Regulators vs firearms (maintenance)

[Brian G]

I think the two are not really comparable. Servicing regulators is significantly easier and less risk-prone than servicing a firearm. To be clear, both are pretty straightforward and safe. Most of the errors in servicing either a regulator or a firearm result in a non-functional item. A regulator can be tested on the bench, while a firearm is tested at the range, with explosive. Several people die every year just from servicing their firearms (incorrectly obviously); this does not happen with a regulator (even if done incorrectly). If a regulator fails because of incorrect service, the failure is typically not catastrophic, and if it is, you have a backup regulator close by. If a firearm fails, it is also not usually catastrophic, but if it is, your face and hands are close by. One difference is the culture. Firearm culture is based on self-sufficiency, and basic cleaning of a firearm is a requirement for responsible ownership. Recreational scuba culture is more consumer-oriented, like automobiles, except that for a lot of regulators, getting parts is not straightforward. I think this is why many people are intimidated by the servicing of regulators, but are willing do similar things to a firearm with less trepidation.

 

[Marie13]

@RayfromTX

I don’t worry if I’m going to offend someone regardless of topic. If someone is overly sensitive about something, that’s their problem. Not mine. Too many people get offended at the most minor things these days.

 

[JohnnyC]

I think it's important to note, if we're going to compare SERVICING between regulators and firearms, regular firearms maintenance like cleaning is more comparable to soaking regs and maybe checking IP.

Servicing regs is more akin to parts swapping or putting together a gun from a kit. Something that needs no tuning, like building up a Glock from a frame or putting in a lower parts kit into an AR.

As far as cleaning goes, I have guns that I never clean and never have to. I have guns that HAVE to be clean otherwise they choke hardcore, and I have guns that sit somewhere in the middle. Regs don't tend to have such a spectrum. My 1 MOA AR gets lube only, and only gets stuff wiped off for a parts inspection. I have a bolt gun that gets a bore snake run through the it when accuracy opens up (about 300-400 rounds), but never gets the copper cleaned out of the bore, and it's been a 1/4MOA gun from the day I bought it and remains so despite the fact that I do very little maintenance. When it hits 1/2MOA, it gets the snake and it's back to 1/4MOA. I have another bolt gun that needs the copper stripped every cleaning or it goes to hell in a hand basket every 100 rounds. Interestingly enough, it's far less accurate than the other. Somewhere in between are various guns that require more cleaning and less cleaning to maintain function and/or accuracy. I don't have any regs that run such an extreme spread of maintenance requirements, and I would be concerned if there was this much variation.

I think in that regard we need to be clear that we all have varying degrees of aptitude when it comes to this stuff. It's clear that there are people who are perfectly capable of doing both, people who aren't capable of doing either, and people who, for whatever reason, are able to do one or the other but not both.

 

[agilis]

In my experience field stripping and cleaning the average gun is easier than servicing a regulator, but going beyond field stripping to disassembly of most firearms is more challenging than working on a regulator. In any case don't fool with your scuba equipment anytime soon after getting solvents and gun oil on your hands.

 

[Johnoly]

..There are potential failures that are not immediately apparent.

We need a "kinetic" sand removal hammer for regulators, just like they have for live bullets. Whack it and out it comes !!

30 sec Kinetic Bullet Hammer vid