Coronavirus Captivity

Being on lockdown due to a pandemic can be as unpleasant as one cares to make it, but for the handgunner with several firearms in need of attention, this is the opportunity to perform routine maintenance without feeling pressed for time.

Here are six easy maintenance tasks you can do to give your guns some much-needed TLC:

Task #1: This is perhaps the simplest of all. Run an oiled patch down the bore of each handgun, followed by a dry patch.

We live in a world of dust, and even if you slide your pistols and revolvers into pistol rugs (more about this in a minute), they’re likely to need a good swab.

Task #2: Pull the slide from your semi-auto, give the frame and slide rails a wipe with a soft cloth and add a drop or two of your favorite lubricant to the metal surfaces. This removes any dust particles that may have been captured by the gun oil, cleans the surface of your rails and renews those surfaces with a fresh layer of oil.

Task #3: Remove the grips from your pistols and/or revolvers and clean inside the grip frame, giving the surfaces a wipe with an oiled patch. Most people never think of this until it’s too late. Rust and corrosion can occur underneath those grips where most people seldom look.

Task #4: This is going to seem a bit strange, but take a dry, lint-free cloth (not a paper towel) and wipe the inside of your holster(s). Dust, dirt and even powder residue can accumulate inside a holster, and that’s the surface your valuable handgun contacts when you’re packing.

Task #5: Whether you shoot a double-action or single-action revolver, clean and re-oil the cylinder pin. It’s a moving part in a DA wheelgun and a part around which the cylinder revolves in a SA sixgun.

Task #6: Some people prefer to let their sidearms get a little “character” by allowing holster wear to take off the blue here and there. I’ve seen photos of Elmer Keith’s daily carry N-frame Model 29 that show a lot of holster wear, but I’m not a fan.

A bit of cold blue, applied according to instructions, will maintain your sidearm’s appearance. Buff the surface with fine steel wool, wipe it down with a degreaser, add the cold blue, let it work for about a half-minute and rinse or wipe with a cloth dampened with water.

I use a soft clean cloth to wipe it down and then buff with light steel wool.

Bad News For Zombie Hunters

Fallout from coronavirus has hit the shooting fraternity, as Hornady announced its annual Zombies in the Heartland 3-Gun Match, originally scheduled May 28-31 in Grand Island, Neb., has been cancelled.

Hornady plans to resume the match next year, when the enemy will only be zombies, and not a virus.

Refunds will be issued to all registered shooters by the City of Grand Island, but the news release asks everyone to be patient.

https://www.theoutdoorwire.com/releases/e257dc88-9524-4fae-9529-4a45491d9e53

Galati Pistol Rugs

We mentioned them earlier, but if you like fancy accessories for your handguns, Galati Gear recently announced a new family of brown suede leather pistol rug cases with sizes to fit most popular pistols and revolvers.

Each pistol rug is lined with a soft, durable material with plenty of padding and features a reinforced one-piece wrap-around handle for easy carry, as well as YKK zipper locks and external metal D-rings for additional security.

Four sizes are available, including a 6×9-inch model for compact semi-autos and snubbie revolvers, a 7×12-inch version to accommodate full-size pistols and revolvers with 4- to 5-inch barrels, a 7×15-incher for long-slide semi-autos and revolvers with 6-inch barrels, and a 7×18-inch rug to fit large pistols and revolvers with barrel lengths up to 8 3/8-inches.

All are made in the U.S. and come with a two-year warranty.

http://www.galatigear.com

FN 509 Midsize FDE

The popular FN 509 MRD Midsize semi-auto pistol is now available in Flat Dark Earth (FDE), described in a press release as “FN’s signature color.”

Chambered for 9mm, the FN 509 MRD is a striker-fired handgun featuring a polymer frame with replaceable steel frame and slide rails, steel slide and barrel, and dovetailed sights front and rear. Optics-ready, it comes with all mounting hardware in a soft-sided case with either 15- or 10-round magazines. Controls are ambidextrous and the grip frame boasts interchangeable backstraps to tailor the pistol to each person’s hand.

The pistol has a cold hammer-forged 4” barrel with recessed target crown cut with 1:10-inch rifling on a right-hand twist. The slide features cocking serrations fore and aft and it has an external extractor. The grip also offers aggressive texturing for a solid hold even in wet conditions and the frame has a molded rail for mounting an accessory light or laser.

The pistol weighs 26.5 ounces and has an overall length of 7.4”.

https://fnamerica.com/products/pistols/fn-509-midsize-mrd-fde/

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