Bought a used pistol awhile back that had obviously been disassembled by someone who damaged several parts in the process. I checked it for damage at the shop and determined that the "injured" parts could be easily and economically replaced so I went ahead and bought it.
Later I got to thinking about the implications of the damage. Clearly someone had decided that they were going to disassemble the gun far beyond what was necessary for maintenance purposes and did so without ANY information whatsoever on how to accomplish the task.
I guess what I'm getting at is this.
1. If you don't know what you're doing, don't take your handguns apart. If they're self-defense tools you don't want to take the chance of adversely affecting their reliability. But even if they're not, you should consider that they are still items designed to be held in your hand in front of your face while they contain a small explosion.
2. If you want to know what you're doing, virtually every major manufacturer will provide you a manual free of charge and most allow you to download them from their websites. If you want to know more, you can attend armorer's classes, purchase instructional videos or download armorer's manuals online. It's EASY (and often free) to get the skills you desire.
3. Read your manual. I see a LOT of people posting questions that are answered in the manual of the handgun they're referring to. Manuals are usually quite compact and at least SOME of the information they contain is always useful. At least they'll give you useful advice on what you SHOULDN'T do without further instruction/information. I've owned a LOT of different guns, I'm a certified armorer and I have firearms instructor certifications in several disciplines but I STILL read the manual for any gun I purchase.
4. At least ASK someone first. There are people out there who are willing to provide helpful information, links to resources, etc. There's no excuse for simply tearing into a gun without any pertinent training or information.
At the very least this advice will save you money on replacement parts and resale losses. It may prevent you (or a bystander) from being injured and could even save your life.
Later I got to thinking about the implications of the damage. Clearly someone had decided that they were going to disassemble the gun far beyond what was necessary for maintenance purposes and did so without ANY information whatsoever on how to accomplish the task.
I guess what I'm getting at is this.
1. If you don't know what you're doing, don't take your handguns apart. If they're self-defense tools you don't want to take the chance of adversely affecting their reliability. But even if they're not, you should consider that they are still items designed to be held in your hand in front of your face while they contain a small explosion.
2. If you want to know what you're doing, virtually every major manufacturer will provide you a manual free of charge and most allow you to download them from their websites. If you want to know more, you can attend armorer's classes, purchase instructional videos or download armorer's manuals online. It's EASY (and often free) to get the skills you desire.
3. Read your manual. I see a LOT of people posting questions that are answered in the manual of the handgun they're referring to. Manuals are usually quite compact and at least SOME of the information they contain is always useful. At least they'll give you useful advice on what you SHOULDN'T do without further instruction/information. I've owned a LOT of different guns, I'm a certified armorer and I have firearms instructor certifications in several disciplines but I STILL read the manual for any gun I purchase.
4. At least ASK someone first. There are people out there who are willing to provide helpful information, links to resources, etc. There's no excuse for simply tearing into a gun without any pertinent training or information.
At the very least this advice will save you money on replacement parts and resale losses. It may prevent you (or a bystander) from being injured and could even save your life.
