Empty Chamber Indicator (ECI) made easy

tleddy · Post by **tleddy** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 2:04 pm

I saw this at my home club last weekend and thought I would share:
Materials list:
* .095 " weed-eater line cut to 12 to 16 inch length (longer for free
pistols)
* Fired 22 cal hull
How to:
Cut off primer end of 22 case (or drill it out if you prefer)
Thread line through about 3 to 4"
Pass free short end of line back through case to make a loop
Crush case to secure the lines together
Voila!! Almost free ECI...
Try it, you'll like it.
Tillman in Florida

Freepistol · Post by **Freepistol** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 3:00 pm

Now I understand, Tillman!
One picture. . . . .
Thanks,
Ben

solomon grundy · Post by **solomon grundy** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 3:29 am

Clever.

Is weed-wacker line typically biodegradable? I've been using it as an ECI and noticed that it becomes tacky from handling - but it may just be the type that I'm using.

IPshooter · Post by **IPshooter** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:39 pm

Looks like a great idea, but I always wondered if that kind of line would melt in a hot bore. Has anyone ever seen evidence of this?

Stan

tleddy · Post by **tleddy** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:26 pm

The melting point of nylon weed whacker line is 374º F - I think that under regular match conditions it would not melt.

Now, if you are, for some reason, shooting .50 cal BMG at a high rate of fire (say 300 rounds per minute) and the barrel starts to glow red, one should not depend on weed whacker line as an ECI. Ditto any Mini-gun...

Tillman in Florida, who shoots anything that puts lead down-range

Walter · Post by **Walter** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:46 pm

How do you clean your gun?

jr_roosa · Post by **jr_roosa** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:57 pm

Thanks for the tip.

Made one and it works well and looks nice...nicer than the weed whacker line with a tape flag on the end.

-J.

tleddy · Post by **tleddy** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 11:25 pm

Walter wrote:How do you clean your gun?

Field strip the gun (pistol/shotgun/rifle)

Blow out with brake cleaner

Run patches through barrel

Brush with bronze tooth brush

Blow out again

Lubricate thoroughly

Wipe off excess lube

Reassemble

Use ECI afterwards when going to the firing range

By the way - place the pistols in a gun box with muzzle direction coded on the box so I can open the box with the muzzles down range.

TLE in Florida

Fred Mannis · Post by **Fred Mannis** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:57 am

tleddy wrote: By the way - place the pistols in a gun box with muzzle direction coded on the box so I can open the box with the muzzles down range.

Many (most?) gun boxes hold the pistols with the muzzles pointing in alternate directions. What should I do with my box - mark both ends?

tleddy · Post by **tleddy** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:44 am

HI, Fred-

You are correct - most are set up to alternate direction of the guns... that being said, I put 3 guns in a 5 gun box and that solves the problem.

Now, if one has three free pistols, the grips could create an issue, but Ihave a separate box for my TOZ and Hammerli's.

Tillman

FredM · Post by **FredM** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:22 am

tleddy wrote:HI, Fred-

You are correct - most are set up to alternate direction of the guns... that being said, I put 3 guns in a 5 gun box and that solves the problem.

Now, if one has three free pistols, the grips could create an issue, but Ihave a separate box for my TOZ and Hammerli's.

Tillman

What I was getting at was - what is the problem?

Brian M · Post by **Brian M** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:26 am

FredM wrote:What I was getting at was - what is the problem?

As the RO said to the gal down at the OTC 2 weeks ago when she opened her case, and pulled out her AP while it was pointing at him:

"Please don't point your firearm at the RO..... you never know when he might come in handy"

I only have one pistol to worry about (currently), since my case only opens one way, I've always got it pointing down range. I like NOT being on the bad side of the RO....

ShootingAir.com

slinger · Post by **slinger** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 11:03 am

This whole thing of using ECIs and muzzle direction has become a real hot topic in a few forums. Here are my experiences. #1 A close friend and shooter had a Marvel in his box and another shooter asked to see it to show another individual a Marvel. When the gun was removed from the box, it had one in " the pipe", and the gun was in the box muzzle back across the line,,,not good. #2 another close friend and shooter calls me after getting home from the range only to open his box and find a 45, hammer back and one " in the pipe". Says he was scared that he drove home like that and was amazed that vibration did not set off the gun. Point here is WE ALL ARE MISTAKE PRONE!! Many of us including myself have never had an AD of any form,,,,but there is ALWAYS that possibility. The pics show the insert that I made very simply for my gun boxes, and I have two different trays made to accomodate different pistols. The cost to me to do this was about $15 and took me 2 or 3 hours. Notice all my guns will point downrange when stowed away. Three things I do and ALWAYS do. #1 I use ECIs when pistols are out to be shot. #2 I keep all my pistols pointed downrange when in the box,,,no exceptions. #3 I put a "snapcap" in the chamber and pull the trigger before the gun is stowed away in the box. That way I know that I know that I know that the pistol can NOT go BANG. PERSONALLY I HAVE HEARD IT ALL WITH THIS TOPIC LATELY,,,LIKE WE HAVE DONE IT THIS WAY FOR 35 YEARS, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM. I TELL YOU WHAT I DO FIND TO BE THE PROBLEM, and that is the general ASSUMPTION that all shooters are " safe". Or that I could not POSSIBLY make a mistake. How far back in time do you have to travel to find your last mistake???? Could it not happen with a firearm??? Good shooters would never intentionally cause harm with a firearm, but MISTAKES happen unplanned!! Safety is all of our responsability and we should help the other guy be safe too. Just a thought here, I bet we have all been on a line somewhere and saw a shooter " getting away " with something behind the cover of a box. Do you know and fully trust everyone on that line with your life??????? I seem to find that it's a different crew of nig nogs out there today. So I am choosing to lead by example in hopes that it may keep me a tad safer. I use an ECI when I am home alone shooting AP and I go " downrange" to change out targets.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 1:25 pm

Slinger, have you considered finding new friends?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:33 pm

I did get to see an accidental discharge. It was after a Bullseye match and quite a few of the shooters were already packed up and gone,and a few of us were sitting around tables talking and having a cold drink, when one guy got up to close up his box and go home. All of the sudden BANG. The gun in question here was pointing backwards too, so it made a big hole in the back side of that guys box as the gas pressure blew out the plywood quite well. He could not appologize to us enough. I remember the ride home I kept thinking I bet he is glad so few were there to have witnessed that event. Strangely enough that same shooter came to the next months match with a NEW BOX! I wonder why. I do agree that safety should know no boundaries

Lane · Post by **Lane** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 8:23 pm

Slingers posting prompted me to show these pictures of another gun box tray set up so that all of the firearms are pointed down range in a safe manner.

Walter · Post by **Walter** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:09 pm

Tilman,

How is the slide removed?
Do both front and rear sights need to be removed for the mount?

TargetTalk

Empty Chamber Indicator (ECI) made easy

Empty Chamber Indicator (ECI) made easy

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