Test Post

After a lengthy period of inactivity, I started getting notifications that my account was about to be terminated. I guess I need to learn what I must do to keep from fading away.

I'll see if just doing such a wortrhless post as this will have a positive result.

Best to all - -
JPG

Cartridges I handload

Friend Tamara is a dedicated shooter and firearms blogger, with an admirable collection of arms, both common and unusual. In her The Arms Room blog, she has written about many exotic and exemplary firearms. Not all of them are everyone's cuppa tea, but she has a way of making them all interesting.

One thing I particularly admire about Tams is that she has very few pure safe queen guns. Practically every one of them is a shooter, even if it's inconvenient to feed some of them.

In her regular View From the Porch blog, she recently wrote about her personal stash of ammunition -- what she likes to have on hand to feed her guns, or guns she's likely to come across. She listed some 51 separate cartridges she likes to keep on hand. Fascinating. I suggest you give it a read.

I went down her list and noted where our interests coincide, and where they wildly diverge. Elder Son and I have done some experimenting with many of the more common cartridges, and a few of the lesser used ones. I wandered into my messy reloading room/workshop and got to thinking about the ammo I hand oad, and am ABLE to load. I may not need some of these, but if called upon, I could put together ammo for all these guns. I note that I only load for some 20 of the cartridges Tam lists. They're the ones above the dashed line. I can load an additional 20 cartridges besides.

In fairness, I must acknowledge that it's easy to "double dip" some of these items. For example, Tams lists .38 ACP, which she could shoot in my Super .38 Colt. Also .223 and 5.56x45mm AND the .308 and 7.62x51mm pairs are interchangeable for casual use. My claim that I can load .454 Casull may be reaching, as it is only a matter of readjusting .45 Colt dies. But, is this any less valid than claiming .38 Special/.357 mag and .44 Special/.44 mag as four separate cartridges?

My List:
.45ACP
.44 Magnum
.44 Special
.44-40
.41 Magnum
.357 Magnum
.38 Special
9x19mm
.25ACP
.32ACP
.380ACP
.455 Webley Auto
.38ACP
.303 Brit
7.62x51 NATO
300 Whisper
.30'06
.45-70
5.56x45
.243 Winchester
- - - - - - - - - - -

.38 S&W
.38 Super
.357 Sig
.40 S&W
10 mm auto
.455 revolver
.45 Colt
.45 S&W
.45 Auto Rim
.454 Casull
.222 Remington
.223 Remington
.257 Roberts
.270 Win
.30 US Carbine
.30-30 Win
.308 Win
.300 WinMag
.35 Whelen
.375 H&H

On the other hand, while I could shoot my standard .257 and .30'06 ammo in rifles chambered for the Ackley Improved versions, I don't count these separately.

And I can't believe I have rifles for 7.5 mm Swiss, 7.62x39 mm, .38-40 WCF, and .338 WinMag, but can't handload these.

I freely admit that I'm a hobbyist. There's no way I "need" to handload near all those cartridges. Even as much as I like to shoot, I could get along very well with only a dozen die sets. But, hey, I already have the gear on hand, and it doesn't eat anything while not in use. Yeah, there's a fair bit of money invested in those items, and the presses and related stuff. The spending was spread out over decades, and I don't recall missing but a few meals in all that time. Have you priced a set of good golf clubs or some scuba gear lately?



Hey, this is kinda fun, once I get to going. Maybe I should blog a little more often . . . .

Maybe Not The Latest and Greatest

Elder Son is about to drive to Nebraska to accept a gracious invitation to a deer hunt. He blogs about certain of his hunting preparations, specifically checking sights and ammo on his firearms.

I fully appreciate that, to stay in business, firearms and ammunition makers occasionally need to introduce new products. At the same time, it's interesting to note the following - -

--The action of Matt's Springfield sporter was made in 1918, some 92 years ago. When he rebarreled it to .35 Whelen, he chose a cartridge first introduced in 1922.

--Apparently that Featherweight Model 70 action sat around the Winchester plant for a couple of years before they screwed in the brand-new .243 barrel in 1955. That was well over a half-century ago.

--Ruger introduced the fine, three-screw Super Blackhawk .44 in 1959 and discontinued it in '72. That powerful and perfectly serviceable sidearm is likely somewhere between 40 and 50 years old.

