Then, a thought came to me that the end with the patches is screwed on to the cord. I started twisting the cord, and voila, it came unscrewed. All I had to do was grab another cleaning rod, push out the patches, and I was good to go. This may be totally obvious to you guys, but it was a flash of brilliance for me. I hope this helps in case anyone else is as stupid as me.

 

[MattTheHat]

Okay, I'll bite...

This is absolutely, positively a Dad trick. You know, when you broke something on your bicycle and couldn't fix it. You'd frig with it in frustration all day long, almost to the point of tears. Then Dad got home, took one look at it, went to get some ordinary household item and fixed it within a minute. When you asked how he thought of it, he just said something modest, like "old indian trick."

I have an Otis kit and just don't care for using like I do rods. But it is more convenient to take with me to the farm. I, for one, will remember and cherish this little "Dad trick."

Thanks!


-Matt

 

[13Bravo]

This is how I do it...

4 years in the army taught me this, as I've done it more than once. With muzzle to the floor and cleaning cable end on the floor, simply stand on the end of cable and pull up as hard as you can. Hasn't failed me, yet.