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December 6th, 2014
Next time you have a barrel fitted, consider having your gunsmith create a “stub gauge” from a left-over piece of barrel steel (ideally taken from your new barrel blank). The outside diameter isn’t important — the key thing is that the stub gauge is created with the same reamer used to chamber your current barrel, and the stub must have the same bore diameter, with the same land/groove configuration, as the barrel on your rifle. When properly made, a stub gauge gives you an accurate three-dimensional model of the upper section of your chamber and throat. This comes in handy when you need to bump your case shoulders. Just slide a fired case (with spent primer removed) in the stub gauge and measure from base of case to the end of the gauge. Then, after bumping, re-measure to confirm how much you’ve moved the shoulder.
In addition, the stub gauge lets you measure the original length to lands and freebore when your barrel was new. This gives you a baseline to accurately assess how far your throat erodes with use. Of course, as the throat wears, to get true length-to-lands dimension, you need take your measurement using your actual barrel. The barrel stub gauge helps you set the initial bullet seating depth. Seating depth is then adjusted accordingly, based on observed throat erosion, or your preferred seating depth.
Forum member RussT explains: “My gunsmith [makes a stub gauge] for me on every barrel now. I order a barrel an inch longer and that gives him enough material when he cuts off the end to give me a nice case gauge. Though I don’t have him cut that nice-looking window in the side (as shown in photos). That’s a neat option. You can tell how much throat erosion you are getting from when it was new as well. For measuring initial seating depths, this is the most useful item on my loading bench next to calipers. Everyone should have a case gauge made by there smith if you have a new barrel put on.”
Forum member Lawrence H. has stub gauges made with his chamber reamers for each new barrel. He has his smith cut a port in the stub steel so Lawrence can actually see how the bullet engages the rifling in a newly-cut chamber. With this “view port”, one can also see how the case-neck fits in the chamber. Lawrence tells us: “My stub gauges are made from my barrels and cut with my chamber reamers. With them I can measure where my bullets are ‘touching the lands’ and shoulder bump dimensions. This is a very simple tool that provides accurate information.” To learn more about stub gauges, read this Forum Thread. The photos above and below show Lawrence’s stub gauges:
December 6th, 2014
 With Christmas less than three weeks away, our readers’ thoughts are turning to holiday decorations, Yuletide gatherings, and “Where the heck can I find some darn .22 LR ammo!” Sad to say, you won’t find large quantities of .22 LR rimfire ammunition on the shelves of Wally World — those days are long gone. Affordable rimfire fodder remains in (relatively) short supply in the USA. However, if you’re willing to harness the power of the internet, you should be able to find the rimfire ammo you need.
We use three specialty search engines to locate bulk .22 LR ammo (and centerfire ammo as well): Ammoseek.com, Gunbot.net, and Slickguns.com. There are others, but these are three of the most effective. Here’s what we found this morning of December 6, 2014, using these three websites.
Ammoseek.com
It’s really easy to find .22 LR ammo using Ammoseek.com. There is a handy “Quick Seek” .22 LR search link that instantly searches 108 different vendors. Shown below is just a partial list of the 481 items we found in seconds using Ammoseek’s .22 LR Quick Link. For future reference, bookmark the following link: http://ammoseek.com/ammo/22lr.
Gunbot.net
Link Ammoseek.com, Gunbot.net provides single-click search capability for .22 LR rimfire ammo. Simply click on the “22LR” Link on Gunbot’s home page, and within a few seconds you’ll get results from dozens of online ammunition suppliers. And of course you can select other popular types of ammo with a single click as well. For the best deals, select “Sort by Price” with the sort pull-down menu (by default it displays the newest result first.) We’ve highlighted the sort field in the illustration below so you don’t miss it. (You’ll probably want to click “in-stock only” as well.) Bookmark this GunBot .22 LR Quicklink to speed up your next 22LR search: http://gunbot.net/ammo/rimfire/22lr/.
NOTE: Gunbot.net is slower than Ammoseek.com. However Gunbot.net’s page is clean and simple, not plagued by distracting banners.
Slickguns.com
The Slickguns.com site is a little different than Ammoseek and Gunbot, because it covers a wider range of products, including firearms, knives, shooting accessories and more. With so many options, it’s easy to get lost on the Slickguns.com home page. Here’s a tip for ammo-shoppers — first click the “Ammo” link at the top. Then pick “22 LR” from the list of ammo types. For easy reference, bookmark this link: http://www.slickguns.com/category/ammo?caliber=3.
