leroy

Plus 1 on this answer. Have had similar problems with the shell plate loosening off. Would also check the powder charging station also. Hope this helps. LEROY

Great essay; very true!!!

I agree. Done lots of shooting and have buddied around with others who did too. Never seen damage to a barrel from using the usual barrel solvents and brass brushes. The old bench rest guys need to wade in on this one; along with the highpower match shooters. LEROY

Forty: I always wipe the firearm down with the CLP; it is used just like you would use any firearms oil. Wipe off the fouling and fingerprints from the outside of the firearm with a little bit of CLP on a rag or patch. If the barrel is real dirty; I always swab the barrel down with a patch or bore mop soaked in whatever bore cleaner you want to use --- Hoppes is fine. After running the mop or patch thru the bore a few times (2 or 3); i run another wet patch or mop thru the bore and let it sit. It can set from two minutes to several hours. After the bore solvent soakes for whatever time you you want it to sit; wipe the solvent out with clean patches or a clean bore mop. When the patches come clean; then run a patch or mop thru the bore with the CLP. Once you get the barrel good and clear of fouling; you can just use the CLP on a bore snake or mop and it will clean the barrel up. I have never "corked" a barrel and let bore solvent sit in it over nite -- never needed to; even with shooting the 222's and 223's -- we always wiped the bore down every 10 rounds or so to keep the fouling down. Dont even worry about it with a pistol; just keep shooting until you are done. Generally, the bore solvent will clean up the barrel if it sits a few hours. On rifles, i always always look at the last couple of inches of the barrel near the muzzle; if it's clear of copper fouling everything is ok. I've never had a pistol get that fouled regardless of the amount of shooting if jacketed or hard cast bullets are used. For what it's worth, the CLP is advertised to build up a self-cleaning film inside the barrel and keep the fouling down. It seems to do just that for me -- i suspect any good quality moisture displacing oil will do the same. Regarding the shooters choice "quick-scrub" -- It will remove all the oil everywhere it touches -- its basically a de-greaser and it works good. Make sure you oil everything down well after using it. Once you get your gun barrel cleaned and oiled well; you can generally clean it up by running a bore snake thru the bore a couple with a little CLP on it; then just wipe the outside of the gun with CLP and you should be good to go. That should easily keep your favorite cannon in good condition. ADDITIONAL STUFF -- Dont worry about "scuffing" the lands and grooves on barrels; just use brass or nylon brushes with brass cores. The barrel steels are very tough -- lots of the 4140s and 4340s plus the stainless is used in power boilers that see 2000+ degrees all the time -- it's good stuff. Brass and aluminum are soft will not hurt them. I've heard stories about the horrors of cleaning for a long time -- especially with rifle barrels -- never seen any damage. Clean from the breach to the muzzle if you can; or get a bore guide if you go from the muzzle on a rifle. Don't let the rod wear against the crown of the muzzle. Buy a good rod; I like Dewey because they last forever and the old timers always used them. For a pistol, nothing beats a boresnake. One with solvent, another with oil. Just throw them in the washer when they get too nasty. Hope this helps, LEROY ps-- Found this on the Kreiger barrel website. Interesting reading on cleaning: http://www.kriegerbarrels.com/Break_In__Cleaning-c1246-wp2558.htm

Thanks Bryan. I thought they came around later for some strange reason; but im easily confused in my old age. Thanks again. Kind regards, LEROY

I think this is a great truth. The real people in the Republican party are going to have to take it back again, or the party will just morph into the Demorat party. The Republican party "intelligencia" and "elites" are the main reason why they lost this last election. Republicans better move back to the principles of individual liberty, capitalism, limited government, ect, ect; or they will loose again. Food for thought. LEROY

Pop makes an interesting point. There was at one time a law called the "Alien and Sedition Act" that addressed this stuff. My guess is that it was struck down by the courts for violating the First Amendment. Maybe a law scholar could speak to this. Please help us out. Kind regards, LEROY

Mike:___________ Me too!! I believe it now. Kind regards, LEROY

A very valid observation. No amount of truth, logic, or persuasive effort will change the already convinced. It does serve, i believe, to demonstrate what not to believe and what it takes what not to believe it. Keep up the good work! Kind regards, LEROY EDIT: Receivet this bit of wisdom from one of my friends: PSALM 2009 - 2012 FIRST BOOK OF DEMOCRAT OBAMA IS A SHEPHERD, I SHALL NOT WANT. HE LEADETH ME BESIDE STILL FACTORIES. HE RESTORETH MY FAITH IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY . HE GUIDETH ME IN THE PATH OF UNEMPLOYMENT. YEA, THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE BREAD LINE, I SHALL NOT GO HUNGRY. OBAMA HAS ANOINTED MY INCOME WITH TAXES, MY EXPENSES RUNNETH OVER MY INCOME, SURELY, POVERTY AND HARD LIVING WILL FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE. AND I WILL LIVE FOREVER IN A RENTED HOME. BUT I AM GLAD I AM AN AMERICAN, I AM GLAD THAT I AM FREE. BUT I WISH I WAS A DOG AND OBAMA WAS A TREE.

This is a great truth. You young folks need to look at SS as an add on tax to income; that's what it is. I firmly believe you will never see it to retire on if you are more than twenty years from retirement. Food for thought. LEROY

Its great aint it!! Sometimes with my overalls -- special occasions. Mostly with dungarees -- less avant guarde with them. Very keen eye for fashion! Kind regards, LEROY

Icehead: I regularly carry a glock 33 (same size as pps only wider) in a AHolster kydex pocket holster daily. I am a big guy (around, not up) and it will carry easily in dungaree hip pockets or the Cabelas hiking pants with the big hip pockets. It will also work in the front pocket if the pockets are deep enough. It will simply disappear in the hip pocket of bib overalls -- that must be the reason why all the old guys wore them -- HEHEHE. One caution, I always wear a good quality belt. Mine is a wilderness tactical. It will help the pants to keep their proper drape. Hope this helps. Kind regards, LEROY

Raoul: Got a pretty good buddy in the custom gunsmith business. I asked the same question one time when i visited. His answer: "Buy anything that is on sale at Brownells or any other good gun supply outlet." Bottom line; they are all good. I like the moisture displacing lubes like CLP and SHEATH. I buy CLP Breakfree in the big bottle when it goes on sale at Midway. Also use Balistoil (Its a vegetable based water soluble oil) on black powder pistols; then finish off with CLP Breakfree. Also got some Tetralube grease laying around. PS -- I'm satisfied that anything that a gunmaker or the military likes is good. Hope this helps, LEROY

These are valid and thought-provoking observations. I tend to agree about the civil authorities. Regarding the Military; we have a volunteer military who take an oath to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I think they take that oath very seriously. I know several young people in the military (West Point) who I believe are completely dedicated to preserving and defending the Constitution; not serving a bunch of political thugs. That makes me very proud to know these young people and gives me hope concerning the next generation. I believe that the military as it is currently constituted today is the best defense this country has against what you and I are both concerned about. It will be a great day when this hippy socialist trash dies off and lies in the ground, and this evil intrusion into American liberty is finished. The greatest threat this country faces is not Kim Jong Ill, islamofacism, or any foreign power; it is the conquest from within that you are concerned about. God bless our military and those with enough backbone to believe the truth. Thats how i see things this morning thru my old bespeckled eyes. Kind regards, LEROY

This is exactly why there aint many buffaloes around anymore. Most all of them were shot with a big caliber Sharps. Bullet placement with any size bullet is important --- that is accuracy -- accuracy and ability to shoot is a good thing. Good bullet placement with a large caliber is almost always fatal. Soldiers who are in dangerous battle zones have to finish their opponents quickly with one shot. That is why they are asking for 1911's and M14's. Great info. Keep up the good work. Kind regards, LEROY

Willis: Can you see down the bore very well. If the surface of the bore looks like alligator hide or a bunch of dry cracks in a mudhole, it could be a surface form of stress corrosion cracking. You see this sort of thing every now and then (very seldom, in fact) in stainless steel parts. If it is, it should go back to Ruger who will fix the problem im sure. Hope this helps a little bit, LEROY PS-- THIS COMES FROM BAD HEAT TREATMENTS. IF YOU HAVE THE PROBLEM, OTHERS WILL TOO.

This is a great truth!! Revolvers, especially N frame smiths, flattop rugers (and the others), and colt single action armies are the absolute pinacle of firearms art. Sadly, i like 1911's too; but the old smiths and colts are the kings!! PS: Giadala aint bad either!! Kind regards, LEROY

I want to say that I have read with pride, awe, and hearty approval the wise observations of THORN and GRIMEL in regards to the issue of both Christian and governmental responsibilities. They are well said and capture in a direct way what i tried to point out by all my rambling. I spent way too much time going around the mulberry bush trying to convey the point. You both went to the heart of the problem. I want to thank both of you for being wise, direct, and thorough in your answers to those who believe that government ought to be everybody's nanny, and that socialism is somehow akin to Godliness. Again, thank you both for the most excellent dissertations. They are dead on target. Keep up the good work! Kind regards, LEROY

