Ray-Vin Gunsmoke Smoker Instructions

Before there was the Ray-Vin Super Smoker, shooters used carbide miner's lamps, spray-on black and the Gunsmoke smoker. The Gunsmoke smoker isn't all that bad, but it suffers from two main problems. First, using the supplied water bottle requires more hands than you have and second, the aluminum parts suffer from the chemical reaction, sometimes freezing up the cap.
Over the years I have heard about and witnessed many ways of using the little gadget. The best way, IMHO, was demonstrated to me at the 1000 yard line on Viale Range at Camp Perry, Ohio by an old-time shooter.

Here is his drill:

He opened his gunsmoke and spit on the one rock that was in it.
He closed it up, struck the flame and smoked his sights.
He then opened it up, wiped out the chamber with his finger and discarded the contents.
He then put in one pea-sized carbide rock, and closed it back up, but didn't tighten the top.

His Gunsmoke was now ready for the next smoke. Cleaning out the chamber and putting in a fresh rock keeps the chamber dry and helps prevent the formation of calcium carbonate (chalk). Not tightening the cap helps keep any wet calcium carbonate from cementing the threads together.

Things not to do with a gunsmoke:

Use the supplied water bottle. Spit works great and doesn't require four hands!
Don't store it with the cap on tight.
Don't use more than one or two rocks at a time.

Don't use the jet as-is. It is sized for a miner's lamp which wants to make a white flame.
Drill out the jet using a .026" drill (#71).
You can probably find small drills at a hobby shop.
Another option is to take your Gunsmoke to a machine shop,
smile a lot and ask if they would drill it out for your.
They will probably do it for free.