In the four wheeling world, there are hundreds of cheap mods you can perform on your vehicle for little or no money. I dont know how well this will work in the firearm community, but I will give it a try.

Use WD-40 to clean cosmoline off a rifle. Its basically gasoline in a can and cheaper then using Hopes.

A .223 / 5.56 shell can be used to adjust the front site on an AR, you use a file to cut some notches and it works perfectly.

Instead of buying a $30 piece of plastic for a receiver block when working with the rifle in a vise, use a cheap 30 round USA made steel magazine. You can go to home depot or any craft store and purchase a do it yourself molding kit. Pour epoxy or some other material into the mag body to make it stronger.

Assemble your own rilfe
Paracord sling mounts
#6 Oring for extractor
Self adhesive grip tape (make your own gell grip)
15 minute trigger job
Visit AR15.com

permatex gas buster

Originally Posted By Dace: Instead of buying a $30 piece of plastic for a receiver block when working with the rifle in a vise, use a cheap 30 round USA made steel magazine. You can go to home depot or any craft store and purchase a do it yourself molding kit. Pour epoxy or some other material into the mag body to make it stronger.

I found a piece of wood, 1x3 IIRC, inserted into the magazine does the same thing at a lower cost (the wood was scrap).

old socks, t shirts, and underwear get turned into cleaning patches and rags, and I wear t shirts until they're all ripped to hell

I prefer non-chlorinated Brake cleaner. for any cleaning tasks. I will quickly get rid of any oil, residue or crud and is self drying. Just make sure to quickly re-lube any item prone to rust.

#7 O-ring around the front lug on an upper receiver will tighten up most poorly fitting upper\lower combos. It's cheaper and easier to use (and find) then an "Accu-wedge"
(edit to add - See the pic on page 3 of this thread posted by Russ4777 - it shows exactly what I am talking about. Thank Russ!)

fishing line to run patches through the gun

Originally Posted By cgv69: I prefer non-chlorinated Brake cleaner. for any cleaning tasks. I will quickly get rid of any oil, residue or crud and is self drying. Just make sure to quickly re-lube any item prone to rust. #7 O-ring around the front lug on an upper receiver will tighten up most poorly fitting upper\lower combos. It's cheaper and easier to use (and find) then an "Accu-wedge"

I use both of these as well with great results. It was probably you who originally suggested them to me

+1 on the brake cleaner!!!

Originally Posted By bigbore: permatex gas buster

I've seen it mentioned before but forget the details. ??

Originally Posted By Mr45auto: Originally Posted By bigbore: permatex gas buster I've seen it mentioned before but forget the details. ??

what is it?

Cool topic guys, I like the spent casing sight tool.
How about duct tape light mount?

TP role with black string for crosshairs and a magnifying glass mounted with duct tape makes for a good short range scope.

Originally Posted By chris157c: TP role with black string for crosshairs and a magnifying glass mounted with duct tape makes for a good short range scope.

Could we keep this on topic? Please?

Originally Posted By chris157c: TP role with black string for crosshairs and a magnifying glass mounted with duct tape makes for a good short range scope.

Bwahhhhh!!!!


Actually, using a paper hand towel cardboard tube would probably make for a decent scope shade to help avoid mirage reflections through the scope.

Paracord wrapped around aluminum freefloat tubes makes them much more comfortable as the barrel heats up:

Originally Posted By RolandofGilead: Cool topic guys, I like the spent casing sight tool. How about duct tape light mount?

spent casing sight tool? front sight tool? don't you need the bullet tip for that? or are you taking a dremel to a casing to remove portions and leave the claws!!??!?!?!

Originally Posted By JosephR: Originally Posted By RolandofGilead: Cool topic guys, I like the spent casing sight tool. How about duct tape light mount? spent casing sight tool? front sight tool? don't you need the bullet tip for that? or are you taking a dremel to a casing to remove portions and leave the claws!!??!?!?!

You take a spent casing and dremel/file the claws into it, each cut perpendicular to the other. Easy and cheap site tool. You can also use a bic pen by doing the same thing.

I do not remember exactly what casing to use, when I get home I will look. But I am pretty sure it was a .223/5.56 case.

A section of bicycle innertube stretched over the pistol grip makes it more grippy and comfortable. Works on mags too.

A 12 gauge bore snake works great for cleaning the inside of mags and upper receivers. I also use it to clean the magazine well on my 1911.


This is potentially a great thread although it's probably a dupe. I already use some of the other tips mentioned. I hope that this topic can stay on track and continue to grow.

I use an ironingboard to set my guns on while I clean them sitting at the couch. You can adjust them to the perfect height you need.

Bullet tip works okay if your sight is easy to move, I have one that just does not like to move, and I've messed up more than a few rounds trying to adjust it (and I'm too cheap to buy the real tool)

Originally Posted By CJan_NH: Originally Posted By cgv69: I prefer non-chlorinated Brake cleaner. for any cleaning tasks. I will quickly get rid of any oil, residue or crud and is self drying. Just make sure to quickly re-lube any item prone to rust. #7 O-ring around the front lug on an upper receiver will tighten up most poorly fitting upper\lower combos. It's cheaper and easier to use (and find) then an "Accu-wedge" I use both of these as well with great results. It was probably you who originally suggested them to me

I'd love to take credit for these tips but I can't. I know I got the o-ring trick from someone here but I don't remember who turned me on the brake cleaner?

Originally Posted By BlammO A section of bicycle innertube stretched over the pistol grip makes it more grippy and comfortable. Works on mags too.

Bike inner tube is some great stuff. Cheap as dirt and has a million uses!

#1 Use Mobil-1 synthetic motor oil for lube.
#2 Chuck your chamber brush into a drill so you can REALLY clean out everything behind the lugs & in the chamber.

1) Never, under any circumstances, use cheap products to paint a rifle.
When you think about painting a rifle the word you really should be focused on is refinishing your rifle

taggage