Amen brother!! Well said!! Keep up the good work. Kind regards, LEROY

I was too. RE: Take your had off--- I tell my 20 year old that all the time. Keep up the good work. LEROY

Ralph: You have raised the level of this discussion to its highest possible point. It is my firm belief that once these issues are answered, the other issues become crystal clear. I want to try to speak to your observations and provide my understanding of this most important point in the kindest, most Christian way possible. Much of what will be said can be taken as being preachy but it is not meant to be. The most important point in this discussion is what did Jesus teach and what did He mean when He said; “You must be born again.†Being “born again†is a process whereby God gives us the free gift of salvation that changes our inner being (our heart, for lack of a better term) and we become new creatures. This “new creature†is called a Christian or follower of Christ. From that changed heart there develops a desire to do the things that Jesus did; that is, tho follow His great example. Jesus taught that benevolence was an INDIVIDUAL act. When Jesus spoke to the rich young ruler, HE said to “sell your possessions and give them to the poorâ€. This is clearly an INDIVIDUAL command. The Scriptures do, indeed, teach that benelevonce is the result of a right standing with God. The Scriptures also teach the concept of private property. The issue of private property is important enough that God included them in the Ten Commandments. ‘Thou shall not steal†is an endorsement of the rights of individuals to property. The Scriptures also teach that work and honest business enterprise that springs from work is honorable. In summary, Jesus taught that benevolence was an INDIVIDUAL act of kindness; not an act to be mandated by government. He also taught the right to private property. Regarding the issue of Jesus being a Socialist. I believe that nothing could be farther from the truth. However, there have been those who have taught that Christianity in action is actually socialism. The foremost of them have been the black liberation theologists here in the US and certain of the Catholic Orders who have preached the “social gospelâ€. The fact is that socialism is the very anthesis of Christianity. Christianity teaches that God is God and that good works (benevolence) flows from a right heart on an INDIVIDUAL basis as the result of wanting to do what Jesus did. The important thing to remember her is that it is an INDIVIDUAL act; not an act that is mandated by the state. The fact is that Karl Marx was an atheist. The basic premise of socialism is that the state is god. Christianity (and Judaism) teaches that God is God. Socialism postulates that all property belongs to the state and benevolence flows from the state. Christianity teaches that everything belongs to God who gives it to us freely and expects us to be good stewards of that property. That means “loving our brother as ourselvesâ€. Socialism makes the pronouncement of: “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.†This requirement is a compulsory mandate of the state that owns everything. Socialism takes forcibly by power of the state from the individual and gives to those who do not work. Christianity teaches that benevolence is an INDIVIDUAL act of kindness, and that people are entitled to the private property resulting from their individual labors, and are free to distribute them as they see fit. Casual observation will prove that socialism never works because people are bad and not good. People run governments, not God. If socialism worked, the Soviet Union would still be around and would be an economic powerhouse and a worker’s paradise. It’s not around anymore. More than that, we hear about the six million Jews that Hitler and the Nazis executed. Joseph Stalin was an ex-divinity student from the Russian Orthodox Church and a pupil of Marx and Lenin. He killed sixty million people and confiscated their property in the name of socialism. That is a far cry from the teachings of Christianity. It is not possible to point to a single instance in history where socialism improved the lot on any people, or where it worked. On the contrary, it always leads to totalitarianism and persecution of the very folks it was supposed to help. Bottom line: Christianity and socialism are incompatible. They are as far away from each other as it is possible to be. RE: “ IF we are truly a Christian nation… The fact is that we are not a Christian nation. We have long ago abandoned Christian principles and codified wrong doing into our system of laws. I will grant that we are a nation whose founding documents incorporated Judeo-Christian principles; even invoking God into them. General adherence to those principles has faded away, and we could have a pretty long-winded converstation about whether they were ever the norm. The fact is that we are far away from God and His principles in our government and society. Some of what has been said in this little dissertation may be offensive to some. It is not intended to be. I want to restate in the kindest way possible that it aint meant to be preachy. It is a heart-felt opinion that I firmly believe to be a truth. Enforced compassion will always fail or turn in to an oppressive burden because it does not flow from a changed heart. Today’s politicians are actively seeking to mandate enforced compassion just as they did with Welfare, not for the general good, but to buy votes and make people serfs. They are cynics who worship the god of power. Do not be deceived, they are not the least bit interested in the ‘general welfareâ€. So, as Sean Connery so famously said in the great movie, “The Untouchablesâ€: “Thus endeth the lesson.†Food for thought. LEROY

