by Chris Cerino
Now into December, we are finally done with the training year. I understand and even envy that many of you reading this live in locations that have year-round training weather. Here in Ohio we are soon to be locked indoors only to come out for work or the occasional hunt.
Chris Cerino is a nationally known firearms instructor and competitor who’s been training law enforcement officers and military for more than 12 years. Chris has worked in peace keeping positions for municipal, county, state and federal agencies spanning more than 20 years. Chris is the director of training for Chris Cerino Training Group LLC, teaching in a “do as I do” fashion. You can contact by email at: chris@cerinotraininggroup.com, or phone: 330-608-6415.
If you are like me and hate the long cold winter days, you are probably looking forward to getting down to the basement or out to the shop. It’s now time to do all the little jobs you have been putting off due to the accommodating outdoor weather. Well, the weather turned here and it was time to tackle my basement. My first task was to create enough space to move around. My wife and I are both tired of having to crawl over piles of gun bags, range gear, fishing equipment and Boy Scout camp equipment.
The next step is to perform a survey of all the gear that has been dirtied, expended, lost and broken throughout the year. Cleaning guns is not something that I do often. Oh, I oil them from class to class or match to match but rarely do they get cleaned. Somehow cleaning guns is not such a thankless task when it’s too cold outside to be shooting them. At least I get to spend time with my gear.
Handling it and loving it and daydreaming about when we will be together again. Oh my! I’m still talking about the guns you know! Be careful when you clean your guns.
I’m not talking about the obvious care of being sure your guns are unloaded and ammunition is away from your cleaning location. That’s common sense. I’m speaking of being careful not to do harm to your guns when you disassemble and clean them. Be cautious of using harsh solvents which can sap oil from the pores of the metal.
All the oil you had in that gun all season was getting sent through the action and into all the little hard to reach places. All that pressure and heat from rounds cooking off helps lubricate your guns’ pins, hinge points and friction surfaces. It takes time to get those oils into there so be careful you don’t wash them out. It will ruin that sweet trigger pull your gun started to have by season’s end.
Heavy duty oil and grime removal has a time and a place. I’m not sure exactly when, but I try to stay away from using oil-sapping solvents. As a shooter and armorer for many years I have seen shooters fail to be able to shoot well simply due to excessive cleaning habits. A little oil in the right places and some rounds fired usually help get things back to slick.
Your gun may not have such a bad trigger pull. It might just be your cleaning and oiling habits.
I’m no stranger to the fact that the Holidays are a great time to shop for deals. Re-supply of ammunition, targets and gear that’s been worn out or broken can be fun this time of year.
Your favorite drink in hand as you sit near the fireplace, quiet snow falling, dog at your feet (or in my case in my lap) searching the Internet for those end-of-year closeout sales. It doesn’t get much better.
Ammunition and components have also been coming back to the shelves. If you’re going to need them for the new year, you may as well start to order them now. If you find a deal, I say, “Buy! Buy! Buy!” (But don’t tell my wife! Shhhhhh!) Before you get side tracked searching from site to site, make a list of all the things you need and all the things you want. Sometimes you may really need something that appears to only be a want. Quality training and competition gear is not cheap. I have lived by the rule of “buy once, cry once” for years now. I have cried some rivers but every time I pull out those truly quality pieces it all seems worth it.
On the converse, when I see the boxes of substandard, broken and less expensive gear I have tried and failed with, it’s hard to hold the tears back.
Especially when my wife sees me shuffling the boxes around during the first step of space clearing! Buying a quality piece the first time hurts. But buying a piece that costs slightly less only to have to replace it with what you should have gotten the first time, hurts more.
This year, treat yourself to a nice new holster and mag pouch.
Certainly a quality gun belt would be useful and earn its keep next year on the range.
If you intend to introduce your better half or child to the shooting sports in the future, you may be tempted to let him or her use some of your old gear. Although that will work, don’t miss an opportunity to get a piece of personal gear that is dedicated solely to them and their pursuit of the sport. The giving season may be the end of the year for you, but you can make it the beginning of the season for someone else.
It’s all about the fundamentals!
