Primers and powder and BBs oh my!

Hit the gun show today. Found Federal Large Pistol Primers, some TiteGroup, and some .380 (reloads, but from a reputable source). The main gun dealer, Shoot Straight, was trying to sell 1000 primers for $50. Didn't feel like waiting around to tell one of their workers to shove 'em up his boss' ass at that price. Found the Federals for $35 per 1000 which is still a shock to my "I used to get them for $20" system. I bought 2k. Should last a bit over a year or so. Unless somehow I get...

posted @ 3/13/2010 12:40:56 PM | Feedback (5)

If it's not caliber wars

It's "Should I carry my own reloads for self defense?" Damn straight you can. Nobody has yet showed me a single case where a person involved in a shooting was convicted solely on the basis of hand loaded ammo. Will some unscrupulous prosecutor try to make that an issue? Of course. Their job is to put you away, guilt be damned. And if you didn't reload, they're going to make a case that you used hollowpoints, or +P ammo, or that the 9mm was "high capacity", or any number...

posted @ 9/29/2009 7:59:31 AM | Feedback (26)

Like printing my own money

Just loaded up another 100 rounds of .45 ACP for this weekend. ~250 should get me through. One day, I'm upping my reloading to a Dillon press. Took 45 minutes to load 100 rounds. That's too slow!

posted @ 4/28/2009 8:44:35 PM | Feedback (4)

Tam explains why I'm loathe to hit the range right now

I don't want to burn up the ammo I have and not be able to replace it. Now, I'm all about this part The manufacturers are running full tilt. The only way they could make more ammunition is to build more plant, and they are not going to do that for several reasons. The first is that this bubble will contract sooner or later. Joe and Jane Sofaspud are going to realize that they really don't need 10,000 rounds of Winchester .45 in the basement, and that minivan payment isn't getting any...

posted @ 4/21/2009 8:55:34 AM | Feedback (4)

Everywhere you go

Looked at a few places for ammo. I swear, they had sold the shelves the ammo used to sit on as well as the little tags that told you how much per ounce things cost. Several places had handwritten signs that said "WE DO NOT HAVE ANY 9, 380, 45, 40, OR 357". Nobody had any large boxes of .22LR either (and the 100 count boxes aren't cost effective). Guess shooting the .380 will have to wait. Thankfully, hand loading allows me to keep 10mm, .45ACP, and .357 Magnum in my stock pile as...

posted @ 4/19/2009 9:54:53 AM | Feedback (11)

Reloading gets a bad rap again

Tam and Uncle both link to Les regarding a firearm that was demolished via a poorly reloaded round. I see this a lot, someone finds a gun that went boom because someone double charged the case or had a squib followed by a normal round and uses that as a good enough reason to not reload. In Les' case, he realizes he wouldn't get enough time alone without his kids bothering him to do it safely, and I cannot argue against that. But I do want to make the point that reloading does not automatically...

posted @ 4/9/2009 9:54:12 AM | Feedback (14)

OAL problem fixed

A while back I complained that I was having sever variances in my Over All Length (OAL) of my .45 ACP reloads. I use the Lee Turret Press and had never had this issue before, so it was a bit confounding. But today I found the culprit and fixed it and now my rounds are all 1.210" in length, perfectly! The problem was over-belling the case mouth during charging. I backed of the belling quite a bit so that the case mouth was flared just enough to let the bullet sit on the top without falling...

posted @ 3/22/2009 2:56:40 PM | Feedback (3)

Reloading issues

Caleb talks about a Kaboom in an XD due to a squib, something I've experienced before myself, and it reminded me to carp about my reloading issue I've experienced over the weekend. Trying to reload some .45ACP so I can get my ass back to an IDPA shoot, I've run into something that is just pissing me the hell off – I can't get a consistent Overall Length (OAL) to save my life. I've tightened down the seating die and it's not moving. I'll set up a dummy round and get it to 1.210". I'll...

posted @ 3/16/2009 10:32:28 AM | Feedback (15)

