Many shooters these days clean their cartridge brass ultrasonically, or wet-tumble their cases with stainless media (above). Both methods get brass clean and shiny, inside and out. However, when those wet-cleaning processes are completed, you’re left with a pile of soaking wet brass. How do you dry your brass quickly and efficiently, without unsightly water spots? Read on for some great answers…
In our Shooters’ Forum, Member Terry asked: “How do you dry your brass after Ultrasonic cleaning?” In a Reloading Forum Thread, many smart suggestions were posted. A dozen fellow members outlined a variety of effective case-drying procedures, which work equally well for both wet-tumbled brass and ultrasonically-cleaned cases. Here are the Top 10 brass-drying suggestions from our Forum members.
TOP TEN Ways to Dry Cartridge Brass After Wet Cleaning
1. Food Dehydrator — Shake the brass in towel to get the bulk of water off. Next leave in the food dehydrator for 45 minutes or until there are no signs of moisture inside the cases. — Lawrence97
2. Lyman 5-Level Case Dryer — Rinse off cleaning solution(s), then load brass by type into racks in Lyman Cyclone Case Dryer. This is easier to load/unload than food dehydrators and holds more cases.
3. Hot Water + Compressed Air — Rinse all your cases as a batch using scalding hot water from the kitchen sink. Hot water evaporates off of brass very very quickly. Then hit them with compressed air. Takes 10 minutes. Simple. — SG4247
4. Oven Dry in Pre-Heated Oven — After pre-heating to 200° or so, turn off oven and put brass inside on a tray. Most important! Tell your wife what you are doing so she doesn’t crank it up to 425 to heat pizza! — MClark
NOTE: Many other members suggested oven drying at 150-200°. We recommend turning OFF the oven so you don’t cook your brass if you forget to remove the cases.
5. Towel Dry then Warm with Heat Gun — Roll brass in a towel until no more water shakes out. Lay out on cardboard box top and blow off with Harbor Freight heat gun. $9.99 on coupon. Two minutes of heated air and about half hour of wait and they are good to go. This is with primers removed. — Shaggy357
6. Compressed Air, then Sun Dry Outside – I rinse the brass, then blow them out with compressed air. Then, dependent on the time of year, lay them on a towel in the sun. — HogPatrol
7. Dishwasher on Dry Cycle – In the winter, I drop my wet brass cases neck-down on the rack pegs in the dishwasher, then turn on the dry cycle. In the summer…well, I’m in Texas. They go to the porch for a bit. — Toolbreaker
8. Alcohol Rinse then Air or Oven Dry — Rinse in 90% Isopropyl alcohol and either let air dry or stick in 175° oven for half an hour. Alternatively, use a dehydrator. — Zipollini
9. Slow Air-Dry in Loading Blocks — I have a reloading block with holes drilled in it. I simply load the block up and let it air-dry in the cupboard for a couple of days. — JCS
10. Wipe with Towel Then Anneal Normally with FLAME Annealer — This thread is stirring my OCD side. Seems complicated for just drying — my brass dries just fine when I anneal it. This entire process can’t take an hour per batch. When finished, the brass is cleaned, annealed, and ready to size. — CHLuke
NOTE: This is NOT recommended for use with electronic AMP annealers. Use this ONLY with flame annealers.
Deprime, then tumble brass with stainless media, water, Lemishine, and dish detergent.
Shake them easily in a strainer to knock out most media then grab 4-5 pieces, shake them over the bucket for the last of the media then inside a towel.
Finally blow out the primer pockets and wipe with a towel, load in the Annealeez flame annealer.
Talented sharpshooter Kirsten Joy Weiss is featured in an episode of NRA All Access. The show covers Kirsten’s development as a competitive shooter, and her success as a trick-shot artist with her own popular YouTube channel. Here’s the All Access segment featuring many of Kirsten’s most famous trick shots.
During the video Kirsten also talks about her background in shooting and how she wants to be a good ambassador for the shooting sports, “spreading the positive reality of shooting”. Kirsten explains: “The fun challenge and joy of shooting is important to me because I really wanted to be a positive example. So when the media says the ‘guns are a bad thing and nobody does anything good with guns’, they can say ‘Well, what about her [Kirsten]’?”
Kirsten: “I think that it’s important for young girls to have somebody that they can look up to… I feel responsibility to show young shooters coming up, especially females, that you can respect yourself and shoot a gun as well.”
A gifted “natural” shooter, Kirsten started shooting fairly late — at age 16. Despite her relatively late start, she learned very quickly, and managed to earn a place on the University of Nebraska shooting team. That literally opened up a new world for Kirsten: “During the course of my career, I’ve had a lot of success. I’ve gone to World Cups… in Zagreb, Croatia, in Munich, Germany. I’ve won National Championships, and got on to the U.S. Olympic short list, so it’s been a good career.”
Proper Cheek Weld
No matter what your discipline — smallbore, silhouette, High Power, F-Class, or even PRS — it’s vital to have a consistent cheek weld for every shot. You want your head to be in the same position on the stock each time. This helps ensure proper eye-to-sights/optic alignment and consistent rifle balance.
In this video, Kirsten explains how to find the best position for your head on the stock, which may require adjusting the cheekpiece and/or length of pull. Then Kirsten demonstrates how to maintain consistent cheek weld shot after shot.
Kirsten tells us: “A lot of people don’t think of shooting as a sport, but it absolutely is, and I would even go so far as to say that it is an art form.” We don’t know if this is art, sport, or magic, but very few shooters have the skill or flexibility to make this upside-down shot…
Here’s good news for hunters — Both Browning and Winchester are offering 25% Off Rebates (worth up to $50 max) on select hunting ammunition for the 2024 fall season. Qualify with ammo purchases made from 9/15/24 through 11/20/2024. For both rebate offers there is a minimum one box purchase and maximum rebate amount of $50 per household. The deadline is 12/16/2024 to mail in your original UPC codes, original retail sales receipt, and completed redemption form.
Winchester 25% Off Hunting Ammunition Rebate
Winchester is now offering, for a limited time, a 25% Off rebate on all eligible hunting rifle ammunition prior to the start of the season. The offer is valid on qualifying purchases made between September 15, 2024 and November 30, 2024. The maximum rebate amount is $50 per household. Visit Winchester.com/Rebates to learn how to submit your rebate.
Eligible Winchester Hunting Ammo Types:
Winchester Deer Season XP®, Power-Point®, Copper Impact®, Ballistic Silvertip® and Expedition Big Game™ hunting rifle brands.
Browning 25% Off Hunting Ammunition Rebate
Browning is also running a Hunting Rifle Ammunition Rebate for the next 10 weeks. Browning offers a 25% Off rebate on all eligible hunting rifle ammunition prior to the start of the season. The offer is valid on qualifying purchases made between September 15, 2024 and November 30, 2024. The maximum rebate amount is $50 per household. Visit BrowningAmmo.com/Rebates to learn how to submit your rebate.
Eligible Browning Hunting Ammo Types:
Browning Hunting Rifle Silver Series, Max Point, Long Range Pro, Long Range Hunter, BXS, and BXV
If you’ve been thinking about a big purchase at Brownells, here are some money-saving codes. Brownells is currently offering $125 Off a $1000 purchase, $55 Off a $500 purchase, $20 Off a $200 purchase, $15 Off a $150 purchase, and $10 Off a $100 purchase. In addition, you can get 10% off all purchases of $150 or more. It’s simple to get these discounts — there are no buyers’ clubs to join, no forms to fill out. Just use the appropriate Discount Code during online check-out.
Listed below are the Codes to use. Simply use the appropriate Code for your purchase at Brownells.com. These codes have no listed expiration date, so Brownells could terminate them at any time. Accordingly, we recommend you do your shopping soon. Also if the highest value code no longer works, try a lesser value CODE.
Coupon Code: SEPT125 — $125 Off $1000+
Expiration date: 9/30/2024
Coupon Code: SEPT55 — $55 Off $500+
Expiration date: 9/30/2024
Coupon Code: SEPT20 — $20 Off $200+
Expiration date: 9/30/2024
NOTE: None of the above codes include FREE or Discounted Shipping. You may want to check other vendors such as Scheels.com which offer free shipping with certain minimum purchases ($75 mininum at Scheels). This might result in a lower overall price than purchasing from Brownells.
Our friend Robert Whitley of ARX Enterprises LLC has learned, through careful measurement and testing, that some barrels threaded 5/8″ x 24 TPI at the muzzle may not deliver optimal accuracy. The reason is that the end of the barrel can bell out slightly, like a trombone, because too much steel has been removed. This is particularly true with .30-caliber barrels, but it can also be a problem with smaller caliber barrels (even 6mm). Robert demonstrates this phenomenon in the video below. All gunsmiths, and anyone considering threading a barrel, should watch the video. At 1:00 – 1:30 Robert gauges a 5/8″ x 24-threaded .30-Caliber barrel. You can see the belling effect clear as day.
“When setting up a commercial barrel in the lathe, we noticed that the maximum-sized bushing that would fit in the bore at the chamber end was almost .0015” smaller [than what would fit] at the muzzle. That precipitated my pin-gauging of a number of different commercial barrels that were threaded for 5/8” x 24 TPI. What I found is what’s shown on the video.” – R. Whitley
Solve Problem with a Larger Thread Diameter
If 5/8″ x 24 threading is potentially harmful to accuracy, is there a solution? Yes, you simply need to leave a little more steel on the barrel. (See Video starting at 02:40.) Frank Green of Bartlein barrels states: “We get these questions all the time. I say run the largest thread diameter that is possible.” Robert Whitley has found that a 3/4″ x 28 TPI threading does not cause the “belling effect”. Accordingly Robert recommends 3/4″ x 28 if you need to thread your barrel for a muzzle brake or suppressor. Robert explains: “We only make 3/4” x 28 TPI muzzle brakes and that’s what we recommend to customers.”
“See how much meatier the 3/4″ threading is vs. the 5/8″. The 3/4″ threading offers a lot more metal around the bore. There’s a lot less opportunity for the bore to become bell-mouthed…” – Robert Whitley
Barrel Threading Diameter — What’s Important to Know
By Robert Whitley
In truth, the 5/8″ x 24 TPI threading never came out of any accuracy-based think tank or set-up, it’s a military .30-Cal threading for barrels that someone has to carry around (they needed to keep the barrel weight down so it was smaller in diameter and the threading had to work with that situation). People have somehow assumed because the military uses that threading for certain things that it must mean that it’s also fine for a highly accurate rifle too, but that’s not really correct.
I don’t think there is any better and realistic option than the 3/4″ muzzle threading, and we also do it so there is no relief cut behind the threads on the barrel (i.e. put the relief cut on the brake or jam nut, don’t chop down on the muzzle of the barrel). For some reason many have a hard time grasping that the metal at the muzzle end of a rifle is “sacred” and you should not cut it down any more than absolutely necessary. A little threaded pencil diameter nub on the end of a barrel is not ideal for accuracy especially if it’s threaded and you need to torque on it. I cringe when I see a barrel with something like an MTU or Heavy Varmint contour, only to have an itty-bitty pencil thin threaded nub right at the muzzle so someone can “screw on a can” or a muzzle brake.
Lessons Learned Over the Years
A number of years ago I did a 30BR rifle project with Craig Kostyshyn who was big in the 30BR game and he made some of the best 30BR rifle barrels for benchrest competition. When I did the project I wanted a medium-heavy Palma type contour barrel I could use and also have a muzzle turndown for a front sight band. When he found out I was going to have the muzzle turned down he said “whoa, I need to provide for that when I make the barrel because if you turn the front down later you’ll be shooting a trombone” (i.e. the muzzle bore dimension would open up).
What he did was rough contour the barrel with the turndown (about .010” oversize) before he lapped the barrel, then when he lapped the barrel he took it easy in the muzzle area and worked the back of the barrel more. I thought he was a little bit excessive in his concerns but the barrel shot great and I wasn’t going to argue with him, after all he was shooting groups in the ones. I kind of just filed that away and never thought about it until recently when I went to have Fred from Sabreco do some chamber re-work on a commercial .30-caliber barrel I had. When setting up the barrel in the lathe and indicating things Fred noticed that the maximum-sized bushing that would fit in the bore at the chamber end was almost .0015″ smaller [than what would fit] at the muzzle and he mentioned it to me. That precipitated my pin-gauging of a number of different commercial barrels I had that were threaded for 5/8” x 24 TPI. What I found is what’s shown on the video.
NOTE: This is a copyrighted article. Do not reproduce or re-link more than 75 words without written permission from AccurateShooter.com.
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.
1. Palmetto SA — FREE 9mm Pistol with SIG Rifle or Handgun
⏺ Get a FREE SIG Sauer P365 or P320 pistol with SIG gun purchase
Buy a gun, get a FREE gun. Here’s the deal — if you buy a specific SIG Sauer rifle or pistol you can get a FREE SIG P365 or P320 pistol. Customers who purchase a qualifying MCX-Regulator rifle, MCX-Spear rifle, or P226-XFIVE pistol will receive a SIG P365, P320-M17, or P320-M18 pistol through an online redemption offer at SIGSauer.com. CLICK HERE for details and list of qualifying purchases. You can purchase the qualifying guns through Palmetto State Armory or other licensed gun vendor.
2. Midsouth — Leupold VX-3HD Scope Sale with $100 Savings
⏺ Good scope for hunting rifles now $100 Off
If you need a new scope for a game-hunting or varmint rifle, check out the VX-3HD Line from Leupold. Right now Midsouth is offering a huge $100 discount on four popular Leupold VX-3HD scopes. Plus you get FREE shipping. Chose the 3.5-10x40mm, 3.5-10x50mm, 4.5-14x40mm, or 4.5-14x50mm, all with 1″ diameter main tubes.
