Cosmetics counter gun cleaning tip

[59Bassman]

OK, so I'm not sure where this tip goes.

I've long used Q-Tips for cleaning my guns - particularly the slide rails and nooks and crannies that I have a hard time getting into otherwise. But I'm always looking for other stuff that may be helpful in shooting.

A couple weeks ago I was walking with She Who Must Be Obeyed through Sephora (cosmetics chain), and I saw one of their areas with "disposable" supplies - stuff like kleenex, q-tips, cotton balls - that they use for customers trying out different products. Well I saw something there and wondered what I could do with them, so I grabbed them. They're disposable mascara brushes. Plastic handles, but with pretty stiff black nylon bristles with a tapered tip.

I put them in my cleaning box and forgot them for a while until I had my 1911 apart, and realized it had been a long time since I'd had the firing pin out. Well, I removed the pin, and there was plenty of gunge on it. I figured my firing pin channel must also be crapped up, so I was wondering how I'd clean it. I remembered the mascara brushes, took one out, and it was a perfect fit for cleaning that channel. Little bit of Super Slick, run it through a few dozen times, then follow up with a Q-Tip to get the rest of the mess out.

There's my tip. Get some disposable mascara brushes the next time your significant other is buying makeup. You just might find some other uses for them.

[sirveyr]

Don't forget to pick up a 1oz. tube of Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer while you are there....

I've got a few of those things floating around in my coat pockets. I love using stuff for a purpose that it was not intended.