Show us your Guns!

[Undertow]

Undertow, if you're talking about the old hammer and bang thing that neck sizes only etc., I'd strongly advise you to hold off and buy a press. You'll save yourself a lot of time, effort and frustration. There are some really inexpensive ones out there from Lee and RCBS, and you can get a dipper set from Lee that means you can do nicely without a measure or scale, and that will allow you to make excellent hunting-quality ammunition.

Thank you for the advice! After some research, I have to agree with you on this one. I see that a Classic Lee Loader would be much more appropriate for a bolt action rifle; especially one in which I planned to carefully watch every little aspect of reloading. The neck sizing die, by itself, is NOT appropriate for the semi-auto rounds I'll be making, and moreover, I've decided I want the ability to create quantity for practice and plinking.

I'm currently researching the Lee Master Press for an inexpensive but high quality progressive reloader. I've seen some complaints about the primer feed but I'm not concerned about that right now (I will research fixes and extra parts later). I also like the Hornady Lock-N-Load presses, although I'm leaning to the Lee.

One thing I'd like to share: through my research I've learned that prior to WWII, ammunition was inexpensive enough and smokeless powder scary enough, most shooters chose to purchase their ammo. However, after the war, and after some innovations in reloading coupled with the increased cost of factory ammunition, reloading became popular again. I had figured reloading was ALWAYS popular, but evidently not.

When I have the time, I will upload some images of my new M4, as well as my reloading bench (being built) and my press.

 

[thunderw21]

I saw and was tempted by a 1911 in .38 Super at a gunshow recently. It was $425. I passed on it, was looking for something else more specific but if I ever see one again, I'll jump on it.

What exactly is .38 Super?

John Dillinger had one with a vertical foregrip, extended mag and compensator on the barrel.

 

[anon`]

Just another loading =P

.38 Super came along in the '20s and was essentially to the .380 Auto what the .38 Special +P was to the .38 Special. The cartridge added about 200fps to the muzzle velocity of the bullet, which gave the 130gr rounds a muzzle energy of around 490 ft-lbf. This outperformed that other common stalwart of the autoloaders of the time, the .45 ACP by a fair margin.

As I understand it, .38 Super also offers excellent ballistics and is a pretty popular match round even today.

I've have been all over that gun if I'd seen it for that price! A 1911 chambered in .38 Super is definitely on my short list of Need-To-Gets.

 

[John in Covina]

You can go to Wiki to read about it but it's a round that had some following in organized shooting. One thing that I did not see but is important is there are countries that will allow their citizens to own guns but the guns must not be a military round. Mexico is one, so 1911's in 38 Super are prevelent down that way.

(Also, for those that don't know, if you bring your vehicle down to Mexico, be sure you know the rules or simply remove all shooting stuff, people have been jailed for having military ammo -9mm, 45ACP, 30-06 etc. It was that you can go hunting in Mexico but be sure you know their rules before you go.)

 

[KingTigerII]

My all original (every single WWI proof and Eddystone mark is there and it was obvious that she was never cleaned by the cosmoline embedded in the small parts) November of 1918 Eddystone M1917. I took the picture on my original 48 star flag.

I've also got a pristine, uncounterbored 1926/27 Mosin Nagant Tula Ex-Dragoon converted into a 91/30.

 

[thunderw21]

Mossberg 500. I call her 'Vera'.

I've an AR-style collapsible stock on the way. Not a fan of the plain pistol grip.

Won a Knoxx stock on ebay, $45 shipped. It came today, I installed it and took Vera shooting. She's long but intimidating, as another shooter commented at the range.

 

[ranchnman]

1851 revolvers

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/4480/1851revolversflflag.jpg

 

[KingTigerII]

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/4480/1851revolversflflag.jpg

I thought you had to hand load the black powder into the 1851's. My friend has one and I spent a good 5 minutes loading the bugger. Between the powder measure shaking in my hand (It was about 15 degrees and I was unprepared XD) and ramming the balls down into the cylinder it was absolutely hating it.... until I fired the thing

 

[Levallois]

.38 Super came along in the '20s and was essentially to the .380 Auto what the .38 Special +P was to the .38 Special.

I think you mean .38 Auto not .380 auto, correct? The Super 38 was the hot round to have for both good and bad guys during the 1930s as it could punch through bullet proof vests and the thick car bodies of the time. Something the 45 auto wouldn't do.

John

 

[John in Covina]

I think it's 38 Auto is 38ACP which was said to be a weak round. Isn't it that 380 is also 9mm Kurtz or 9mm Short?

 

[anon`]

I could be wrong here, but it's my understanding that .380, .380 Auto, .38 Auto, .38 ACP and 9mm Kurz are all (effectively?) the same round. Leastwise, that's what folks more knowledgeable than I have informed me!

.38 Super was (is) a hot round and will penetrate better than 230gr .45 ACP. Could well be why it was developed in the first place... I don't know all that much about how the round came to be.

