Heard a customer at the range say they 'fixed' a light strike with a hammer

I was at the indoor range in Springfield yesterday, just checking out the rental wall, when I overheard a guy telling his buddy about a problem with his old revolver. He said it was having light strikes, so he took a ball-peen hammer to the firing pin to 'peen it out and make it longer'. I just about choked on my coffee, man. That's a surefire way to mess up the heat treat and turn a simple spring or pin replacement into a whole new cylinder job, or worse, make the gun unsafe. It got me thinking about how often folks with just enough knowledge to be dangerous try the wildest backyard fixes. I've seen super glue on sights and vice grips on scope rings, but the hammer thing was a new one. What's the most 'creative' and totally wrong fix you've had to undo for a customer?

3 comments

3 Comments

evan_davis26d ago

That Springfield story is a new high bar for bad ideas. I once had a guy bring in a rifle with a scope mounted using nothing but electrical tape and hope. Did your customer with the hammer actually fire the gun after his "repair," or did he just admire his handiwork?

wren23026d ago

The electrical tape scope is a classic. I saw a shotgun stock "fixed" with wood screws and epoxy, which split after two rounds. Some people just have more confidence than sense.

kevinking26d ago

Did he at least use the good electrical tape? The cheap stuff gets gummy and slides right off, especially with recoil. Seen it happen more than once.