How to bend a slide racker?

[IMC87]

Got this slide racker installed today, just right...BUT, it does ride a little close to my thumb...

SO, what is the easiest DIY at home/garage to give myself a little more clearance? Not much, just a slight bend

-Rich

[redwoods]

Where did you get it? I want one!

I have a sidewinder racker and wanted to put it on the other side and bend it. A fellow shooter told me to heat it up and bend it.

I would guess you would have to use a torch to get it hot enough. Don't have any more details than that.

Randy

[Pezco]

The slide racker above can be had at Midway or Brownells, I think it is by Gieger.

The Gieger I have at home looks like pot metal (cast) and will not likely take to being heated and bent.

[IMC87]

I'll have to try my best to just bend it ever-so-slightly, just in case. My thumb is clear from it, but is a little close, if I get a bad grip it my touch during recoil.

What's the worst that can happen if it does hit my thumb? (to me or my baby)

[BMartens]

I'll have to try my best to just bend it ever-so-slightly, just in case. My thumb is clear from it, but is a little close, if I get a bad grip it my touch during recoil.

What's the worst that can happen if it does hit my thumb? (to me or my baby)

You might be able to bend it ever-so-slightly but, keep your invoice handy for the part number in case you have to order another one. Some grades of aluminum just don't like to bend and heat will not help. You could also take a little material off the bottom if you just need a slight bit of relief for the thumb. BTW, your thumb will NOT stop the slide.

[Chills1994]

IMC87 wrote:

What's the worst that can happen if it does hit my thumb? (to me or my baby)

I was shooting a friend's open gun at a bowling pin match about a month ago. He has a slide racker off to the left of the gun. I am right hand strong hand. I shot the gun just fine the whole day, and then like on the second to the last "frame", I guess my thumb was up too high...WHAMO! that slide racker ripped my thumb nail back about a quarter inch, enough to get it bleeding.

I can see now why sticking bamboo splinters under someone's fingernails is such a devious form of torture...or pulling out their fingernails with pliers....like in Syriana with George Clooney's character.

As far as bending it, yes, a torch will work, but not your normal every day blue tanked plumber's pipe sodering torch. A M.A.P.P. gas torch will work. Two of them together will work even better. Clamp the flat dovetailed part in a vise, then slip a skinny pipe over the rounded end to act like a cheater bar to get more leverage to bend it.

Expect it to get discolored though, so having a buffing wheel handy might or should take care of that.

[Aircooled6racer]

Hello: I use my butane cigar torch My racker is a Shooters Connection one that I needed to bend to fit under a Quinn II mount. It worked great. If you want to soften the aluminum up you will need to heat it to 700 degrees or so. That will make it soft enough to bend but won't melt it. Hope this helps and go slow. Thanks, Eric

[IMC87]

Thanks for all the responses, now to try to find a torch to heat it up, worst case scenario, I just buy a new one thats 'pre-bent'

[racegun9]

The slide racker above can be had at Midway or Brownells, I think it is by Gieger.

The Gieger I have at home looks like pot metal (cast) and will not likely take to being heated and bent.

Brownells sells it in two versions.

One is Aluminum and one in Stainless Steel

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=6821/Product/SLIDE_RACKER

[Chris iliff]

That's my slide racker, straight from Brownell's. Mine is bent like you want and Gan's did it for me.

[Jaxshooter]

Try bending the one you have. If it breaks they make one just like it that is bent up a little.

[TMC]

Its not fun when it hits your thumb. I have a steel Shooters Connection racker and I still hit my thumb. I used a torch with MAP gas, got it red hot and was easy to bend.