Tag Archives: gunsmith

Shooting Sports

CVLife Rechargable Magnetic Laser Bore Sighter

Laser bore sighters are helpful tools to get your first shot on paper so you can more easily zero out an optic. The CVLife rechargeable magnetic bore sighter is tiny compared with the better-known Wheeler magnetic laser boresighter. Moreover, it recharges via a USB-C cable and can run for over an hour continuously between charges.

The CVLife bore sighter, snaps onto the end of your barrel using its magnetic base. Pressing on its pin turns the unit on, emitting a pinpoint laser out to 100ft or more. The accuracy of the device on your firearm is dependent on the squareness of the end of your barrel. Muzzle devices such as flash hiders and compensators can affect the trueness of the laser dot in relation to your bore.

The green laser version projected a point that was visible at 100 yards in daylight (projected onto a shaded target area) with my naked eye. A similar red laser was visible using a 6x magnified optic at that same distance, but not with my naked eye. While the green laser was the better of the two versions CVLife offers, the red laser is preferable when attempting a zero an optic with green illumination or a green reticle. So, I recommend getting both.

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Green on Amazon https://amzn.to/481yxaC

Red on Amazon https://amzn.to/3K7Vujc

SPECS

RECHARGABLE LASER BORE SIGHTER

Laser: Class IIIa ≥5mW

Color: Red / Green

Eye Relief: 15.0mm

Battery: Internal

Connection: USB-C

Capacity: 1hr

Weight: 25.5g

Dimensions: D 25mm x H 34mm

Shooting Sports

Can you use a Luggage Scale to measure a gun trigger?

The short answer is yes. Though the devil is in the details. And as we shall see, it’s takes much more work and potentially requires a bit of crafting.

I recently tested a Lyman and Wheeler trigger gauge. One was digital and the other mechanical but both essentially measured the weight of pull on a trigger. So if they both measured weight, it got me wondering if I could use a cheap luggage scale to measure trigger pull?

I have a cheap digital luggage scale that I bought to well, measure the weight of luggage for airline travel. I don’t remember if I got it at TJMax or a Brooklyn dollar discount store, but I’m certain I paid less than $8 for it. It’s actually cheaper today on Amazon (see link below).

It’s reasonably accurate when testing the dead weight of a soda. A full-sized can of Diet Coke contains 12oz of liquid and the empty aluminum can itself weighs about 0.5oz; so a full can should weigh about 12.5oz. The readings from my cheap scale gave me a 13oz. While not a precision scientific instrument, this is pretty darn accurate for my purposes.

My cheap scale comes with a small built-in hook to hang a luggage handle from. I made a trigger extension arm from an 1/8″ metal rod to transfer the force from the gun trigger to the hook and scale. This is a similar setup to the built-in metal arms of most commercial digital trigger gauges, like the Lyman.

Unfortunately my luggage scale requires a 1-3 second pause to lock in a final weight. As soon as the trigger broke and I released tension, the scale went back to zero. I had to closely read the displayed weight on the display in real time to try and estimate the final trigger break weight. It can be done but requires vigilance and concentration. Exact, this is not.

The Lyman digital trigger gauge was much easier to use because it displays the maximum force applied without resetting itself. But that convenience comes with a cost easily 5x more than the luggage scale. And it’s not like I need to measure a trigger every week, so the Lyman will get far less use than the luggage scale.

Would I rely on my luggage scale for a trigger job? Probably. I’m more interested in figuring out if a trigger adjustment put me closer to 4lbs than 8lbs, than if a trigger is closer to 4oz. than 8oz.

Help support us by buying this product through our Amazon affiliate link
Cheap Luggage Scale: https://amzn.to/3JPfH8Q
Lyman Trigger Gauge: https://amzn.to/3AiAs9z

Gadgets, Product Reviews, Shooting Sports

PST35 Pistol Sight Tool

Feagle/Feyachi marketing sent me their PST35 sight tool to test and evaluate. These rigs are sometimes called “sight pushers” because there are a series of screws and plates designed to gently push off the rear iron-sights of pistol which are attached by dovetail groove and retained by pressure/tension.

This appears similar to the US made RockYourGlock sight-pusher tool. But the PST35 offers a hidden advantage. The handle of the pusher block is also a front-sight wrench, which can loosen the small bolt under your slide which holds a Glock’s front sight in place.

The PST35 is a pretty sizable rig/frame and large adjustment knobs. The frame has holes to screw/mount it on a work bench though in practice the process of sight removal or adjustment can be done purely hand-held. The frame appears to be mostly aluminum with steel screws so it seems quite robust.

