Today I got a call from someone who I think was the importers gunsmith.
He started the call by questioning me whether I knew that Baikal MP-153 needs some adjusting in order to cycle reliably. He also reminded me that guns need oil and my gun was way too dry to operate.
I might have mentioned before that the gun is intentionally clean and dry
He was not implying that I might have neglected some maintenance with the gun. He was directly saying how I have not cleaned then gun, how I have no clue that slide surfaces needed oil and how I clearly have absolutely no idea of anything.
It made me wonder that next time I’m taking my gun to a gunsmith I probably should not clean it at all and soak it in oil. Happy gunsmithing with crap dripping piece of metal. But no. Next time I have problems with guns I’ll just recall my experiences with “professional” gunsmiths and use it as a reason to purchase a new gun. Fuck this. New Baikal costs 400 euros and I’ve used more than 20 hours cleaning, adjusting, lubricating and wondering what the hell is wrong with this gun. I might not use a gunsmith ever in my life. I’ve looked and helped my dad gunsmithing the shit out of every gunpowder operated machine for the last 25 years. With that experience I claim that there is absolutely no need for me to listen “trusted gunsmiths” telling me over phone how to turn a nut clockwise or apply oil.
This revealed me one thing. If the gun arrived dry to the second gunsmith then the first gunsmith did nothing.
But good news are that now the gun works. Cycles perfectly even with 24g loads! Bad news are that nobody knows why.
This last gunsmith only oiled the gun and “adjusted the gas system” of course he had to remind me more than 10 times how it is important to adjust and lubricate the gun. He did have one good idea though. He told me that it’s a good idea to leave the gas seal ring gap to the opposite side of the gas port so that the discharging gas would not leak trough the gap immediately.
Funny thing. I’ve made no claims that the gun must cycle with 24g loads. I’d be perfectly happy if the gun would cycle with 28g loads. Yet the gunsmith gave me a speech how this is a hunting gun and told me in degrading tone that it’s a fools business to think that this gun would work with skeet and/or trap loads.
Am I living in some sort of reality distortion field? Because first he tells me how he tested the gun with 24g skeet ammunition and the gun cycled perfectly and how I told that I’d be just happy if the gun would cycle with 28g and heavier ammunition. What a mess.
Ground control to major Tom, your circuits dead,
There’s something wrong
Oh and importer washed one’s hands of the warranty because I’ve changed the magazine tube and bolted a aluminum washer on the slide release button. Now I’ve lost the track. I don’t know where my gun is or who is going to pay the expenses. I’d just want my gun back now. I’ve learned my lesson not to seek help if in trouble.
And the stars look very different today.