I won't do it

From Jeff, we get a little insight on the "Ammunition Accountability Act" from Alan Scholl Reloading (re-using cartridge cases multiple times) would be abolished. There would be no way to correspond serial numbers on cartridge cases, and different sets and quantities of bullets. Sorry, won't do it. I'll continue to manufacture my own ammunition, even if some group declares it a no-no. Even if it means learning the difficult process to manufacture smokeless powder. In a way, I'm hoping they...

posted @ 1/23/2009 8:05:12 AM | Feedback (5)

There, that's a little better

Greg and Beth dropped by today for an impromptu hand-loading class which was all well and good as I've pretty much ran out of most of my ammo yet had plenty of components to build it with. So, I loaded up several boxes of 10mm and even some of my world famous Sound & Fury loads for the .357 My closet is looking a bit better now Granted, I need to buy a whole crap-load (standard, not metric) more .22lr as I have a paltry 3 boxes (two there in the picture and 50 in the Ultimate Cliploader)....

posted @ 1/2/2009 5:10:08 PM | Feedback (1)

Pb chucking success stories

Managed to score a little time to hit the range yesterday. Had to choose between clinging to my religion or my guns, and due to several factors the guns won out. While I enjoy going to the range with others, this outing required my complete concentration as I was testing out a new set of reloads in various weights / charges with the .45ACP. I loaded up some of the lead bullet samples from Mastercast and tested them out. I had 185 grain SWC, 200 grain SWC and 225 grain RN all pushed by various...

posted @ 12/8/2008 9:37:18 AM | Feedback (10)

Feeding time

So, early this morning the UPS Harbinger of Joy dropped by the house and reunited me with my Para Gun Blog .45. Much happiness ensued. Everything clicks and whirs, trigger works, safety safetifies, magazines go in and out. I'm dying to hit the range to make sure all goes well (and to practice shooting at 25 yards more). Now, I'm almost out of the wonderful ammo supplied by International Cartridge Corporation, and while I'd love nothing more than to plow away using their wonderful composite...

posted @ 11/28/2008 8:52:10 PM | Feedback (8)

Setting priorities

Earlier this year, I made a good call on purchasing an AR style rifle, knowing the election could easily put them out of reach. My fears seem to be well founded as stories of gun shops selling out of gear and long waiting times on receivers and the such are popping up left and right. Make no mistake about it, Barack Obama is an enemy of the Second Amendment. While he may not have as much time to go after guns since he'll be too busy trying to explain why everyone isn't getting their ponies and...

posted @ 11/7/2008 11:04:59 AM | Feedback (8)

Good reloading news!

In all the forums and all the places I've looked regarding loading of 45 ACP, a common theme is 4.6-5.5 grains of TiteGroup powder using CCI #300 primers. Incidentally, for the 10mm I use TiteGroup powder and CCI #300 primers. How lucky is that?

posted @ 10/11/2008 12:40:19 PM | Feedback (4)

Casting call

First things first, thanks to many emails and comments, I am planning on just waiting out the repairs on the Para Gun Blog 45. It's a great pistol, it just needs to get fixed, that is all. However, feeding it is always going to be expensive. Prohibitively if I do nothing but buy factory ammo, tolerable if I reload myself, and even then I could lower the pain level if I use lead cast bullets rather than FMJ or hollow points. Now, I've contacted Para USA, and like every other manufacturer they...

posted @ 10/10/2008 11:21:46 AM | Feedback (15)

Reload. Restock

I've been dangerously low on ammo. With all my money going into buying actual firearms, I've neglected to do what I need to when it comes to feeding them. Tonight, I loaded up all my 6.8 SPC. I enjoy loading rifle much more than handgun, even though it takes me an hour to only get 75 rounds finished. Tomorrow, I'm going to try to crank out as much 10mm as I have components for. I might even try to load up some .357 Magnum Sound and Fury loads for poops and grins. With trying to shoot...

posted @ 10/5/2008 10:14:08 PM | Feedback (2)

