Bumps, Dings and Scratches Along the Road to Success

by
posted on December 4, 2014
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
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

Hawke Optics
Hawke Optics

First Look: Hawke Optics Endurance 30 Fiber Dot Riflescopes

Available in a wide range of focal lengths and reticles.

Tech Wisdom: The Physics of Recoil

Felt recoil is a product of multiple factors.

First Look: Bushmaster V-Radicator 22 ARC Pistol

A compact firearm designed for accuracy and performance.

The Classics: The Bren Ten

Many people have heard of it, few have seen one. 

First Look: Taurus 66 Combat Revolver

Seven shots of .357 Magnum and optics-ready.

Maximum Effort

Push yourself to next level of marksmanship.

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Illustrated delivered to your inbox.