 

[Levallois]

I think it's 38 Auto is 38ACP which was said to be a weak round. Isn't it that 380 is also 9mm Kurtz or 9mm Short?

Well, depends on what you think is weak, especially pre-WWII. 130 gr at 1050 fps was probably ok for the period. As Anon pointed out, the Super just uped the anty 200-250 fps. I've got a 1902 and 1903 Colt that fire the 38 auto/acp and they are a pleasure to fire - easy guns to control and hit what you aim at. The only Super that I have fired wasn't in very good shape and I didn't enjoy the experience. Having said that, I too would love to find a (pre-war) Colt Super 38 in good shape. The only problem is the 3-4 thousand it would cost.

And you are correct that the .380 is the Kurtz and 9mm short. That was a weaker round than the 38 auto (90 gr at 1000 fps) but still was a favorite of the 1930s bad guys for a pocket gun. Apparently it's making a comeback with the concealed carry crowd of today. I've got a Colt 1908, Savage 1917 and Remingon 51 (all made pre-1930) in 380 caliber. The Remington is my favorite - less recoil, modern magazine release, and a grip for larger hands.

 

[Levallois]

I could be wrong here, but it's my understanding that .380, .380 Auto, .38 Auto, .38 ACP and 9mm Kurz are all (effectively?) the same round. Leastwise, that's what folks more knowledgeable than I have informed me!

Not to be blunt but they are wrong. 380 - 380 auto - 380 acp - 9mm Kurtz - 9mm Browning - 9mm Corto - 9mm Short - are the same small round. 38 acp - 38 auto is a different and larger round. 38 super looks exactly like the 38 acp but has been hopped- up. There is a real danger for owners of Colt semi-auto models 1900, 1902 and 1903 of accidently using the 38 super and blowing their guns up if they don't look at the headstamp first.

Here is a photo comparing the 380 auto vs the 38 auto

 

[shortbow]

X2. Thanks Levallois. I was catching up on this thread and was going to reply, but you beat me too it. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.

If you shoot, and you don't own a copy of Cartridges of the World, go get one and get the facts before what some feller at the range tells you blows up your gun.

 

[Story]

Something neat that's sort of on this topic -
ALCATRAZ PRISON
ARMS, AMMUNITION AND DEFENSIVE EQUIPMENT INVENTORY
April 30, 1948
http://www.notfrisco2.com/alcatraz/charts/firearms.htm

Contrary to Hollywood, no belt fed machineguns.

 

[matrioshka]

It's not 100 years old...

But it looks that way. Let me introduce you to my Browning BLR:

Believe it or not, it looked worse when I bought it. I found it half buried under a pile of junk guns at a gun show. According to the dealer, it was in a house fire. The only evidence of fire I could find was a little bit of charring on the forend. When I completely took it apart to clean it, the blue in the protected areas is beautiful, even the barrel under the forend.

No damage to the springs, and the front sight base is still firmly attached with no sign of flowing solder.

When I first picked it up, I cracked open the lever, and looked down the bore. Light was visible. That was a plus. I might have passed it up, but then I looked on the side of the barrel and saw the marking ".223/5.56" That's right .223. I pondered the unreality of it, a rifle designed (like the old Winchester 88) for heavy calibres like 30-06 or 7mm Magnum, chambered for .223.

I had to have it. We haggled a bit, and I wound up with it. Well, I bring it back to the table, and shine a light down the chamber. Bugger. All I can see is red, and I figure I came off second best. When I get home, I fall on it with a will. Out comes the chamber brush, and I scrub away. To my suprise, the chamber was fine, no pits. The bore had a little light rust, that was it.

So guess what I did that afternoon? You got it, I shot the thing. It shoots rather well, except the 75 grain Sierra Match Kings. Keyholes at 50 yards. I found out later it has a 1/12 twist barrel.

In the past month or so, I've shot the heck out of it. Wolf, Silver Bear, Serbian M193 clone, and some South African PMP I had laying around. Even some really execrable Romanian SS109 clone. I can't figure out why it didn't keyhole with a 62 grain bullet.

M

 

[Chainsaw]

Matrioshka, that's the gun I want! only I think with the Octagon barrel, though. how's the .223?

What's good for Coyotes and beavers?

I think I'm Going to grab a .50 BP for the fall

 

[Undertow]

Something neat that's sort of on this topic -
ALCATRAZ PRISON
ARMS, AMMUNITION AND DEFENSIVE EQUIPMENT INVENTORY
April 30, 1948
http://www.notfrisco2.com/alcatraz/charts/firearms.htm

Contrary to Hollywood, no belt fed machineguns.

I really enjoyed this, Story, thank you! :eusa_clap

 

[Harp]

But it looks that way. Let me introduce you to my Browning BLR:





It shoots rather well Keyholes at 50 yards. I found out later it has a 1/12 twist barrel.
I can't figure out why it didn't keyhole with a 62 grain bullet.

M

20" barrel?

 

[MKL]

Browning

matrioshka,

That is a very nice looking Browning.

How long of "throw" on the lever to reject/inject a .223 shell?