Plug follower ingenuity

[WolfSpring]

So I'm sitting in Iraq and I've been picking this 5200 every night and it takes longer than the others and not giving the feedback I'm used to so I figure lets take it apart and see wtf. So I get it broke down and start looking for a pen lid for a follower, but all of our pens are to thick SOB, i'm thinking I flat edge my T-Wrench but if I slip I'm screwed, it's really not that big deal, then it hits me what out here do I have easy access to that is close to the size of the plug:




As you can tell this brass is expended, it's already been fired. But it is the perfect size with just a little play to work as a plug follower. And it had two serated and three spool drivers with 5 serated lowers. Not that big a deal but all three spools were in a row so it played a lot.

[femurat]

OMG a gun-cylinder

[EmCee]

In the UK our bullet locks don't look quite like that.

[raimundo]

I assume that the american lock is chambered for 5.56mm or is that a 7.62?

[WolfSpring]

LOL, it's 5.56

[illusion]

Good thinking, like it.

You can use the cardboard roll in the middle of toilet paper as makeshift plug followers too, or just cut up a cereal box - roll them into a sausage shape and ta-da, you have a usable plug follower.

[WolfSpring]

Well it works for a pinch, but today I used it on a lock with some good springs and it's not a great solution, the driver pins came up into the groove at the base of the roung and it was stuck . I found a pen lid finally.

[raimundo]

maybe you should cut down the base or cut off the bottleneck nof that cartridge, and use the base for the back end of the follower.

many sorts of flat sheets, paper plastic even thin metal will improvise a follower when rolled up in several overlaps.

these tend to unspool and this can make them fit tightly in the cylinder after it has been pushed allthe way in.

[psychofish]

Send me a few pounds of brass and I'll send you a couple plug followers!

Not bad man, I knew I liked American Locks for some reason, and this is just another reason. lol @ raimundo's post.

[074KU]

I have found that a 5/16 Sidchrome socket works well for most standard C4 keyway locks up to 6 pin in Australia.

8mm works in a pinch but is prolly just a tad to small to be useful in all but the most desperate situations but sliding a pick underneath it seems to hold the top pins in just the right place.

[DayZiro]

Good thinking, like it.

You can use the cardboard roll in the middle of toilet paper as makeshift plug followers too, or just cut up a cereal box - roll them into a sausage shape and ta-da, you have a usable plug follower.

What a great idea, I had never thought of that. I don't always have a dowel in the house I'm in but I'm sure I can find a piece of paper or cardboard.