Ralph:_____________ I grew up in a family in which there was no health insurance until my mom and dad went to work with a company that was forward thinking and prosperous enough to offer it to their employees. That was about 1955. Before that, most no one had insurance. Don't ever forget that insurance is a PERK that you BUY. Not a RIGHT that you are ENTITLED TO. Our culture is so attuned to hearing about all these so called "rights" that it is now customary for most everyone to think of healthcare as a "right". This simply is not so; and never was. The idea that you are "entitled" to healthcare coverage is a bogus idea. It is, in fact, a socialist proposition that has been advanced by the political class who are buying votes with it, the unions who look for more benefits for their members, and activists who do not want to start an insurance company to cover folks; but would rather demand that others do what they want. I know that it is always a bad deal when bad things like pre-existing conditions occur in families that cause the cost of health insurance to go way high, and i have sypathy for it. That sympathy does not translate into a death wish to re-do a private sector industry and make it like the socialist healthcare systems in Canada and much of Western Europe. Government intrusion never solves problems in any private sector area that it meddles in. It is my firm belief that the main problem with healthcare today is the government meddling that has gone up to now. It is also my firm belief that this country is at a critical juncture in it's history. We are seeing the flower of the 60's hippy socialist revolution in full bloom. These people are simply not americans, nor do they believe in the principles outlined in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They are socialists who seek to remake this country into their own evil image. The banking takeover, the car maker bailout, and the healthcare proposal are evidence that they have no regard for private property rights nor the capitalist system. The fact is that the healthcare issue is a lot bigger than just providing healthcare to everybody. At it's core, it is about socialism and vote buying. It is about people being led around like children and selling their birthright for a little percieved blessing. There may well be some "insurance vultures" out there who are "profitting from misery". It is important to remember that they didn't cause the misery. The fact that most people will characterize legitimate companies (which are, in fact regulated by the US Government and the individual states) as vultures helps to validate my observation that the demigogs are winning the debate about what this country stands for. I do not believe that "government" anything is preferable to what we have now. Whatever the government gives today it can take away tomorrow. I think USMCJG's observations are dead right. The healthcare system needs some correction; but i guarantee that what these soclialist demigogues have in mind is not preferable to what the "vultures" are doing now. This little speech aint meant to be an attack or even an argument; it's meant to be something that causes you and others to think about the principles this country was founded on. Private property rights are the foundation of all our freedoms. If the government can take any one of them away, they can and will take the others. Food for thought, LEROY

Be careful!! We'll keep you in our prayers. Kind regards, LEROY

Try some Butch's BoreShine (Butch's is a solvent like hoppes) or; just let the Hoppes sit in the barrel longer. Soak a patch in the boreshine (or Hoppes), swab it in the barrel, and let it sit a couple of hours. Then use a clean swab to wipe the barrel down. Then oil the barrel with any good synthetic, moisture displacing oil (CLP Breakfree, Birchwood Casey Sheath, others im sure will work.) It has been my experience that most any good solvent cleaner (Hoppes is one) will clean your barrel very well. The key is to let the barrel sit with the cleaner on it for a little while (more than 15 minutes, longer if real dirty). When we used to target shoot with rifles (lots of shooting --- 222, 223 target bolt guns), we would clean with a solvent like hoppes then use a product called JB Boreshine (I know this is confusing because of the same name -- The JB Boreshine comes in a little white, wide, round jar about 1 inch high and 1 1/2 inch in diameter; its a white paste -- Midway will have it too; any old time rifle supply vendors should have it). Just read and follow the instructions on the jar. JB Boreshine is an extra fine polish that gently polishes the barrel. A few applications of boreshine always did wonders for most barrels; as it would polish the little micromachining marks out of the barrel-- the slicker the barrel -- less places for the fouling to stick to -- the easier to clean. For what it's worth, I like the Breakfree CLP. It's cheap (we buy it in big bottles from Midway -- watch for it to go on sale) and it works great. We shoot mostly big bore revolvers; so I oil everything down with it after we clean them up. The Breakfree will clean up the powder residue and make the barrel shine in our old revolvers; but we shoot hard cast lead bullets all the time. All we do is run a boresnake with a little squirt of Breakfree squirted on it thru the barrel a couple of times and clean the cylinder with one pull of the boresnake, then run a clean patch or wool swab thru the barrel and cylinders with a little bit of Breakfree on it. I'm sure some of other guys have more updated thoughts and techniques for cleaning; but this old one works very well. Hope this helps, LEROY

Plus one on this. My bet is that they are 9mm bullets (.356 dia). Make sure they are at least .358. Good luck, LEROY