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Thor

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Everything posted by Thor

  1. DON, make that two. Or at least I hope I'm counted as a friend. I'm leaning pretty strong toward doing side safety on one of my Swedes, after I get a couple of other projects pulled together. Have you checked your email lately? I wrote you about another proposition, on the Turk action you installed a side swing safety on.
  2. As long as you have Secret Service assigned to protect you, it's easy to say nobody can have a gun. Now then, if they would assign specially trained security for me, I wouldn't worry about self defense. So far, the typical police can't even begin to protect the public. The evidence proves it. When you need them, they are always on the other side of town. 911 just doesn't get them there in time to protect the people, even if you could get the phone call made.
  3. Very nice. Except for the checkering, looks a lot like the Talleys Tanglewood put on 3 of mine recently. I wonder how hard it would be do do that kind of checkering on a ball.
  4. If you will remember (We're both gray headed! ) they were talking about $3 gas back in the 70's. I remember it well. I was pumping gas in a station during summer between freshman and sophomore years in college. We usually closed at noon. Considering inflation, our gas is now cheaper than then. I remember the truckers threatening to strike, the way they are now. Youngsters with a 2 year old baby, we determined not to starve; so we went to the store and bought 50 lb of rice and 25 lb of beans. "We'll show them, ha ha". Wife commented on that the other night as we watched the news about latest truckers' threats. We celebrate that baby's 35th birthday today. We survived the gas shortage back then, and we'll survive this one. What shortage? There are no lines at the pump yet. I'm sure the Dems are all over the latest report that unemployment hits "all time" high at 5.1%. Seems somebody's memory is short. They don't remember double digit inflation, double digit interest and double digit unemployment of the Carter era. Carter was famous for double digits. The problem is, the bulk of voters this year are youngsters who don't remember those days. They really believe the Dems' squawk about "wrong direction" and "change". Oh, one other thought. That hydrogen solution is not quite as easy as filling the tank with water. It's the fuel cell that's going to cost. There are prototypes being sold and serviced in California, New York and Washington D.C. as we speak. They are coming, but there are some bugs to work out. They will not be any cheaper to operate, just make us more energy independent from Arabs. Question: What are the Arabs going to do when we get independent from them, and then their oilfields eventually dry up. I watched West Texas dry up. And there fields will too in time. China will drain them dry and they'll be back to riding their camels instead of their Mercedes.
  5. Are you telling me that you would have voted for Hillary? Man, that's bad.
  6. FC, the original link has been deleted/outdated. What was the story about?
  7. Steve kinda comes on as a little cocky, but he seems to know his stuff. I haven't tried his tutorials on sporterizing or gunsmithing, but I resource him on ammo loads and brass specs all the time. Just ignore his life history which seems a bit braggy and go straight to what you need. It will be okay.
  8. It has contemporary time setting so naturally it's no Lonesome Dove or Quigley Down Under. However, I grew up in West Texas and would like to see it just for the scenery. Most of that country is prairie until you get into the harder parts of the Davis Mountains. I must have missed the movie in our area. Guess I'll have to go buy the DVD or wait for TV showing.
  9. Like Hannibal sez, "I love it when a plan comes together".
  10. Yep, that pretty well describes it, but I don't do well with three syllable words. Just teasing. I believe the amount of body taper effects this too. A straight wall shouldn't extrude as much, but a tapered body would extrude more metal upward. In contrast to this moving of metal, when a cartridge is fired, metal flows back to the web and into the primer pocket. I usually cut my primer pockets with a uniformer after every firing instead of just brush cleaning them. If you go several firings without cutting the pockets, they can be the dickens to cut when you do, especially on hard brass like Sellior and Balliot.
