Recent Articles
Inline Fabrication Quick Change Press Mounting System
I’m Back! I’ve moved from the big city (Phoenix, AZ) to a place a bit more rural (Spring Valley, AZ). The selling of one house, buying another, packing, and unpacking consumed most of the last half of 2017, hence not much activity on this blog. I’m really pleased with my new man cave. At the […]
AimShot’s New High-Power 223 Laser Bore Sight
After mounting the Leupold VX-3i scope on my Remington 700, it was time to zero it. I’d used an earlier version of AimShot’s laser bore sight for my AR, but I found the laser wasn’t bright enough for my old eyes out in the bright sunlight. Since then AimShot has introduced a new model with […]
Dewey L-16 AR-15 Chamber Cleaning Kit
Everyone seems to have their own preferences as to gun cleaning standards and methods. I know people who do nothing more than run an oiled patch down the barrel after each shooting session. I also know people who clean their guns to surgical standards. I’m somewhere in the middle. I enjoy cleaning my guns when I […]
Getting Started Reloading
Hornady Caliber Change Storage
As I was changing my Hornady Lock-n-Load AP from 45 ACP to .223, I realized that I needed a way to keep all the caliber-specific parts together. I needed small boxes, one for each caliber that would hold: Dies in their LnL bushings Shellplate Metering Insert Quick Change Powder Die There is also enough room […]
How Many Rounds Can I Get Out Of A Pound Of Powder?
There are 7,000 grains per pound. Divide 7,000 by the number of grains per charge to get the total number of rounds per pound. For example, I load my 45 ACP cartridges with 5.5 grains of Unique, which results in 1272 rounds from a pound of powder. Tweet
Getting Started Reloading
So you want to get into reloading? This article provides you with a list of everything you need to get started. Keep in mind that I haver my own biases and opinions and this article reflects many of them. Also, almost all my experience is RCBS-centric so that’s what you’ll find here. You will Need: […]
Brass Catchers
E & L Mfg Brass Catcher for 1911 Pistols
E & L Manufacturing’s Brass catchers work great on my rifles. What about my Colt Combat Commander? Fortunately, E & L makes one for the 1911 pistol. As you can see in the attached photo, it wraps around underneath the barrel. Like the other $ & L Brass Catchers I’ve tried, this one works well. […]
E & L Mfg Flat Top Brass Catcher
My PTR91 has undergone some changes (Vortex Diamondback scope and B&T Mount). As a result, my HK-specific Brass Catcher from E&L Manufacturing no longer fits. 308 brass is too expensive to lose so I had to find another solution. Fortunately, E&L Manufacturing has recently introduced a new Universal Brass Catcher designed to mount on any […]
E&L Mfg Brass Catcher
It works. End of Story. E&L Manufacturing makes a line of brass catchers. E&L’s first brass catchers were made under contract for the US Air Force for the M16 and M60. They were used on SAC bases where the Air Force did not want brass laying around on the tarmac where it might get sucked […]
Reloading Presses
Hornady Lock-N-Load AP
In the “Which Progressive Press Should I Buy” quest, the current top contender is the Hornady Lock-N-Load AP. Some reasons why: 1. Except for the Lee Loadmaster it is the least expensive press but it’s quality seems to be comparable to Dillon and RCBS. The fact that they are offering 500 free bullets helped too […]
Dillon XL 650
In the “Which Progressive Reloading Press Should I Buy” quest, in this article I share what I’ve learned about the Dillon XL 650 and my opinions of it. The XL 650 is the upper-middle product in the Dillon line of progressing reloading presses. For most reloaders this is the “I’ve-died-and-gone-to-heaven.” press. It is a 5-station […]
Lee Loadmaster
In the “Which Progressive Reloading Press Should I Buy” quest, in this article I share what I’ve learned about the Lee Loadmaster and my opinions of it. Either praise or denigrate the Lee Loadmaster on any online forum and you are sure to start a ‘Love it – Hate it’ free-for-all. If you are thinking […]
Other Recent Articles
Inline Fabrication Quick Change Press Mounting System
I’m Back! I’ve moved from the big city (Phoenix, AZ) to a place a bit more rural (Spring Valley, AZ). The selling of one house, buying another, packing, and unpacking consumed most of the last half of 2017, hence not much activity on this blog. I’m really pleased with my new man cave. At the […]
AimShot’s New High-Power 223 Laser Bore Sight
After mounting the Leupold VX-3i scope on my Remington 700, it was time to zero it. I’d used an earlier version of AimShot’s laser bore sight for my AR, but I found the laser wasn’t bright enough for my old eyes out in the bright sunlight. Since then AimShot has introduced a new model with […]
CAT Outdoors AR-15/M4 BCG Cleaning Tool
I’ve always wanted a way to get down inside the recesses of an AR-15 bolt carrier and clean it will. Trying to use gun patches or twisted bits of rag didn’t instill me with confidence. Then I discovered the CAT Outdoors AR-15 BCG Cleaning Tool. The Carrier Cleaner/Scraper allows you to get down inside the […]
Dewey L-16 AR-15 Chamber Cleaning Kit
Everyone seems to have their own preferences as to gun cleaning standards and methods. I know people who do nothing more than run an oiled patch down the barrel after each shooting session. I also know people who clean their guns to surgical standards. I’m somewhere in the middle. I enjoy cleaning my guns when I […]
.308 Hornady Match 168gr A-MAX vs Hornady Black
In these early stages of the Remington 700 Project, I’v been buying Hornady Match 308 168gr A-MAX. I love this ammo, it makes nice tight groups. I needed to order some more and found it has been discontinued. Hornady has a new product 308 168gr A-MAX Black. I contacted Hornady to inquire about the differences […]
SoundGear Electronic Earplugs
A new generation of hearing protection products for shooters is has become available recently: electronic Earplugs. The advantage of electronic hearing protection is that they are active only when a shot is fired. When there is no shooting, they are passthrough – Some even amplify sound. They are really great for instructional settings or when […]
CTK Precision P3 Ultimate Gun Vise & Shooting Rest Review
There comes a time in almost every rifle owner’s life when a gun vise becomes a very nice thing to have, if not a necessity. For me it was when I was buying the scope (Leupold VX-3i) for the Remington 700 project. (BTW, This video by Larry Potterfield of Midway USA is a great tutorial […]
Polymer 80% Lower Reality
Everyone by now has heard about 80 percent AR lower receivers. And more than one company offers 80% lowers made from polymer instead of aluminum. The question is: Can someone without a machine shop or precision milling machine actually turn one of them into a functional and reliable AR-15 lower receiver. I decided to find […]
