One more in a decades-long series aiming to terminate the dreaded “box-n-bag” disease.

by Chick Blood

Ask a customer service manager for any manufacturer or importer to name the most consistently seen problem to arrive in their service departments. It’s either a box or a plastic bag of loose parts from an owner who has disassembled their gun. Maybe they wanted to get a closer look at how it works or, worse, they wanted to make it work “better.” Quite often, the latter occurs before the gun has been fired. Whatever their reasoning, or lack thereof, they have discovered they cannot put the gun back together. (Duh?)

Ask any working gunsmith the same question. Do likewise with any gunsmithing school instructor not planning a lecture or two on box-n-bagging. Gunsmiths early in their careers are often challenged with a box or bag of parts taken from a firearm with which they are not familiar. Even with years spent pursuing the trade, established gunsmiths can still face this challenge.

Many years ago, after listening to my explanation of one of gunsmithing’s largest problems, the publisher asked if I’d take on the task of applying my 20+ years of dealing with the public with a series of articles aimed at resolving these unfamiliarity aspects. Rather than pass along how I would go about this, I report exclusively how factory technicians go about it. This has all been made possible by securing cooperation from manufacturers and importers who agree with my firm rule for giving out information on the servicing of any firearm. Stated briefly, the more a gunsmith performing the work knows about doing it correctly the lower the risk of litigation. A few companies, primarily based off-shore, have disagreed, remain non-cooperative, and, as a result, have yet to appear here. Until they alter their position they never will.

Fortunately, SIG SAUER has been a long-time provider of information for their products, most recently the P290 pistol, even going beyond some steadfastly domestic producers with their support. With the article you are now reading I believe they have outdone themselves by providing me their complete Armorer’s School manual.

Read more in the September 2016 issue.

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