  11. I've had my best luck with ebay. Last three stocks have come from ebay. I bought a couple of Richards Microfit a couple of years ago. One of them snapped in two right in the grip as I was bedding it. After bedding, I slapped the barrel across the arm of the couch like I've done a thousand times (I exaggerate) and stock just broke in two. I wrote several emails to Richards Microfit and never got any answer. I'm thinking of mailing it back to them, addressed to the president. Sort of my way of saying "Kiss my grits". I doubt they will respond. Boyds does pretty good as far as service, but they are pretty much utilitarian unless you just happen to luck out on one with pretty grain. Of course there are the laminates if you like them. http://www.boydboys.com/
  12. Z, you have stated what I had come to the conclusion was happening to me. The die was squeezing the body in, which in turn pushed the shoulder upward. Since the die did not touch the shoulder with this procedure, I had a brass which had grown in headspace, or should I say resulted in minus zero headspace. I eventually learned how to partial size which squeezes the body and then pushes the should back down. It is definitely a process left to those who have some experience. This experience not only taught me a lot about partial sizing, but also pushed me to a heavier press. The Lee is fine for light work, but not intended for heavy work where the shoulder is exceedingly high. I really liked the NEF handirifle (243) and was a dandy in the woods. It shot Corelokts with subMOA groups, but I wasn't content with factory ammo. NEF does not recommend reloading. Now I know why. The recent purchase is a bull barrel 223. I'm shooting ammo built by an old codger who got too old to reload, has Alzheimers now. He developed it for an AR15 type, but it shoots great in the bull barrel. I acquired over 600 rounds from him so it will be a while before I have to worry about reloading for it. Z, now a question for you. How do you set up for partial sizing? I've heard of people using a coin to set the air gap. Or if you have a set of mechanic's feeler gauges, that could be used.
  13. WHEEW! I'm glad we got that worked out. With that many years at the press, we should be in sync. I partial size too, but it took some learning on how to do it. I was really glad to hear Doble Troble say the case will grow (if not done properly. At least now I know I'm not the only one who has experienced that. Not to sound redundant, but it does need clarifying. Purpose of the die is to squeeze the body back, set the shoulder back, squeeze the neck in, and on reverse stroke the expander sizes the inside of the neck. I don't know how misusing the die makes the brass grow, but I know it does. An initial problem was with a bolt action, but part of my experience on this was in attempting to load for a NEF handirifle. My loads were either too tight and hard to close the action, and for some reason, I punctured primers occasionally, much more than I liked. Or the brass was too loose in the chamber and primer would not ignite. I ended up trading the gun (for my first Swede) and swore off NEF. I recently purchased another NEF and hope I don't have the same problem. Maybe now that we are all in sync, Brendon can correct one problem at a time... and hope the rifle doesn't have to go to the gunsmith. I do believe I would correct current procedure before going out and buying a set of small base dies.
  14. Doble Troble, I'm glad to hear you say that. I have been told that I don't know what I'm talking about, but it has been my experience that attempting to neck size with full sizing dies definitely makes the brass *bigger*. Maybe in the neck, as you say, or possibly bulging the body, I don't know. I do know that it happens. I am pursuaded that if you want to neck size, you need the proper neck sizing dies, not attempt with full sizer dies.
  15. That's because you're a 1000 miles away and you're the only one who can figure it out. If you lived closer, we could get together and solve this problem. Another reason that it's up to you is that there is a difference of opinion on a couple of issues. First of all, you've got to figure out if you have a reloading problem or a chamber problem. Secondly, on the procedure of setting up the press: I'm in agreement with z1r on this. He paraphrased it from website. I found a pamplet that comes in the box with a set. Here's a direct quote: Brenden, this is not what you are doing. You are not tightening the die "further", you are backing off. I'm in full agreement with Doble Troble's advise to check the chamber, but you definitely need to change your reloading procedure. The procedure I have outlined is basic to ALL reloading, without respect to brand of dies, press or shellholder. Full sizing requires a tight "snap" as the ram cams over, not an air gap between die and shellholder. I don't mean to sound harsh, but we all want to see you succeed as a young newby at reloading.
  16. I doubt you're missing any replies, I just think we are all trying to make our point. I think we're in sync, but it's going to be up to Brenden to figure it out and give the final answer. I do wonder if a light touchup with a reamer would benefit without going too far and not touching the shoulder.
  17. I tried reading through the transcript and got sleepy about 1/2 way through. Those guys sure are wordy and do debate meaning of words until they weary you. No wonder we have problems in Washington.
  18. Mike, since you've stumbled on to those old Herters shellholders, do you have any shellholders for a proprietary Texan press? I've got a dandy vintage Texan Turret but only one shellholder for .473" brass. That covers a lot but I've got 223 and 6.5x55 which have different rims.