NOTE: You can pick other ammo types from the list of “Popular Calibers”. Here’s what you’ll see on Slickguns.com’s Ammo Page:
December 5th, 2014
 Here’s a clever, easy modification for your RCBS ChargeMaster electronic powder dispenser. Many folks use a McDonald’s straw to smooth kernel flow out of the dispensing tube. Forum member Mike S. (aka in2deep) found that, even with a straw in place, he sometimes got clumps, which dropped 5-6 kernels at once, throwing off his dispensed weight.
Mike looked at the situation and ingeniously decided to trim the straw into little v-shaped arms or prongs. This helps to break up the clumps, so the kernels flow out the end of the tube more consistently during the dispense cycle. Mike writes:
Soda Straw Modification
This is a further tweak of the popular soda straw modification as the original mod would still allow Varget powder to collect in the straw and dump sometimes as many as 6 or 8 or even more extra kernels in the pan. It would sometimes signal an overcharge, but even when it didn’t there could be as many as 6+ kernels too high or too low (total spread of 12+).
The little arms (prongs) on the straw tend to separate the kernels into groups of 1 or 2 or 3 and prevents piling and many times the throw is now within 1 or 2 kernels of the desired weight.
Straw Cutting Tips — Mike found the shape/angle of the “arms” is very important. If the cuts are too fine or too course it allows the kernels to collect almost like before but the illustrated angle seems to allow an average of only 2 or 3 kernels per trickle input from the machine. This means that more charges are much closer to the actual desired weight and max kernel variances will be cut in less than half and there will be almost no overthrows.
Credit Boyd Allen for sourcing this tip.
December 5th, 2014
 Nothing in life is free, except, well, when somebody is giving it away. The Shooter’s Log blogmeisters have compiled a lengthy list of gun giveaways and contests with firearms prizes. These are mostly promotional contests taking place this December (but some extend into the new year). We know many of you like entering contests and sweepstakes… so have at it. As Dirty Harry said famously: “Are you feelin’ lucky?”. But don’t procrastinate — entry deadlines for many of these contests and promotions are coming up soon.
CLICK HERE to Read Original Shooter’s Log Article with More FREE Rebates, Raffles, and Give-Aways.
Firearms Contests and Sweepstakes
(All dates are in 2014, unless noted otherwise.)
- NEW! Trop Guns 25 Guns of Christmas Giveaway. Deadline: December 25.
http://www.25gunsofchristmas.com/
- NEW! The Firearm Blog Springfield Armory XD Mod.2 Giveaway. Deadline: December 13.
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2014/11/13/new-springfield-xd-9-mod-2-giveaway/
- NEW! SIG Sauer P320 Take-A-Shot Contest. Deadline: December 12.
http://www.sigsauer.com/Promotions/P320-Take-a-Shot-Contest.aspx
- SIG Sauer Free Gun Every Month Giveaway. (Active Now.)
http://www.sigsauer.com/Promotions/Sweepstakes.aspx
- NEW! GunWatcher Second Christmas Gun Giveaway. Deadline: December 29.
http://www.gunwatcher.com/Contest
- NEW! Guns Magazine MAC 1911 and Daniel Defense Ambush Rifle Giveaways. Deadlines: February 1, 2015 and January 1, 2015.
http://gunsmagazine.com/giveaway/
- NEW! American Handgunner Armscor and TMT Tactical Handgun Giveaways. Deadlines: Jan. 31, 2015 and Jan. 13, 2015.
http://www.americanhandgunner.com/giveaway/
- NEW! Legally Armed America Ruger 10/22 Giveaway. Deadline: December 17.
http://legallyarmedamerica.com/giveaways/ruger-1022-giveaway/
- NEW! Second Amendment University GLOCK 32 Giveaway. (Active Now.)
http://www.secondamendmentgiveaways.com/
- NEW! Walther Great Guns PPQ M2 Giveaway. Deadline: December 15.
http://www.waltherarms.com/ppq-m2-entry-page/
- NEW! Gun Owners of America, Remington 700 VTR Rifle Giveaway. Deadline: December 14.
http://cqrcengage.com/gunowners/app/register?0&m=4818
- NEW! On Target Kahr Arms CT380 Giveaway. Deadline: December 31.
http://www.ontargetmagazine.com/contest-entry-form
- NEW! Optics Planet Stag Arms Rifle Package Sweepstakes. Deadline: January 2, 2015.
http://www.opticsplanet.com/load-make-ready.html
- NEW! Xtreme 50K Giveaway. Deadline: January 14, 2015.
http://xtremegiveaway.com/
- NEW! Impact Guns Romanian WASR AK-47 Rifle Giveaway. Deadline: December 7.
http://www.impactguns.com/win.aspx
- American Handgunner TMT Tactical Gun Giveaway. Deadline: January 13, 2015.
http://www.americanhandgunner.com/giveaway/
- Guns Magazine Daniel Defense Ambush Rifle Giveaway. Deadline: January 1, 2015
http://gunsmagazine.com/giveaway/
- Guns Magazine Just Right Carbines 9mm Rifle Giveaway. Deadline: December 15.
http://gunsmagazine.com/giveaway/
- Gould Brothers Winchester Gun Giveaway. Deadline: December 31.
http://www.gbxshooting.com/gould-brothers-winchester-gun-giveaway/
- Bergara Custom Rifle Giveaway. (Active Now.)
http://www.bergarausa.com/RifleGiveaway/
- NRA 25-Gun Giveaway. Deadline: June 30, 2015.
https://www.nra.org/sweepstakes/default.aspx?ek=Y4BESWPN
- Gunwinner.com Armalite AR-301A1 .338 Lapua Rifle Giveaway. (Active Now.)
http://www.gunwinner.com/contest/armalite-ar-30a1-338-lapua-target-rifle-giveaway
- Florida Gun Supply Free Gun Every Month Giveaway. (Active Now.)
http://floridagunsupply.com/free-guns
- Grabagun.com Free Gun Every Month Giveaway. (Active Now.)
http://grabagun.com/giveaway#.U5XQZXZhuVY
- Gallery of Guns Free Gun Every Month Giveaway. (Active Now.)
https://www.galleryofguns.com/about/GGGEntry2014.aspx
- Union Sportsmen’s Alliance Gun-A-Week Raffle Sweepstakes. Deadline: December 29.
http://2014gunaweek.unionsportsmen.org/Winners/rules
- CVA Muzzleloader Monthly Drawing. (Active Now.)
http://www.cva.com/CVA-Contest.php
Accessories Contests and Promotions
December 5th, 2014
Remington is voluntarily recalling Remington Model 887 shotguns manufactured from December 1, 2013 to November 24, 2014. Remington has determined that some Remington Model 887 shotguns manufactured between December 19, 2013 and November 24, 2014 may exhibit a defect causing the firing pin to bind in the forward position within the bolt, which can result in an unintentional discharge when chambering a live round. Therefore, Remington is recalling ALL potentially affected products to fully inspect and repair. Remington has advised customers to immediately cease use of recalled shotguns and return them to Remington free of charge. The shotguns will be inspected, repaired, tested, and returned as soon as possible.
RECALLED: Remington Model 887 shotguns made from Dec. 1, 2013 to Nov. 24, 2014.
Owners of the recalled shotguns should not attempt to diagnose or repair the shotguns themselves. Remington has established a dedicated website and toll-free hotline to help Model 886 owners consumers determine whether their shotguns are subject to recall. Visit 887recall.remington.com or call 1-800-243-9700.
REMEDY/ACTION TO BE TAKEN: STOP USING YOUR SHOTGUN.
Any unintended discharge has the potential to cause injury or death. Immediately cease use of recalled shotguns and return them to Remington free of charge. Shotguns will be inspected, repaired, tested, and returned as soon as possible, at no cost to you. DO NOT attempt to diagnose or repair recalled shotguns yourself. For your safety, STOP USING YOUR SHOTGUN and immediately contact Remington.
December 4th, 2014
Every year we anxiously await the new product announcement from Lapua. In 2014, Lapua brought out new bullets and new cartridge brass — .221 Fireball and .50 BMG. For 2015, Lapua once again brings out new brass offerings, this time three new flavors of cartridge brass, all made to Lapua’s exacting standards. First, Lapua will introduce factory 300 AAC Blackout (300 BLK) brass. This promises to take this highly-efficient, AR-friendly .30-caliber cartridge to another accuracy level. Second, Lapua will offer premium brass for the 7mm-08 cartridge, a very popular round among hunters and silhouette shooters. Lastly, in 2015, Lapua will produce 8x57mm JS brass. That’s good news for fans of this classic Mauser cartridge.
300 AAC Blackout Brass
Lapua’s Press release states: “Few cartridges have generated as much immediate interest as the 300 Blackout. Standardized by AAC, this diminutive cartridge is derived from the 223 Remington. Intended specifically for use in suppressed firearms, the versatility of the Blackout has appealed to a much broader range of shooters than just the audience for which it was originally designed. [Originally] intended to drive 220 grain bullets at subsonic velocities, the switch to lightweight bullets such as the 125 grain offerings delivers performance very similar to the venerable 7.62×39 cartridge. This makes the 300 Blackout potent enough for a wide range of shooting tasks, from certain tactical applications to many short range hunting situations involving medium-sized game. The ability for many 5.56mm/223 systems to be switched over to the 300 Blackout, merely by changing barrels, makes this an incredibly versatile combination. Lapua brings over nine decades of case manufacturing knowledge, precision and quality to the new Blackout, assuring the shooter of the very best performance.”
7mm-08 Remington Brass
 Lapua notes that it’s new 7mm-08 brass is made to very high standards, benefiting hunters as well as competitors: “The 7mm-08 came to dominate the High Power Silhouette rifle game shortly after its introduction, offering a superb combination of power, light recoil and accuracy. Since then, it has also been used to win National Championships in High Power competition, and become a staple for hunters as well. With ballistic performance exceeding that of the time honored 7x57mm Mauser, but suited to a shorter action, the 7mm-08 is an ideal cartridge for most big game hunting. Lapua brings… state-of-the-art manufacturing methods, combined with old world craftsmanship, to the production of these cases. Primer pockets and flash holes are held to strict tolerances to withstand repeated firings and reloadings. After final necking of the case, they are finished with the proper anneal [for] accuracy and durability.” Lapua also notes that it offers two new 7mm Scenar bullets, which will work very well in the new 7mm-08 cartridge brass.
8x57mm JS Brass
Last but not least, Lapua is producing 8x57mm JS brass. Lapua notes that: “When the 8x57mm JS cartridge was introduced in 1905, its innovative use of a high velocity and relatively light weight pointed bullet design revolutionized infantry combat. An outgrowth on the original 8x57J military round, the 8x57mm JS round served the German military in both world wars, and became a popular sporting cartridge in any area where there was a strong German influence. From African plains game to European stag and boar, the 8mm Mauser has earned an enviable reputation as a big game round in a wide array of conditions. Accurate, versatile and powerful, the 8x57mm JS still serves the sporting community well for a host of hunting applications. In answer to the requests of the many devotees of this fine cartridge, Lapua is pleased to announce our introduction of the new 8x57mmJS case. The new 8x57mmJS will deliver the same accurate, reliable performance for which Lapua cases are world renowned. This means tough, durable cases that will not only withstand repeated loadings, but retain their accuracy shot after shot. [Lapua’s 8x57mm JS brass offers] very tight tolerances in neck wall concentricity and overall uniformity.”
See Lapua’s New Products at SHOT Show 2015
If you plan to attend SHOT Show in Las Vegas, stop by and visit the Lapua Exhibit (booth #11929). With luck, samples of the new 7mm-08, 300 BLK, and 8×57 JS brass will be available to view. Lapua engineers will be on hand to talk about Lapua brass and bullets, and explain the production processes that make Lapua brass so durable and consistent. In recent years, in the world of centerfire competition, Lapua brass has absolutely dominated the winner’s circles as well as the record-books.
December 4th, 2014
 The 2015 Hodgdon Annual Manual (the 12th Annual Edition) has been released. The 2015 Hodgdon Manual now contains over 5000 loads — more load data than you’ll find in any other annual reloading resource. The 2015 Manual has updates for numerous rifle and pistol cartridges. Featured in the 2015 Manual are the new IMR Enduron™ powders such as IMR 4166, IMR 4451, and IMR 7977. Enduron powders feature a built-in copper fouling reducer, along with small kernels for easy metering and good load density. IMR also claims that Enduron powders are not sensitive to ambient temperature changes. It appears IMR 4166 may be a viable alternative to Hodgdon’s popular, but hard to find, Varget powder.
Along with comprehensive load data, the 8 1/2″ by 11″ magazine-style Hodgdon Annual Manual offers authoritative articles by top gun industry writers. You can purchase the 2015 Manual at news-stands (and gunshops) for $8.99. In a few weeks, you should also be able to purchase the manual from Hodgdon’s online store. For more info, visit Hodgdon.com or call 913-362-9455.
