Bumps, Dings and Scratches Along the Road to Success

by
posted on December 4, 2014
sinews.jpg (153)
Image
After dressing dinged edge of the backstrap with a half-round file, the author went back over it with a fine jeweler’s file ridding the area of further marks.

Beavertail-installation jigs take a lot of the guesswork out of reshaping the tangs, while quelling the anxiety of removing too much metal. But I soon found out my concern was misplaced. It turns out when it's really easy for your file to skid off course while filling metal, which results in your work being be speckled by dings and pockmarks flanking the backstrap. Luckily, Kuleck and Oldham discuss this disheartening dilemma in their book, so when madam misfortune visited me I was prepared.

Image
Applying some elbow grease and ultra-fine 1,500-grit sandpaper in shoeshine-rag fashion does wonders to get rid of unsightly dings.

Whether you chose to remove the beavertail or leave it in is a matter of preference. Start with a half-round, smooth file and use it to blend each side of the backstrap inward. Afterward, I repeated the process with a set of jeweler's files prior to switching over to emery cloth, and then progressively finer grits of wet-or-dry sandpaper. (I started at 400 grit and stopped at 2,000 grit.) The book describes using it like a shoeshine rag across the width of the backstrap. It took some time, but eventually the gun's gouges were gone.

Latest

Aguila 30 Round 5.56 NATO Ammo Packs
Aguila 30 Round 5.56 NATO Ammo Packs

First Look: Aguila 30 Round 5.56 NATO Ammo Packs

30 round magazine, 30 round packaging. Makes sense.

Skills Check: Near and Far

For us, “Drill Practice” is isolating an individual part of a skill and focusing intently on improving or mastering said skill. The goal with good drill practice is to maximize overall improvement while minimizing overall effort. Success equals consistency over time.

Roundup: Large Format 9mm Pistols

They're just like a full-size 9mm pistol, only more so.

First Look: Mossberg 990 Aftershock Firearm

Add a little semi-automatic action to your firearm.

Olin-Winchester Takes Ownership of an Ammunition Operation in Wisconsin

The plant was originally run by a subsidiary of Gunbroker.

2025 Golden Bullseye Awards

The best products introduced in the past year. 

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Illustrated delivered to your inbox.