=============
nice project gun

I dunno about using a project gun for home defense though.
I had experience with attorneys in a local shooting case before.

Good point to consider.   I can use the Taurus for training now and save it for a  SHTF scenario if/when that happens.   

Got a new 9mm 1911 Taurus years ago.  It shot about 8" below point of aim at 25 yards and the barrel bushing was poorly fit (slop).   Customer service person said there was no replacement rear sight available and I would have to send the gun back on my dime.  A year later I found a Dawson taller rear sight made for the Taurus proprietary sight dovetail.  This year, decided to keep the thing and make it right for me to possibly use as a home defense gun.  Bought the parts from Brownells; mostly Wilson.   What helped the most imo, was the series 80 delete.  Did the parts fitting on a tabletop.  Fact is I'm clumsy so took me a while to do.   Heres a pic of the parts I replaced.

Found this in my obsolete parts box;  a carry handle scope mount.   Mount looks to have a 1/4-28 thread so it can thread about a 1/4 inch onto a 1/4-20  camera mount stud.  Just need to run a 1/4-20 tap through the hole.   You can have the mount.  Don't need it.  Let me know if want.

Pic show the scope mount screwed 1/4 inch onto the tripod stud.  A scope is sitting on it for scale.

Aloha all,

Was wondering if anyone knows of anyone in Hawaii who could either resleeve or rebarrel an antique rifle for me. I picked up a Springfield M1898 .30-40 Krag that is about 120 years old. Everything is in decent shape except the barrels rifling has worn completely out of it. Currently you’d be lucky to hit the broad side of a barn with it at point blank range. I’d like to get it resleeved to keep it as original as possible but I found a source for a new barrel and would need a gunsmith to do the barrel swap and timing set up for it. Mahalo ahead of time for your input.

Did you slug and mic groove diameter?   I ask because a rough barrel might do well with larger sized cast bullets.   Have a 03A3 with a rough/pitted barrel that shoots good with .311 sized cast.   Maybe you could be shooting your rifle while waiting for your replacement barrel and gunsmith.   I have a nicely bubba'd Krag btw, finding brass wasn't easy.   Casting for it was and I can help you with that if you want.

I do.  Mostly to cull out banana shaped necks.   RCBS case master has a rimfire gauge that used to be readily available as an accessory.  It's handy to sort standard velocity .22 to use in a match rifle (match chamber) I have.  Think it would take a little patience to find one now.  Hornady gauge  has an added feature that can reduce bullet run out to a certain extent.  I have rounds ready to test but don't know if it's going to work for me yet.  Feels good to be able to correct run out though.

Don't have a preference for either, far as measuring run out.  Both measured 30 06 GI  match round rounds the same; 1 thou run out.  And my reloads the same; sometimes lots of run out.

Thought I'd share a couple of my ongoing diy 1911 budget projects.   Last month, I finished checkering the front straps of the two 1911's.   One has checkering that wraps around the front strap with a slimmed down and checkered, arch mainspring housing.  The other has a factory checkered, wedge mainspring housing and checkering that doesn't wrap around.  Point is, the wrap around checkering feels better in my hand and I can checker the other 1911 when I feel like it.    Beavertail grip safeties, ambi safeties, and short triggers needed to be fitted.  I bought a few of the parts at a time and spent less than $100 bucks per order.  The upper halves were bought second hand from a forum member and is completely stock.

You can diy this.  Other stuff like slide tightening, trigger jobs, oversize bushing and oversize barrel installs would need special tools.  And maybe a willingness to f-things up as part of the learning process.  I once cracked a colt 38 special slide trying to get a tighter fit.  That one hurt. 

Anybody want to try the easier stuff, I'd be glad to help.  From a prepper's view, the least you should be able to do is fit replacement extractors, imho.  That is a wear item.

 

Back in the day, had a FFL and a good friend who organized a small Hui.   Found a Cali gun store willing to truck one pallet to the LA Matson terminal.  We broke down the pallet at the Sand Island terminal.  Cheapest way, I thought, but there were other problems and worries.  Money and pilferage were two.

Reloading and casting your own bullets will keep you shooting more for the same $, imho.

I have a RCBS range master 750, a Frankford Arsenal, and a Hornady electronic scales. I reload pistol for USPSA competition and ultra precision is not that important, but consistency is. I periodically check my three scales against each other, and against a Dillion beam scale, and have not seen any difference in accuracy or consistency between them. I suspect that the technology is pretty much the same for them all (made in China) and the cost difference is due to branding. The annoying feature of the Hornady is the automatic battery shut-off. I use a progressive press and restarting the Hornady to make periodic load checks is not a plus. So I use the plug in RCBS which is always on and stable. For my needs, the quality of the powder measure on the press and its ability to throw consistent loads is as important as the accuracy of the scale when throwing several hundred charges in a session. Hope that helps!

Good point on the cost/branding and made in china part.  Helped me stop shopping and just buy an amazon china electronic scale already.   Also ordered a set of non certified check weights.  Have a lyman 500, RCBS 505 and Lee Safety beam scales and a chargemaster1500/dispensor now.  I use the lyman to trickle up charges as it settles the fastest and is repeatable (for me) even after dropping the thing 4-5 times on the floor.   When everything comes in I'll test accuracy.  See what happens.

mannyCA  (YouTube)  has info on using small pistol primers and vinyl tubing on BP nipples.  I got the tubing but haven't tried yet. 

I've made BP by using the rock tumbler and compressing into cookies method.  Downside of my home made is that it was fluffy and burned dirtier than commercial black powder.  Got the best results (power and speed of ignition)  with Hau wood and worst with mail order black willow charcoal.  Hope pyrodex or commercial black can be found on the BI.
Said and done, home made was not worth the hassle and I was lucky to find some goex black powder for my flintlock to light off.


 

 

Have one and used it for many years. 

Pros:

The cam action and linkages provide tons of power for resizing. 
The shell casing is held with spring loaded jaws on top of the rim, and the base of the shell is square on a solid piece of steel.  Rock Solid.  Pretty much throw it on there and it will self align.
Case and die are free floating and self align.  The die is set into a collar and then slid into a channel at the top of the press.  Very quick and easy to change out dies. 

Cons: 
Priming cases is odd and cumbersome.  I do it off press in a hand priming tool
changing from larger diameter case heads (such as .308/.30-06) to smaller (such as 5.56) requires you to unbolt stuff and flip around the case clamping jaws.  Not hard, but can be annoying if swapping back and forth often.

I use this press for target rifle loads and am very happy with it.  It is robust and produces top quality ammunition.


"It is so choice.  If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up."

Intent wasn't to slam the strength of the co-ax at all and I apologize because I
came across that way.  I've had many severely stuck cases where I was 
hammering on my press before realizing I needed a stuck case remover, badly.   
Was nobody's fault but my own.  So being me, I won't use my co-ax for sizing
duties.  Hope this clarifies things.