  19. Well, now I guess we know who the REAL A________ is around here. Move over, by your definition of partial resizing, I guess I'm one too. Partial resizing is an art that I don't recommend to someone until they have mastered the basics. Redding makes, or at least they used to... a set of shellholders of different thicknesses. By kissing the shellholder to the dies (as discussed in another thread) as the reference point, you can change shellholders to achieve the desired setback. This works better than airgapping. I'm too cheap for that though, and since I have reloaded for several different rifles of same chamber (presently six 6.5x55) I generally resize all to the tightest chamber. I have a thick shellholder that works pretty good at that. I only have one of each of other chambers I reload for, so those can get necksized. But I prefer genuine necksize dies, not airgapping with full size dies.
  20. I'm at a loss as to why different manufacturers would have different procedures on something so basic. My primary teacher was Nosler and Lyman. I've used 1/2 dozen different brands of dies through the years and always use this same procedure and it works for me. Another great source is The ABC's of Reloading by C. Rodney James. He recommends kissing the shellholder to the die, then go 1/8" tighter. I usually just go by feel at that point. Assuming that Brenden's problem is truly tight shoulder headspace, (and not a chamber problem as has been suggested) I would be inclined to try bumping the die a little tighter against the shellholder. You'll have to admit that it would set the shoulder back further. If it is a chamber problem, z1r's solution is the only way. The problem is not in the shoulder but in the body of the brass versus a possibly out of round chamber. Small base dies will squeeze in the body of the brass a little tighter so it will fit the out of round chamber. Yeah, it will work brass and you will have short life of your brass. IF, I say IF, there is a chamber problem... WOW, the real solution is gunsmith work. Lathe off a few thousandths of the breech and reream the chamber. Of course that would throw iron sights off and have to be reset. One solution creates another problem. Small base dies are a lot cheaper.
  21. Well I learned one new one syllable word earlier this week (wank) and now learn another one (wonk). You don't find these words in Reader's Digest nowadays. Sounds like a wonk is a geek. Reason it's such a shock is that I haven't been shopping in some time. I've probably got 2000 rounds, and have slowed considerably on shooting as I have been more domesticated by my wife. Meaning doing remodeling and more yardwork. Remodeling is necessary and I'm enjoying working flowerbeds and landscaping nowadays, but do need to get back to more shooting. I will certainly be watching more for bargains. I can't afford the vendor prices.
  22. That's why it is important that this be heard and ruled on before the election. I fear that Hill or Obama may get elected. That's not a prediction, just a fear.
  23. I'm pretty well stocked right now and it's been a while since I've bought any bullets. But I thought I would go window shopping, checking price on premium (Barnes) bullets. Boy, did I get a sticker shock. Bullets have increased dramatically, not just Barnes, but all of them, even the cheaper ones. Anybody else notice this?
  24. I think we just found your problem. You have been using the procedure for bullet seating to set up your resizing die. For resizing, set the ram with just a little bit of pressure against the die. Leave it alone. By backing off the way you have been doing, you are not resizing fully. You are actually partial resizing, and either partially setting the shoulder back, or with as much as you have backed off, not even setting it back any at all. I have found that generally when you do that, you have the problem you are having. Been there, done that. That was one of my early lessons, as I was trying to neck size with standard dies, and after 3-4 shots, the brass was so hardened, I could barely close the bolt. When I finally went back to full sizing, it took a stronger press. I broke the handle in my Lee Anniversary press, ended up resizing with a newly aquired iron frame RCBS press. Partial resizing is okay, but you need to master full resizing first. And any time you try partial resizing and have problems like you are having, go back to full resizing, ram against the die with just a little bit of tension, not backed off. If you want to neck size, get a neck sizing die. Try what I'm saying and see if that doesn't solve your problems.
  25. I don't crimp and have had good success with what I shoot. I have a buddy down in Arkansas that tried Barnes in his Swedes and failed miserably. A point here, Barnes is one of those love/hate situations. Some people love them, others hate them. ANYWAY, on with the story. Arkie tried crimping his Barnes load and ended up with a one ragged-holer. I guess someday I'll experiment with it to see what happens. After I get all my other projects out of the way.
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