A while back, I wrote about the difference between obsolete and obsolescent, which is sorta kinda on point. There are those who'll wonder how Matt could possibly make an efficient hunt with those ancient guns . . . .

Matt, convey my greetings to your host. Good hunting and safe home.

A Test Project

I've been having some difficulty in handling spamming comments and don't really understand why. Sorry no real content lately, but maybe that'll be sorted out sometime in the foreseeable.

Anyhow, this is only checking out the system.
JPG

I'm Entered in an Ammo Giveaway

M.D. Creekmore at The Survivalist Blog – a survival blog dedicated to helping others prepare for and survive disaster – with articles on bug out bag contents, survival knife choices and a wealth of other survival information is giving away a 1,000 round case of 9mm – 124 Grain FMJ (a $200 value – donated by LuckyGunner)! To enter, you just have to post about it on your blog. This is my entry. Visit The Survivalist Blog for the details.
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Even if I don't get drawn for the ammo, it's always worthwhile to drop a link for an interesting blog.
JPG

A Primer on Gun Shopping

Shopping for one particular type gun, anyhow.

I like almost all types of firearms, and some better than others. Handguns are my main area of interest, and I've been an afficionado of the 1911-series for a very long time. These are almost always in caliber .45 ACP, but there are other formats as well. Like so many, I have my own preferences as to particular brands, models, and features.

Never having been a wealthy person, I've had to be choosy about spending my money. Additionally, some very fine arms are simply not in current production. These two factors have led me into doing a lot of shopping for used guns. This may take place at a neighborhood gun shop, a fair-sized sporting goods sore, a gun show, flea market, or on leads found in the newspaper classified ads - - I'm not particular, and I've made some good buys through each of these venues.

A longtime 'Net acquaintance, Xavier, writes a very worthwhile blog called Xavier Thoughts or, Nurse With a Gun. Same thing - - one is probably a subtitle for the other. He has numerous interests, including photography, bicycles, dogs, conflict training, and GUNS. His series on gun shopping are occasionally archived in a separate blog called Pawn Shop Circuit. If you're not particularly interested in 'Xave's other areas of expertise, his back installments in PSC are a really good read.

Anyhow, the current article in Xavier Thoughts is really prime writing: Checking a Used 1911 with a Purchase in Mind. This is a very informative piece, and would be of outstanding value to someone with any thought of buying a a previously-owned 1911-type pistol. The information is interchangeable for all marques and clones of the basic Browning-designed service automatic. I only wish this information had been so compiled in one spot several decades ago when I first started my love affair with the Colt Government Model and its descendants.

If you have even a passing interest in the topic, Xavier has done you a service in publishing this article. I strongly recommend it.

JPG

Looking for a Particular Revolver

I'm asking for assistance in location a certain revolver. It's possibly lost forever, but I'm asking just in case one of you might be able to help out. No, this one was never mine. Most of the guns I've let get away were through my own doing. This lost firearm is being sought by a lady I've never met.

The back story:

John J. Burke
b. 1909 d. 1969

He enlisted in the Pennsylvania State Police in 1933 and retired in 1956. (A representative S&W Military & Police revolver.)

Upon retirement from PSP in 1956, Trooper Burke was given a Smith & Wesson .38 revolver with 4" barrel, inscribed PA STATE POLICE 1933-1956 JOHN J BURKE. He subsequently served as Chief of Police in Grove City, PA. The old officer died in 1969.

The late chief's daughter is Ms. Maggie Burke Dull, and she is anxious to locate her father's old revolver as a family keepsake. Her brother, Robert, not knowing that she wanted it, traded it off to a dealer in Jeffersonville, near Norrisown, PA, around 2003. I read about her request for assistance on TheFiringLine.com. I'd really be glad if one of my readers was able to help her out.

Friends, you needn't tell me how slim are the chances of tracing this particular handgun. Other than the unique inscription, there's nothing distinguishing about it. It seems unlikely that the now-retired daughter could pay a huge price to buy it. I can only hope that the current owner, if located, might be generous and willing to sell it for a fair price. Even if it doesn't work out so that Ms. Dull can obtain her dad's sidearm, it would be nice if she could find out what happened to it. You may get in touch with Ms. Dull through The Firing Line board by clicking THIS LINK and then on "Contact Info." Her TFL member name is burke1943. Or, feel free to e-mail or comment to me. If anyone can help in any manner, it would be a very kind act to do so.

Best regards,
JPG