A keyboard, a .45

And a machine shop. I had spoken with J.R. during our excursion to Blackwater about how I was trying to get a friend of mine to machine me a doodad I had designed to allow me to anneal my rifle cases using a drill. I don't anneal enough to invest in some fancy automated machine, so I used Google Sketch Up to design something I could fit into my drill and hit with a blowtorch, one at a time. This was my design: Fairly simple thing. I just needed something in aluminum, doesn't have to be high...

posted @ 9/6/2008 4:25:08 PM | Feedback (7)

One of these things is not like the other

One of these is a brand new, Silver State Armory, 110 grain Pro-Hunter Soft Point, the other is a reload using the same bullet, 28.5 grains of X-Terminator powder, and a CCI #41 Primer. I think I like reloading rifle much better than pistol.

posted @ 5/4/2008 9:45:15 PM | Feedback (0)

You know you're ego is getting stroked when

Not one, but TWO people confuse your little .357 Magnum for a .44. I lowered the powder charge to 13.8gr of Blue Dot, but still got some flattened primers. I'm going to drop even more because the shells were a little hard to get out, so I'm still showing signs of over pressure. Oddly, the primers only flattened on one side, so that's something I need to research. But let me say - DAMN! What a total blast to shoot (pun very much intended). I still cannot believe with that much noise and fireball...

posted @ 10/25/2007 12:22:38 PM | Feedback (6)

It was everything I had hoped for

Let me just say that 110 grain, .357, semi-jacketed hollow points pushed by 14+ grains of Blue Dot powder produces a fireball the size of Nantucket and the concussion not only causes the range master to see who the hell is shooting a rifle on the gun range, but forces small children to leave. Seriously, there was a ~6 year old kid shooting with his dad and he left the range and just watched until I was done. There were also some little girls (probably 13 and 10) who went outside as well. Now,...

posted @ 10/18/2007 9:09:36 AM | Feedback (6)

Like little metal feathers

I just picked up 500, 110 grain, .357 semi-jacketed hollow points. I'm so used to 155 grain that the 110's feel like air. Since the costs of bullets skyrocketed, I went ahead and picked up 500 because it was a lot cheaper than buying them by the 100 ($8 per 100 vs. $14). Of course, I'm hoping these fulfill their destiny of being really, really loud when pushed by 14.6gr of Blue Dot powder.

posted @ 10/16/2007 2:55:45 PM | Feedback (2)

You'll shoot your eye out

One of the most ridiculous things I hear about reloading my own ammunition is that it is too dangerous. I'm told over and over that manufactured ammo is safer due to the levels of Q&A each manufacturer has. Ahab begs to differ. That's not to say that reloading doesn't carry risks. Inattentive reloaders realize their folly rather quickly, sometimes painfully. However, by carefully cultivating good reloading habits, you can reduce the risk significantly to the point of being on par with...

posted @ 10/15/2007 10:37:52 AM | Feedback (8)

One thousand

Finished up my 1,000th 10mm reload today. I know it's the 1,000th because I'm out of primers now. Need to head over to Harborside Reloading to get some more. I also need .357 bullets and some Blue Dot powder, but those are going to have to wait. I'm low on the TiteGroup powder I used for the 10s. Since I generally loaded 6.4gr. I have a little left over (there are 7000 grains in a pound). I also used LongShot for a couple of batches, but I didn't like it as much. I'm going to try some other...

posted @ 9/16/2007 8:53:00 PM | Feedback (10)

Hot! Hot! Hot!

