technical Questions & Answers

A Collector Or A Shooter?

QI recently started hunting and ATV riding in Colorado and want to carry a large-caliber and capable gun with me for defense. I have one gun that ts the bill easily, it is a likenew, commemorative New Model Super Blackhawk chambered for .44 Mag. Stamped on the gun’s barrel is “Made in the 200th Year of American Liberty.” I am concerned with the potential for spoiling any additional value this commemorative edition has by ring it.

AGiven the nature of your question and the queries I have made, the pistol does not appear to gain signi cant additional value due to its markings. One source says Ruger marked virtually all of its 1976 production this way. If it were my gun, I would not hesitate to use it. But to obtain more information on its collector value, if it has any, I would suggest you contact the Ruger Collectors’ Ass’n at its website: rugercollectorsassociation.com.

—CHARLES W. PATE, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

WD-40 As A Firearm Lubricant?

QSome 70 years ago, or so, I was introduced to Hoppe’s No. 9 solvent and related products. A fellow shooter mentioned that I should try an alternative method for cleaning semi-automatic pistols: eldstrip, spray parts with WD-40, drip dry, wipe and reassemble; no cleaning rods, patches or brushes required. Does this sound right to you?

AI have used WD-40 as an aid to professional rearm cleaning for many decades. It is relatively inexpensive, readily available, breaks down dirt and softens rust, helping with its removal. But, in my opinion, it does only a fair job as a preservative.

Again, in my opinion, it is not an effective lubricant for rearms for myriad reasons, but particularly in the case of assemblies that are not disassembled under normal maintenance, such as bolt assemblies, cylinder assemblies and trigger assemblies. I nd that WD-40 gets between close- tting components and then turns into something resembling varnish, essentially gluing the parts together. When that happens, the tendency is to spray the offending components with more WD-40 to loosen them up. All is well until the next time the gun is red.

If a quick method of cleaning appeals to you, there are other aerosol products better-suited for rearms and moving parts, such as Gun Medic Quick Fix from your trusted brand, Hoppe’s (hoppes.com/gunmedic).

—JOHN W. TREAKLE, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

From the thousands of questions and letters on guns, ammunition and their use that American Ri eman receives every year, it publishes the most interesting here. Receiving answers to technical and historical questions is a privilege reserved to NRA members.

Questions must be in the form of letters addressed to: Dope Bag, NRA Publications, 11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030-9400; must contain the member’s code line from an American Ri eman or American Hunter mailing label or membership card; must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed, legal-size envelope; and must be limited to one speci c question per letter. Non-members may submit a question with a membership application. We cannot answer technical or historical questions by telephone, e-mail or fax, and we cannot place even an approximate value on guns or other equipment. Please allow eight to 10 weeks for replies. “Questions & Answers” is compiled by staff and Contributing Editors: Bruce N. Can eld, Michael Carrick, Garry James, Charles Pate, Charles E. Petty, John M. Taylor and John Treakle.