December 3rd, 2014
 Smith & Wesson (S&W), has agreed to acquire Battenfeld Technologies, Inc. for $130.5 million in cash. The acquisition is expected to close in December. In acquiring Battenfeld, S&W will become an industry leading in the sales of hunting, shooting, and reloading tools and accessories. Battenfeld markets dozens of popular products such as Tipton gun vises, Frankford Arsenal tumblers, Caldwell shooting rests, and Goldenrod safe heaters.
Founded 22 years ago, Battenfeld Technologies has generated a largely organic* compound annual revenue growth rate in excess of 18% (Since 2006). Based in a 145,000-square-foot facility in Columbia, Missouri, Battenfeld Technologies develops and sells shooting, reloading, gunsmithing, and gun cleaning supplies under several brands, including Caldwell, Frankford Arsenal, GoldenRod, Lockdown, Tipton, and Wheeler Engineering. Battenfeld grew rapidly by developing new products and by acquiring smaller accessories makers such as BOG-POD and GoldenRod.
Acquisition Helps S&W Expand Accessories Business with Strong Brand
James Debney, Smith & Wesson President and CEO, said, “Battenfeld Technologies… fits perfectly within our core firearm business. It also allows us to move more strongly into the hunting vertical as well as establish a strong platform for growth in our existing firearm accessories business[.] Battenfeld Technologies’ sophisticated sourcing and distribution infrastructure, should provide a solid framework for organic and inorganic growth as the new accessories division of Smith & Wesson. Our intention is that eventually all existing Smith & Wesson®, M&P®, and Thompson/Center Arms accessories will be housed within this new division.”
*Biz Terminology 101: Organic growth is the process of business expansion due to increasing overall customer base, increased output per customer or representative, new sales, or any combination of the above, as opposed to mergers and acquisitions, which are examples of inorganic growth.
December 3rd, 2014
The 2015 NRA National Indoor Rifle & Pistol Championships start January 1, 2015. Unlike the NRA’s National Matches at Camp Perry, the Indoor Championships are shot as a postal match, through multiple sectional tournaments all across the country. This means you can join the action from the comfort of your local range. The scores from shooters around the nation are compared by the NRA, which names the winners in each classification.
The Indoor Rifle & Pistol Championships include a variety of disciplines: Air Pistol, Rimfire Pistol, Air Rifle, and Rimfire Rifles. There is even a BB gun class for Juniors. The Indoor Championships involve multiple sectional tournaments, held in a variety of states from January through mid-April. This is like a super-duper postal match. Winners will be announced by the NRA in late May. There will be nearly 300 sectionals in 2014, so you’ll probably find an event close to home. Here are dates for 2013:
Open Sectionals: 1/1 – 3/18 | Collegiate Sectionals: 1/1 – 2/12 | JR. Sectionals: 1/1 – 4/15
The 50m Free Pistol is one of the events in the NRA National Indoor Championship. It takes skill — the pistol is shot one-handed, with iron sights, and the Ten-Ring is only 50mm (about 1.97″) in diameter. A competitive world-class score is 560 or better out of 600 possible points. Learn more about this challenging discipline in this USA Shooting video:
Story based on report in NRA Blog.
December 3rd, 2014
If you want to build your arsenal of tactical rifles, here’s the Deal of the Decade. If you buy one large-caliber Armalite Rifle (.50, .416, .338, or .308 cal) you can get one FREE .223-cal AR-type carbine. That’s right, buy one rifle, and get one free. In fact, as a special added bonus, if you purchase the Armalite AR-50A1 .50 BMG National Match Rifle, you get TWO AR carbines. Buy one, get two free.
These spectacular deals are being offered through Eurooptic.com, via phone-in orders only. You won’t find these offers on the Armalite or Eurooptic websites. You need to call (570) 368-3920 (and ask for Jason). NOTE: this offer is limited to supplies on hand. You snooze, you lose.
Option One: Purchase AR-50A1 National Match, receive TWO 223-caliber AR rifles for free: LEC15A4CBK and 15A4CB (optical sights NOT included). Yes — you get three (3) rifles total.
Option Two: Purchase qualifying rifle and receive EITHER one LEC15A4CBK OR 15A4CB (optical sights NOT included). You get two (2) rifles total. Qualifying primary rifle purchase: 50A1B-416, 50A1B, 10SBF, 10SCBF, A10SBF, A10SCBF, 30A1B338, 30A1BT338, 31BT308, 31BTC308, 30A1B300, or 30A1BT300.
Get TWO more rifles with purchase of AR-50A1 National Match
Sale Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
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