After removing the slide from your pistol, you loosen the PST35 plates, and position your pistol slide in the center of the rig. After tightening the holding plates and securing the slide, you turn the main handle which pushes your rear sight off its dovetails and off your slide (depending on the design of your sights, be sure to loosen any set screws before attempting).

Installing sights is a revers of the process. The PST35 sight pusher has measurement markings (which appear to me in millimeters) to assist in aligning your sights. This is how you would also adjust your sights to properly align them for aiming your pistol.

This is a well built and useful tool if and when you need to change or adjust your sights. But like many specialty gunsmithing tools, this probably won’t be often or more than once for a typical gun owner. I suspect that this will probably get used most often when your gun buddies ask to borrow it for their new toy.

Available on Amazon https://amzn.to/3BW4KQt

Airsoft, Gadgets, Product Reviews, Shooting Sports

Teslong NTG500H Borescope

Teslong sent me their TS NTG500H rifle borescope kit to test and evaluate. The package comes in a long padded box containing the ≥26″ long wand/probe, a USB-C charging cable, a USB-C video cable, a USB-A/Mini video cable, a display monitor and video recorder (with a 32GB SD card), and a set of 4 right angle adapters for various rifle calibers:

(5mm) diameter for .22 caliber & larger
(6mm) diameter for 6.5 Creedmore & larger
(7mm) diameter for .30 caliber & larger
(8.5mm) diameter for .38 caliber & larger
(12mm) diameter for .50 caliber & larger

The display monitor also functions as a recording device able to take still photos and video in 720p. Using the USB-A/mini adapter cable, you can connect the wand directly to a tablet or PC. I attempted to test it on my Samsung S21+ phone but was greeted with an Android warning message saying USB video was disabled, which was more of an issue with the 3rd party endoscope App I had downloaded than this device.

The wand/probe has .20 cal diameter allowing it to be used with tight bore .22cal rimfire rifles. The wand has etched inch markings along its length and a white washer plug that help you mark the depth of the probe. This helps you more easily note and return to a specific area of interest in your barrels such as deposits, burrs, and cracks. The rigid wand does make controlling the direction of the probe much easier than non-rigid endoscopes I’ve used.

The video taken with the display was quite good, comparable to other borescope/endoscopes I’ve owned. Not having to download dodgy 3rd party App software on my phone is a plus. It has a built-in rechargeable battery and even a built-in flashlight should you need it.

The unit is a bit pricier than similar borescopes or Teslong’s non-rigid endoscopes. I would have liked a 1080p camera but this may be unnecessary since the tiny sensor at the end of the probe may not actually record details higher than 720p, a larger 1080p file may be over-sampling.

A common issue with new users are complaints of an out-of-focus image. This borescope (and many others this small) are not an auto-focus camera. The focus must be manually adjusted by the user by turning the right-angle mirror to the appropriate number of turns onto the wand. This will vary depending on the size of the barrel. The user must adjust the mirror and lock it in place with the tiny locking ring at the end of the wand. One revolution either way could mean the difference between a blurry mess and a tack sharp image.

Not only are they useful for cleaning and maintaining your new firearms but could be invaluable in evaluating a vintage or collectable C/R rifle. Seeing the condition of the inside of a barrel could mean the difference between paying for Field Grade and paying for Display Grade.

Support this website by purchasing this product through my Amazon affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3S2oYhm

Product Reviews, Shooting Sports

Pridefend Gunsmith Bubble Level Kit

A gun accessory company sent me a Pridefend bubble level kit to test and review. I had never heard of the “Pridefend” brand before this review. This odd sounding name hinted at bad Chinese to English Goggle translate or MadLibs. Their low $6 price on Amazon (at the time of this review) made me a bit trepidatious, since you often get what you pay for.

When they did arrive, I was pleasantly surprised they came packed in a nice metal tin. The kit included two types of bubble levels and a 1.5mm Allen wrench to adjust them. I checked them against a 3-position carpenter’s spirit level and found the larger of the two Pridefend was not true but I was easily able to re-true it using the Allen wrench. I thought the other bubble-level, with a ‘P’ decal, was also not level but this was due to the off-center magnet at its base. After attaching it to the metal case, I found that it was level.

Taking it to the range, I found the bubble levels to be useful in leveling my CZ rifle to correctly align my scope after changing its Picatinny rail adapter. Despite the need to initially adjust one of the level (so you do need a known and trusted spirit-level or reliable phone App), I was pleasantly surprised at the usefulness of this tool.

Needless to say, I’m pleased enough that I WONT be returning this. It’s going into my range bag where the magnet has been additionally useful in policing my odd collection of allen wrenches in my mini range toolkit.

The kits are available from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3DHNpda