Cowboy Campfire - October 2006
Welcome to the Campfire folks! With a chill in the autumn air, we got a heapin’ supply of kindling to go through tonight and several products to discuss – each something that will add to the enjoyment of the sport in one way or another. Grab yourself a cup of that Cowboy Joe and hunker down – it’s time to talk!
At a couple recent shoots, several of you folks asked me about a nylon device for shotgun barrels, where you place a patch over the top of it – pierce the patch on the sharp point of this critter – and pass it through the tubes. I know a lot of you folks have been having a hard time finding these rascals but we have them at Brownells. BORETECH makes their Shotgun Patch Holder for .12 ga. (#509-100-012) and .20 ga. (#509-100-020) and they really do a slick job. They come two to a package and I keep one on my cleaning bench and the other one in the gun cart for a quick cleaning during multi-day shoots. These are made of nylon and have the standard 5/16”—27 thread. As noted, you merely center the patch over the sharp protrusion at the top; press the patch on and the spring-loaded fingers expand the patch against the bore wall – quick and easy! I think you are really going to like these cleaning aids.
For some of your ‘fireside reading’, take a gander at David Chicoine’s new book, Guns of the New West (#491-000-016). David is a widely recognized and highly regarded gunsmith, author, and fan of the cowboy shooting sports. The book takes you step-by-step as he evaluates the revolvers, rifles, and shotguns favored by fans of the cowboy shooting sports. The book is softbound, 8.5” X 11”, and has 264 pages filled with close-up photos and detailed schematics. He takes the reader through all his testing and evaluations, pointing out the good, the bad, and the ugly. This is a fine reference book for those cold winter evenings and for folks new to the sport, will serve as a fine guide in firearm selection. More than just a ‘picture book’, David’s detailed writing covers the subjects in-depth and provides the reader with a new understanding of the cowboy firearms in the marketplace today.
Lots of you cowpokes enjoy the ‘hunt’, as you search out old firearms that are safe to shoot and can be cleaned-up and turned into weekend warriors at your club matches. There is a special feeling a person gets using a firearm that others entrusted to bring game to the table – oh the stories, if only these guns could talk! Often, these relics don’t need much more than a ‘face lift’ to make them look respectable and Brownells has all the equipment needed for this chore. One of our newest products is the Brownells Checkering Restoration Kit (#080-000-363) and pardners; restoring checkering on an old weathered stock has never been easier. Everything you need is included.
There is a pre-assembled Dem-Bart F1 cutter with handle and shank for single line restoration, a 90-degree veiner for touching up intricate lines and designs, a Brownells Hand Carving Knife for restoring lines, and a 2-ounce jar of Den-Bart Stock & Checker Oil for protecting your work. The kit also includes a Gunline Ruler for exacting line spacing and a Brownells Nylon Brush for removing dust. The kit includes complete instructions and folks of any skill level can do a great job in bringing the stock checkering back to life.
Now that you have the checkering cleaned up, if the metal is blued, how about bringing back that newer look again? With Brownells Classic Rust Blue (#082-000-010) you can get great looking results even if you don’t have a professional bluing system. While not a hot-bluing method involving bluing salts and heated tanks of rolling salts, you can achieve a deep, brilliant finish that will look great and provide the metal a sound protective finish. This process does require time and effort, but the results will be well worth it.
As with any bluing process, the part to be treated must be clean, clean, and yep, clean! This cannot be stated too many times – the outcome of this project will be no better than the effort in preparing the metal surface for bluing. The prep work you do 100% controls the outcome. If a barrel, for example, has all the former finish removed and dings leveled, have you done a thorough polishing of the metal? A muslin wheel with a polishing compound can do wonders and once all polishing is complete, the metal will need an equally thorough wipe to remove any trace of polishing compound or even oils from the skin. I don’t mean to carp on this so much and this isn’t a primer on metal finishing – but take your time up front, folks. The finish you are looking for comes through boiling the part to be blued in water, and rubbing down with very fine steel wool after each application of the special formula used in our Classic Rust Blue (#082-000-010). The step-by-step instructions lead you carefully through each step, and yes, you can do a professional looking finish in your spare time. Each time the part is re-boiled, treated and wiped with steel wool, the deeper and darker the finish becomes. This would be a winter project you can enjoy for many seasons to come.
On pages 230 and 231 of Catalog #59 (#077-100-000) you will find all the supplies to make your metal prep easier. For folks just starting and wanting to tackle several re-bluing jobs, may I recommend Brownells Wheels & Polish (#080-724-006) and (#080-724-008). These come with two Polish-O-Ray grits and either 6” or 8” muslin wheels, depending on the motor size you have available to run the wheels. You get 6 loose muslin wheels and 6 stitched muslin wheels, one tube of 400 grit and one tube of 600 grit and instruction booklet. These raw materials will allow you to tackle a large number of metal prep jobs – you may even sell your services to your pards to help recoup the investment cost – then everyone wins!
Add a package of our Polishing Gloves (#599-280-012) and you will keep your oily fingerprints off that freshly finished metal, too. Cowboy guns take a lot of abuse to the finish with all the handling we do and these tools will keep your investments looking their Sunday best!
Well Pilgrims, the campfire is burning low for this session, but come back and see me again next month – bring some of your friends along too. And, if you are at SASS Christmas in Vegas in December, stop by our booth and say Hi to Sugar Creek Sal and me – we’ll be lookin’ for ya!
Keep your aim straight and your belly full.