Dave

My name is Dave and I have been carrying concealed daily for over 10 years and have extensive Defensive Handgun training and Practical Rifle training.

How to Reassemble a 1911- Step By Step Pictures and Instructions

April 17, 2019

Dave

Gun Maintenance

How to put a 1911 back together after field stripping for cleaning, recoil spring replacement, repair or upgrade. The 1911 is my preferred gun and I like to keep it clean. It works best when it is clean and lubricated. If you need to know how to disassemble your 1911, see my tutorial: How to disassemble a Kimber Pro Carry 1911. 1911 Reassembly Instructions This article will show you step-by-step how to reassemble a 1911. Specifically, one with a 5″…

1911 Function and Safety Check

April 10, 2019

Dave

Gun Maintenance

How to Perform a 1911 function and safety check. Anytime you disassemble or field strip your 1911 for cleaning purposes, recoil spring replacement, plunger tube replacement, upgrade, etc. it is necessary to perform a function and safety check. This is simply a series of steps to be sure that the gun has been assembled properly and the firearm safeties are working normally.. This tutorial will walk you step-by-step through a thorough mechanical function check. The checks in this tutorial are…

Blade Tech Signature Holster- Classic vs Signature

April 2, 2019

Dave

Product Reviews, Training

Blade Tech Signature vs. Classic Holsters Personally, I think that the Blade Tech Signature holster is a way for Blade Tech to lower their prices and sell more holsters. The Classic holster runs about $69.95, a steep price even for the best Kydex handgun holster. I bought 3 at this price point because I wanted the best. I knew I was going to subject my holsters to some very hard use, and the last thing I want is to worry…

1911 Recoil Spring Replacement Chart

March 29, 2019

Dave

Gun Maintenance

Kimber 1911 Recoil Spring Replacement Guide The recoil spring on any semi-automatic gun is critical to the proper performance of the firearm. Each spring has a particular rating relating to how many pounds of force it takes to compress it by one inch. When a spring undergoes many compressions over time, it will become weaker. Springs wear out and need to be replaced at a particular interval to avoid issues with the recoil operation of your gun. When a recoil…

How and When to Replace the Recoil Spring on a Kimber Pro Carry 1911

March 28, 2019

Dave

Gun Maintenance

How and when to replace the recoil spring on your Kimber 1911. The recoil spring on your 1911 is critical to the proper functioning and performance of your firearm. However, just like any other spring, it eventually wears out and becomes weaker. When this happens, your firearm will not cycle properly and you will start to experience malfunctions such as a failure to completely load a new round into the chamber. When the spring gets weak, the slide may not…

Why Use Snap Caps and Dummy Rounds?

March 21, 2019

Dave

Product Reviews, Training

I prefer using dummy rounds, or “snap caps” to perform my many hours of dry firing training and gun manipulation drills. I have been asked why use snap caps or dummy rounds when practicing these drills? There are many reasons to use them and I will go into them in this article as well as detail how they can be used for various malfunction and reloading drills. What is Dry Firing? Dry firing is simply operating a gun or pistol…

Kimber Pro Carry II Disassembly- Pro CDP, Pro TLE II Disassembly

March 7, 2019

Dave

Gun Maintenance

How to Disassemble a Kimber Pro Carry II, Pro Raptor II, Aegis Elite Pro or Ultra Carry 1911 pistol This article will tell and show you all you need to know about the Kimber Pro Carry II disassembly and take down procedure for cleaning purposes, or to replace the recoil spring. The method also works for all Kimber Pro models and Ultra Series pistols. The Kimber Pro Carry II is a 1911 with a 4″ “bull” barrel. The bull barrel…

How to Disassemble a Kimber 1911- 5″ Barrel Custom Models

March 6, 2019

Dave

Gun Maintenance

How to take apart a Kimber 1911 with a 5″ Barrel. Complete Disassembly and Field Strip Instructions This tutorial will show you step-by-step how to disassemble (Field Strip) a 1911 Semi-Automatic Pistol in .45 ACP. Specifically I will be showing the disassembly of a Kimber Aegis Elite Custom. Kimber 4″ barrel models such as the Pro Carry II have a different take down procedure and use a different tool to remove the slide. See my article: Disassembly of a Kimber Pro Carry…

Defensive Handgun Shooting Techniques: The Emergency Reload

February 28, 2019

Dave

Training

Defensive Handgun Shooting Techniques: Emergency Reload This will be one of the most important defensive handgun shooting techniques to learn. An emergency reload is exactly what it sounds like. It is an emergency. You are in a gunfight and your gun runs out of ammo. Hopefully you have a spare magazine, but if not it is now time to run, hide and pray! What is an Emergency Reload? This is a combat pistol shooting technique used to quickly “reload” when…

How To Clean a Bodyguard 380

February 22, 2019

Dave

Gun Maintenance

I am going to show you step-by-step how to clean a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380 pistol. From the field stripping to complete reassembly, this tutorial will allow you how to quickly and confidently perform this task in 15-20 minutes. After you have done this once, you will be able to do it even quicker the next time without instructions. If you have never tried to take down (field strip) your Bodyguard .380, it can be tricky the first time…