Under the grip

[Ratzo]

Question:

After taking your rohrbaugh to the Range or if you carry it a lot, when cleaning time comes after your basic cleaning do you also take off the right Grip and clean and oil this area?  It seems that if you have a Hogue Grip or similar it sure would be a pain.  Just a thought.  The reason I am asking is there are people on this site that have these type of grips and do they take them off each time the Gun needs cleaning also the screws have to be snug.

[Richard S]

Ratzo:

I'm one of those who removes the right grip panel each time I clean my R9.  It's not necessary, but I do it anyway to check the trigger assembly and give it a light spray of Ballistol.  (Old habits die hard.)  I also keep a supply of extra grip screws on hand in case one becomes damaged, and I use the best quality Allen wrench I was able to find.  The wrench is pictured below on the Tool thread:
http://www.rohrbaughforum.com/YaBB.cgi?board=Cleaning;action=display;num=1165943631

Slip-on grip covers would make all of that more difficult, but I don't have them installed on my R9.

[Ratzo]

Richard:

I ordered Allen Wrench you suggested, was only a couple of bucks.

Thanks

I put the Jr Hogue grip on, cut down the Knob where fingers are, fits great and easy to come off when needed with a hair blower and then slips back on.  Big difference when holding the Gun, No slipage.

[Ratzo]

That was a screwdriver hex.  Not a Wrench.

[Richard S]

Ratzo:

Probably to the consternation of some of my machinist and engineering friends, I've long used the terms "Allen wrench" and "hex key" interchangeably. I think it all started when I was first stationed in Germany years ago. Now I'm totally confused on which term is the most accurate. I went looking and found this quotation from Wikipedia, the editable (and therefore less than definitive) Internet encyclopedia, which illustrates my confusion:

[size=10]"A hex key, Allen wrench, Allen key or hex-head wrench is a tool used to drive hex screws and bolts, which have a hexagonal socket in the head."[/size]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_key

Since "hex key" is listed first, it would appear to be the most acceptable generic term.

Help!    :-/

[logical]

I prefer "Allen" over "hex" because it is more descriptive.    If I want to refer to an "allen head" bolt, anybody knows I mean a bolt woth a round head and a hex shaped recessed (or female) opening.   If I used "hex head", half might take it as the allen head I meant, and half might take it to mean a bolt with a hex-shaped head (the kind you use an ordinary socket on).

There doesn't seem to be a good record of who invented the "allen key", but some sources say it was G.F. Heublein and Brothers in Hartford, CT who supposedly also gave us the Graham Cracker and the first pre-mixed cocktail, all in the late 1880's.  Just like there was the "Crescent Company" who made adjustable wrenches which caused most of us to call any adjustable wrench a "cresent wrench", I always assumed there was an "allen tool company" who made the first widely used "hex keys"....well, if there was I can't find it.

Anyhow, whether it's keys, wrenches, ratchet-driven sockets or screwdrivers....if they have a 6 sided male tip on them, I call them Allen.

[Richard S]

In an effort to avoid confusion, I've gone back and edited the identifiation of the tool in the photo of the other thread:

http://www.rohrbaughforum.com/YaBB.cgi?board=Cleaning;action=display;num=1165943631

Thanks.

[Ratzo]

Richard:

As long as you have all 5 tools you have (NO EXCUSE) not to keep the R9 in excellent shape also the R9 is also a Tool if used improperly can cause Harm to someone or yourself.

A Rose by any other name smells the same (Hex or Allen).

Richard I was in Berchtesgaden germany for 4 1/2 years.

[Richard S]

Richard I was in Berchtesgaden germany for 4 1/2 years.

Ratzo:

I'll bet this looks familiar.  

[Ratzo]

It sure does I looked at it every morning  (Watzman) .  Nice Photo.

[R9SCarry]

Actually from my (old) side of the pond ''Allen key'' was often used as well as wrench and hex key!!!

Re cleaning - I do not remove right side that often at all but then my thruput of ammo is modest.  The one thing tho when I do - is marvel at the elegant simplicity of what has to be the best DA trigger linkage in the world!

As ever I reiterate the benefits of a good quality Allen wrench - any slack by using cheapie under-size ones can only be deleterious to the screw heads.

[tracker]

To affirm Chris's statement of not normally removing the
right grip, I called the factory to ask some question about
the removal process. Maria passed the ball to Karl and he
responded, "Why does he want to remove the grip?" I said
that I didn't and thank you very much for confirming what
I thought about the wisdom of grip removal for cleaning
purposes.

[Richard S]

To affirm Chris's statement of not normally removing the
right grip, I called the factory to ask some question about
the removal process. Maria passed the ball to Karl and he
responded, "Why does he want to remove the grip?" I said
that I didn't and thank you very much for confirming what
I thought about the wisdom of grip removal for cleaning
purposes.

Alright, but to quote one of my late father-in-law's jokes about the fellow who was offered probation instead of jail if he agreed to stop making moonshine whisky, "OK, I'll quit -- but I ain't gonna be satisfied."