Magnetized slide

[MLB]

I noticed while cleaning the the little Walther the other night that the slide has become magnetized. It's not like you can stick it to the 'fridge, I only noticed it because the dental pic I was using was attracted to it. (Apparently not a very good grade of stainless)

It must be due to the rubbing of the metal parts, although I'm not sure. Has anyone else noticed this? Checking the P99, I found the same thing.

Now that I think of it, I wonder if it was the pic that's magnetized...

["DoubleAction"]

ML; How close do you live to TMan ?

[TMan]

Try shooting at a different range. It is probably that when you are shooting the slide is lined up correctly with the earth's magnetic field. Because of the slide repeatedly going back in forth while being aligned it is gradually magnetizing it.

What I noticed at the indoor range I used to go to was with shooting the polymer pistols the slide going back in forth was creating static electricity. When I'd leave the range and touch the door handle, I'd get a static discharge. Or, I wonder if it could have been the shoes I was wearing rubbing on the floor?

[MLB]

DA, even if I did live close to TMan, he moves around the globe so much I'm surprised he doesn't pass himself in the airport. It's too bad we are all so spread out. The logistics of meeting up are formidable.

I hadn't thought of the orientation of my shooting. TMan is usually a couple of steps ahead of me. When the weather gets a bit nicer, I'll spend more time at the outdoor range which is oriented 90deg to the indoor range.

This is all a bit premature though, I'll likely come slinking back here with my tail between my legs and a magetized dental pic.

[TMan]

I got to thinking about it more, and I think it could be a potentially dangerous situation.

Recall from high school physics that when a magnetic field in motion cuts through a wire, it introduces a voltage. Well a metal frame is essentially one big wire. Therefore, the movement of the magnetized slide would be inducing a voltage in the frame.

Hopefully, the way the gun is designed internally none of the current that flows as a result of this voltage will flow though the rounds that are in the magazine. It would be terrible if one of them went off as a result of it.

You can get, probably at Radio Shack, some dielectric grease that won't conduct electricity. It might be a good idea to coat the sides of the magazines with it.

Speaking of Radio Shack, they sell soldering guns. You can remove the tip of the soldering gun and replace it with a coil of heavy wire, like #8. Then with the gun on, you pass whatever you want to demagnetize through the coil, but make sure it is completely away from it before you let go of the trigger.

In high school our physics teacher was performing some kind of an experiment and he really magnetized his watch. It stopped totally. I took it down to the electricity shop, made a coil out of heavy wire, stuck it into the soldering gun and demagnetized his watch. As I recall, that was the only time in my life I was a hero.

[MLB]

Fortunately TMan, I am a well grounded individual so it shouldn't be a problem. ;D

Either that, or I may have the world's first Walther PPK/s tazer.

You've got me interested in the soldering iron demagetizer though. I can't quite picture it. If you're referring to the pencil type soldering irons, there's only a rod type tip; my coil would have 2 ends. Perhaps you're referring to a "Wagner" style iron that has a loop type tip?

[TMan]

mlb said:

Fortunately TMan, I am a well grounded individual so it shouldn't be a problem.

You won that round.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words:


You have to use heavy wire though, or it will burn it out real quick. Also, it is Weller not Wagner. The later are the paint spray gun folks. You might be able to use an electric train transformer too. They should be able to withstand a direct short as long as it isn't of too long a duration.

As a teenager, my best friend had a cherry tree in the back yard, and we throughly enjoyed climbing it and eating the cherries. What annoyed us was the birds that would come, take a bite out of one cherry and move onto the next one. So we would end up with a lot of messed up cherries. The birds were smart too, they wouldn't come into the tree with us in the backyard.

I took a small board and drove two nails into it about 2" apart. I then took some stranded wire and unwound it to obtain a single strand of now very thin wire, which I connected between the two nails. I then ran regular extension cord having the ends go to the two nails. The other end went to the electric train transformer.

Then carefully, we wrapped the fuse to a firecracker around the thin wire. We waited in the upstairs back bedroom for the birds to come. After close to a dozen were in the tree, we plugged in the train transformer. At this point, after our careful planning, things proceeded to go to hell.

My friends mom walked out into the backyard to hang up clothes. There was a few moments delay while Dave and I stared at each other. Then we dove for the power cord for the transformer. Too late.

It had been a quiet, peaceful morning, his mom was relaxed, and just as she was putting the first shirt on the line there was a loud explosion in the tree and birds flying in every direction.

After his mom got back into her skin, she appeared in the bedroom doorway with both hands on her hips: "I don't know how you did it, but I know you did it, and you had better never do it again." We didn't.

[MLB]

tman said:

... Also, it is Weller not Wagner. ...

I figured that must be the type. That struck me as odd while I was typing it this afternoon. I suppose as long as I don't douse the Weller in paint, I'll be ok though.

Well, it wasn't the pic. My entire frame and slide are slightly magnetized. Moreso near the barrel bushing, or where one would be if there were one on a ppk/s.