A few days ago I loaded up a few 10mm's as hot as I thought reasonable. Using Starline cases, CCI #300 large primers, 155 grain Hornady XTPs, and pushing it with 7.2gr. of TiteGroup, I whipped up 50 of the suckers and took them to the range. The Glock 29 loved them. The only word I can describe it with is OMG!!LOUDANDSNAPPYANDHOLYSHIT!!1!!MYWRISTS!! Perfectly accurate. Loud enough to make a .357 Magnum user cringe. No fireball that I could discern, but then again I was at the ass end of the...

posted @ 9/4/2007 2:33:57 PM | Feedback (6)

Well, that was a lot of money wasted

I wish I'd have read this years ago. I reload my own ammunition. Had I known it didn't need to actually be, you know, *fired* from a weapon, I could have saved a lot of time as well as money.

posted @ 8/15/2007 1:25:05 PM | Feedback (1)

My new targets

My father-in-law runs his own printing business, so I'm having him print out a ton of targets for me. I like shooting a single magazine then replacing the target. Since I'm a cheap bastard, I usually reuse for at least two magazines. However, since I can get these cheap (so far he keeps saying he wont charge me, but when I order them by the 1000 I'm hoping he'll change his mind) I should be able to use them the way I like them. Here's my design - The big circle is 10" and the smaller ones are...

posted @ 4/29/2007 5:29:30 PM | Feedback (3)

A day at the range

Well, the Mrs. was supposed to go the range with me today, however due to this and that, we had to reschedule for this Friday afternoon. I loaded some Hornady XTP 155 gr. with 10.4 gr. of TiteGroup which I didn't think I liked. After today, that has changed. It's definitely got a snappier feel than the Longshot, but the 10.4 grain loads just seemed to fit in my hand. I also took some advice from some of my commenters and dry fired like hell throughout the week. Turns out, there's nothing wrong...

posted @ 4/28/2007 3:13:03 PM | Feedback (6)

Showin' off the new ball

I was going to say 'my new balls', but it's only one... {Clicky Clicky} A guy on the Glock Talk Reloading board I read made them and gave them away. The larger ball helps with the grip on the press, especially with monster hands like mine. Got 130 rounds ready to go for tomorrow night's hole punching session. No squibs guaranteed!

posted @ 3/19/2007 7:22:36 PM | Feedback (3)

The squib

Last Tuesday was "Blow holes in paper from a distance while making a ridiculous amount of noise" night for me as I worked up some new rounds using the Longshot. Didn't like it as much as the TiteGroup as it had a snappier feel and left unburned powder all over the place. It did however have one hell of a report of which my first shot had several people stop and see what the &*$#! made the noise. I was only shooting 2 rounds at a time. Part of the reason is for safety. I check each spent...

posted @ 3/16/2007 6:49:31 PM | Feedback (3)

Second helpings

This marks week two of reloading. This week I'm working up rounds using Longshot powder by Hodgdon. 10 of each in 9.5, 9.8, 10.0, 10.3, and 10.5 grain. I plan on loading up the rest (close to 1000 rounds) with the lowest grain that feels the best (and accurately cycles the action). The less powder I use, the more rounds I can get out of a pound. I liked the TiteGroup powder (also by Hodgdon) and the recoil from it. However, I plan on using the TiteGroup for the .357 Magnums (which I've yet to...

posted @ 3/12/2007 9:11:45 PM | Feedback (4)

Since you can level *entire* neighborhoods with the stuff

I figure the 2 pounds of gunpowder in my car at this very instant should be enough to take out the drive through windows at the local drycleaners. Isn't that nutty? 1/10 the amount that idiots thought would take out an entire retirement villa and I'm driving around like the stuff is less dangerous than gasoline or something. I might even shake the containers ever so slightly! You know, just to piss off Atropos. Don't even get me started on the thousands of explosive primers in the same bag.

posted @ 3/5/2007 1:09:44 PM | Feedback (1)

A new hobby for me

Anyone guess what this thing is (click for full size)? That's right. Your resident gun nut is going to start reloading his own ammunition. Shooting 10mm is f&!*ing expensive - around $21 for 50 rounds. I can reload at about $7 @ 50 which means I don't actually save any money, I just get to shoot 3 times as much. The .357 magnum is even cheaper since I can shoot lead bullets in my Dan Wesson. I've got most of the 'ingredients' on their way and they should be here on Friday, plus there's a...

posted @ 2/28/2007 10:35:26 PM | Feedback (2)

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