The world of product marketing is a murky one indeed, and for those of us on the receiving end it can often seem like the art of adding a word or two to justify extracting a few quid more.
Unsolicited use of the word ‘artisan’ is an increasingly popular method of hiking prices these days, while adding the word ‘wedding’ in front of the word ‘cake’ is apparently carte blanche to engage in shameless profiteering — though your betrothed may disagree.
It is perhaps for this reason that I have been asked on numerous occasions by those new to the world of shooting if it’s worth paying the premium attached to oils and solvents sold specifically for use on firearms. Is ‘gun oil’ any better than any other oil you’d pick up at the hardware shop? And what about cleaning fluids? Won’t good old WD-40 or 3-in-1 do the same job for half the price?
To answer this, it’s necessary to take a closer look at what gun cleaning chemicals are actually required to do, and what they should contain to help them do it.
The simple truth is that your shotgun is essentially a pair of metal pipes. Of course, there are the ejectors and cocking springs and a trigger that moves a few millimetres, but that’s basically it. Because of this, there is a very limited amount of metalon-metal friction, and none of it at particularly high temperatures.On the other hand, your gun has a large surface area and is regularly exposed to wind, rain, blood, sweat and, occasionally, tears. All this conspires to produce the greatest single danger to your gun — rust.
Denne historien er fra February 19, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra February 19, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside