Workshop Decompression...a lathe arrival

I was pleasantly surprised by the condition of the lathe crates when UPS dropped them off. Only one splintered protective board, one slightly suspicious hole through the top right side and no damage to the goods inside. Our local Sunnyvale UPS damage rate was running a consistent 70%, 7 out […] [Read More]

SAAMI, QuickLoad, lever action rifles and other curiosities....

There are two questions I receive with some frequency 1. What are the pressure signs to look for when loading widely accepted, yet highly suspected, high pressure .45-70 loads in the 1895 Marlin ? 2. When do I anticipate developing some class ? I thought I would attempt to address […] [Read More]

Alternative Metal Finishes II

When I raced cars, I’d spend endless hours building and refining the motion parts, but spent not a minute improving the aesthetics of the package. Consequently, my cars were fast, but they looked like flying refuse. Refining, refurbishing and refinishing are games of patience and skill, in fact, there may […] [Read More]

Alternative Metal Finishes - Part I

‘ve owned some of my firearms for so long, they have become a part of my personal history. I try to use them as frequently as possible, and I hate when they fall into a state of disrepair. One such rifle is a 42 year old Mohawk Brown Remington Nylon […] [Read More]

Ruger's M77 Hawkeye Compact Rifle - 6.8 SPC

The Ruger M77 Hawkeye Compact Rifle is one of those guns where extracting it from the open end of a shipping carton takes a lot less time than expected. In fact, the rifle is so compact (How compact is it, Joe) it might be the basis for a new category […] [Read More]

Improving your outlook - Alternative Sights for the P229 SIG

The SIG P229 is an exceptional pistol. High in quality, reliable and accurate, all in a solid compact package. I shoot mine with both .357 SIG and .40 S&W barrels. In all of the time I’ve used the P229 I’ve never had a jam, and I’ve fed through virtually every […] [Read More]

New Products for 2002

Winchester Uncoiless Rifle Winchester, committed to the short rifle – fat cartridge concept, announced its new “Uncoiless” rifle. Under normal carry conditions, the rifle will has a barrel length of 20″, however, this extends to a more useful 32″ when the gun is fired. The barrel’s flexibility is attributed to […] [Read More]

Bench Mounted APS Priming

I noticed priming isn’t always that easy to accomplish in a progressive reloading press, particularly when trying to concentrate on a powder measure that isn’t dropping charges cleanly, or cases that require a little extra leverage at a resizing station. That primer seating “feel” can be lost to all of […] [Read More]

Christmas Trains

I don’t know what it is about trains that draws an association with Christmas. Maybe it’s the old notion that trains reunite families, and trains lead to adventure and exploration. The association may not even be about trains, or railroads, maybe only model trains. It’s fun to build those complex […] [Read More]

"Big" just keep getting bigger.............. Part IV ...Loads for the 7 mm RM and the .338-378 WM - Conclusion

I went back and read the article I wrote on the Weatherby .338-378, where I described it as “a rifle with moderate recoil”. What the heck was I thinking about ? Just got back from the range, 4 hours of fun and sun, resulting in a bruise on my shoulder […] [Read More]