LEO only dust bunnies????

M

Medic

New member
This past weekend, a friend and I washed and detailed the vehicle of a part-time co-worker and mutal friend. Said co-worker and friend is a deputy in an adjoining county. While preparing the vehicle for cleansing, I noticed her duty pistol in the trunk, - SIG P239. Having never actually laid hands on this particular firearm, I commenced to drool and do the 'happy-happy, joy-joy' dance. But what horror I met when upon further inspection I saw the inch of dust in the space between the hammer and frame and ketchup like substance on the grip. Before we left to wash the car, I commented to my dirty gun friend on the condition of her weapon. With that she proclaimed, "Well, take it and clean it too!" To which I replied, "Like I would have asked you before I did anyway! This thing is disgusting." And off we went. Well, quite frankly I don't think my parent's chimney had as much soot in it as the barrel of the SIG did (I'm going to have to buy another case of Hoppes #9 now). Having cleaned most of the gunk from the pistol, I proceded to remove the grips. Upon doing so, I found that the grip screws were covered in rust and whence I removed the grips themselves I discovered that this particular P239 was issued with LEO only dust bunnies as every nook and cranny of the grips and the grip frame was awash in the rabid little creatures. I 'eeked' and gasped in horror! I managed to choke back my tears (that this wonderous firearm could be so unkempt) as I finished cleaning and lubing the SIG. I later returned the pistol to my friend and gave her the standard stern, finger-waving lecture on not keeping something so essential to her safety clean. I think it worked, and at any rate she seemed tickled that her SIG now gleemed in the light. As I left the building she said thank-you and "Gee, it's so clean, I won't want to shoot it at all." And again I said to myself, HHHHhhhhmmmm!?!?! :rolleyes:

Medic

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Admit Nothing,
Deny Everything,
Make Counter Accusations

[This message has been edited by Medic (edited June 21, 2000).]
 
Well, mate, console yourself with the thought that, now, if she ever has to shoot it "for real", it will at least go "bang"!!

I have a friend who asked me to show him how to clean his rifle -- he hadn't done it since buying the gun -- 20+ years ago!!

B
 
I recall hearing of some Police issue revolvers that have been so neglected that they were literally fused into the leather holsters they were carried in and the cylinders were clogged with grime and lint. Sounds like they might be usable with the duty belt as a weighted sling in the case of an emergency, but not much else.
 
My gunsmith was telling me of a police weapon he worked on in Florida where the slide was rusted tight to the frame. He said the cops there were notorious for giving away cases of their practice ammo so they could say they actually shot the thing. He was the proud recipient of a lot of the free ammo, but would probably felt better if the cops had used it to learn better how to defend themselves. I think most cops now try to become proficient at the use of their weapons, but I do know some that are absolutely horrid shots. They know I carry without license and they say that the reason they let me get away with it is because people like me will save them anyway (in jest I'm sure because in the big picture, I suck too). At least I practice at being a poor shot!
 
Medic,
I think you just saved someone's life...

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...defend the 2nd., it protects us all.
No fate but what we make...
 
Those local cops who buy their own guns are pretty good about cleaning them. Those who get theirs from the PD are damn bad. Hmmm...
 
One of my firearms instructors brought in some examples of what NOT to let happen to your weapons:

A couple of revolvers with the cylinders rusted in place.

A revolver fused to a holster.

A pistol with the slide rusted to the frame.

Magazines that had cartridges fused in place.

A bolt action with the action rusted shut.

All of the weapons were duty issued except for the bolt action. A BG had attempted to use it in a crime.
 
This is the majority of police duty weapons. Our old rangemaster found tomato seeds in an officer's weapon one time, another time someone used the dishwasher, rusted several small springs, etc. Heck, I had to correct a fellow officer's bobble in front of her supervisor: incorrectly put back together magazines. Her initial response was so what, I don't care. Her squad mates dropped their jaws. I did so I fixed them (I know not all LEOs are shooters, but it isn't rocket science). It is a shame that more are not, it is the least used item in our tool box, but the one that will hem you up if you can't use it or you mess up with it.
On that matter, our range has two open days a week and more or less unlimited practice ammo. And out of 500 or so officers, the same 20 or 30 are always there. Everyone else just comes out in an attempt to qualify.
Off the soap box now.
 
i was in a gunsmith's shop dropping off a pistol to be refinished. in comes this guy with a Remington 788 bolt action in .243. his complaint was that the rifle used to shoot groups "the size of the top of a drink can". now it would not even hit the target most of the time.
the gunsmith said let me look at it quick maybe it is just a lose screw or something. he went in the back and came out shortly. "Do you ever clean your rifle?" he asked. sure the guy said i wipe it down after each use. amd the rifle looked good on the out side.
how long have you been shooting this rifle? he asked. oh about ten years he said.
the gun smith told him he would have to try and work on his rifle later and he would call him with an estimate on repairs.
when this guy left he brought out the rifle and a bore light. the inside of the barrel looked like a .243 shotgun!! the rifleing was not even visable. copper and powder fouling had filled the grooves completely.
i asked him about the rifle when i came back after my pistol. he pointed to it on the used gun rack. after an estimate for a new barrel the guy said sell it.
it is a statement of this gunsmith's honesty that a large orange tag was hanging from the
trigger guard that said new barrel required.

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Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what is for lunch.
Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the outcome of the vote.
Let he that hath no sword sell his garment and buy one. Luke 22-36
They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. Song of Solomon 3-8
The man that can keep his head and aims carefully when the situation has gone bad and lead is flying usually wins the fight.

[This message has been edited by riddleofsteel (edited June 22, 2000).]
 
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