Spree...

A bucket for anything that does not fit the above forum categories, both longgun and handgun.
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mr surveyor
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Re: Spree...

Post by mr surveyor »

I haven't bought a new gun since "the late unpleasantness of 2016", but finally decided I could actually spend a small amount. So, I bought a C,A. Bulldog about a month ago since it's the first .44 spl that fit my "digitally challenged" hand. My luck as usual (2014/2015 being a 1 in 300,000 to have a certain cyst on my colon - and worse yet having a cranial nerve issue in 2016 that made me another member of the 1 in 300,000 requiring brain surgery x2) .... the C.A. had a light strike issue with 4-5 out of the first 20 "factory rounds" put through it, and that was after giving in a brief cleaning to get the factory goo off. I was skeptical of the "factory" rounds I bought from my lgs buddy since they were from a small operator (now defunct?) that my buddy bought several years ago ... first thought was it could have been the primers might not have been seated to bottom. So, before I raised the issue with my ffl bud, I had a little .44 spl brass on hand (even though I've never loaded any 44 spl) and plenty of 44 bullets, powder and primers ..... loaded up a 20 round "test batch" paying close attention to proper seating of the primers. Yep, another 6-8 rounds of light strikes with some taking 3-4 re-strikes. I had a couple that I just gave up on after 5 strikes - shot them both with my R92 with just a single click each. Needless to say, my friend sent it back to Charter a couple of weeks ago and the wait is on.

now, where's the primers :roll:


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Re: Spree...

Post by Archer »

I like the idea of a .44 Special but I don't like the lack of easy to find inexpensive .44 Sp ammunition.
I would much rather have a .44 Magnum simply because of the ammo availability but it simply does not make sense for a snubby or light/small last ditch weapon.

I sort of regret not buying a Ruger single action .44 Sp I saw a few years ago. I'd have bought it in the magnum chambering but the Special was a deal breaker.
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Re: Spree...

Post by Gunny268 »

I kinda go along with Archer on the .44 Spl. I have several friends that own Ruger Blackhawks and Smith & Wesson 44s. I found them to be much more easy shooting than the 44 mag and my 45 Colts (with tier 2 loadings). But one of the fellas loads his 44 mag down to 44 Spl pressures. He says the magnum chambering fills two roles. Easier loads for range time and full house loads for deer and hogs. I do the same with my 45 Colts. That has been the underlying reason I've passed, despite several really sweet temptations, on opportunities to buy a 44 Spl. And I'm no Elmer Keith. As far as me getting a Ruger Blackhawk Flattop (Bisley) in 44 Spl? I guess I can't say "Never."
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Re: Spree...

Post by GasGuzzler »

I don't buy factory ammo any more (unless I add a cartridge) and all factory ammo is expensive. Steel 7.62X39 is $0.40 per round and no one has .44 anything in stock much so...
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Re: Spree...

Post by Archer »

I do load my own, and have half a lifetime of brass from when I've not had the time to load.

Whenever I pick up a new caliber, I try and get a supply of ammo.
That's a thousand to five thou rounds for a handgun caliber, especially a self defense handgun. Maybe a little less for the magnums or hunting calibers. Same deal for a rifle except there I'll start with 500-1000+ rounds for a semi auto caliber and 100-200 rounds for a hunting caliber or manual action. I generally try to go 200-500 eventually on the manual calibers and get a hundred or two lead free bullets to load in each caliber because of CA hunting regulations.

Just about every president from Clinton on, especially the democrat party presidents have had an ammo shortage and the last two dems have turned into full on droughts of both ammo and reloading components and equipment.

Talking about the current cost of 7.62x39, I haven't even seen any legit bullets to load in that caliber for more than an hour or two before the supplier is sold out. That's one caliber where I'm a little slim on components unless I use the half a case of .300 Blackout bullets to load it.
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Re: Spree...

Post by GasGuzzler »

I have two .30 cal molds. One is for 7.62X39 and 300BO and the other is for .30-30 WIN.
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Re: Spree...

Post by Archer »

Just haven't gotten into casting but I probably should for the .45-70 and get something to match the .444 bore.
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Re: Spree...

Post by Gunny268 »

I've been casting for my revolver cartridge loads for 40+ years. Back when you could drive around to any gas station and pick up a 5-gallon bucket of wheel weights for nuthin'. Those days have been over for a long while. Lead for casting these days is getting harder to find at a reasonable price. (Unless you get into a group buy for a 1000 lb. bulk purchase.) Powders and primers, when found, are going at scalpers prices. I'm not trying to discourage you about getting into reloading. Just trying to keep your expectations real.
On a lighter note...Wife advised me that a new corporate entity (Expansion Industries) will be opening an ammunition plant near Texarkana, TX in 2023. They have already invested in the old Lone Star Army Ammunition plant in Hooks, Tx. The story appeared in the Texarkana Gazette.
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Re: Spree...

Post by Archer »

I've been reloading some 30+ years or so.
This is at least the third major shortage of primers I've seen (Clinton, Obama/Hillary run, Chinese-Fauchi Worldwide bioweapon attack/Biden) At least the second shortage of powders. Second time I've seen a major shortage of reloading equipment - first time I've seen it out of stock everywhere for a year and prices flat out double. There's a few things I'd like to add to my equipment setup but I have a tendency to try and get the basics as I've added calibers over the years.

I'm a wee bit disappointed I didn't pick up a couple cases of .308 150 grain ball projectiles for both .308 and .30-06, a case or two of 7.62x39 projectiles, several hundred more for the .45-70 & .444. & a K or so for the 6.5 Grendel. I had 500 premium 50 Beowulf projectiles on order from PSA months before everything blew up but they lied about having them in stock, sent me tricklers instead and then kept my money another three months or so before admitting they had no intention of filling the order. Sort of dropped them significantly on my potential supplier list.

For all intents and purposes both Winchester and Remington got out of the bulk reloading markets. Why sell brass by the 1000 count when you can sell it by the bag of 50? With the Remington bankruptcy and subsequent acquisition of the ammo division by Federal that probably puts them out of the reloading component market entirely.
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Re: Spree...

Post by Sarge »

GasGuzzler wrote:I don't buy factory ammo any more (unless I add a cartridge) and all factory ammo is expensive. Steel 7.62X39 is $0.40 per round and no one has .44 anything in stock much so...
I saw that import ammo ban coming . I've sold/traded all the x39 rifles except a CZ-527 my wife deer hunts with and it won't run dry for a long time.
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