3. Precision Reloading — Major Sierra Bullet Sale, All Calibers
Right now Precision Reloading is running a major sale on Sierra Bullets. There are significant savings on the full range of bullet weights and calibers — from .204 to .457. Save 12% or more this week. Choose from lightweight varmint bullets or high-BC match bullets in popular competition calibers: .224, 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, and .308. NOTE: Sierra Bullet Sale ends 9/22/2024.
4. Amazon — Frankford Arsenal Depriming Tool, $39.99
⏺ Convenient tool — no press needed to deprime anywhere
Decapping fired brass can be tedious when using a reloading press and decapping die. Make things easier with the Frankford Arsenal Platinum Series Hand Deprimer Tool (#ad). You can deprime cases while watching TV. This handheld unit features an easily removable spent primer catch tube and an assisted-ejection case holder for easy removal of deprimed cases. The handle is spring-loaded to return the deprimer to the start position automatically.
Shooting waterfowl demands a rugged, accurate shotgun that won’t punish you with recoil. The Franchi 28″ Affinity Black 12ga Semi-Automatic Shotgun handles great and can shoot modern, full-size 3.5″ shells. Recoil is quite manageable — the quality TSA buttpad combined with the Franchi Inertia Drive system absorb up to 50% of perceived recoil. The shotgun has a ventilated rib barrel with red fiber-optic front sight. This Franchi shotgun ships with Improved Cylinder, Modified, and Full chokes plus choke wrench.
6. Amazon — Lyman Trigger Pull Gauge, $47.48
⏺ Very popular trigger gauge is accurate and easy to use
Lyman’s patented Digital Trigger Pull Gauge (#ad) is designed to be the fastest and most accurate trigger pull gauge available. This accurate electronic trigger gauge can register from 1 ounce all the way up to 12 pounds pull weight, with accuracy to the tenth of an ounce. That makes it ideal for all firearms types. This unit features a retractable pull rod to prevent damage. We like this Lyman tool and recommend it.
7. Scheels — Berry’s 400 Tumbler, $64.99
⏺ High-quality tumbler plus free shipping with $75 total purchase
Tumbling brass takes a strong machine that gets the job done quickly. The Berry’s 400 Tumbler is made from premium parts. The large, smooth bowl helps with fast, efficient cleaning while the clear lid lets you check progress easily. The motor has a 3-year warranty while other parts come with a lifetime warranty. NOTE: Currently Scheels offers FREE Shipping with a purchase of $75.00 or more. Add cleaning media ($17.99) to your cart and you can get FREE Shipping for both items.
Whether you’re working on your next firearm build or performing routine maintenance in your shop, the Wheeler Engineering 30-Piece SAE/Metric Hex and Torx P-Handle Set (#ad) is a great addition to your workbench. The stand design allows quick access, and the holder assembly can even be mounted on a wall. The tool handles are color-coded for type, and the front of the holder has clear/bright labels for size and type of each tool. This 30-piece set offers a full range of SAE Mex, Metric Hex, and Torx drivers.
8. Amazon — Lyman Micro-Touch 1500 Scale, $67.87
⏺ Good compact scale with touch screen
Every handloader can use a compact but precise scale. Get all the features of much larger models combined with state-of-the-art touch screen controls with the Lyman Micro-Touch 1500 Scale (#ad). It is just 3.25″ wide by 5.4″ long and 1.25″ tall. This digital reloading scale has a full 1500 grain capacity and is accurate to within 1/10 of a grain. The Micro-touch 1500 also includes its own powder pan and 100-gram calibration weight.
10. Amazon — Frankford Arsenal Gen 2 Reloading Trays
⏺ Quality cartridge-specific trays offer no-wobble fit
Ammo trays that fit cartridge brass very well definitely enhance the reloading process. We like the Frankford Arsenal Gen2 Reloading Trays (#ad) because they are sized for individual cartridge types (or a cartridge family) for a precise fit. These trays help hand-loaders maximize efficiency and stay organized. Sold in a convenient 2-pack, each tray securely holds 50 cases. Tray sizes are available for popular rifle and pistol cartridges: 9mm, .223 Rem, .38 SPL/.357 Mag, .38 Super/.40 SW, .45 ACP, .308 Win/6.5 CM, 7mm RemMag/.300 WinMag, and .338 Lapua/.45-70.
As an Amazon affiliate, this site can earn revenues through sales commissions.
This can be very important — even life-saving. For example, with a hang fire, i.e. a round that does not fire immediately, it is vital to keep the gun pointed DOWN-RANGE. And with a squib load, which may have left a round inside the barrel, it is vital to UNLOAD and NOT take another shot! If you did, the gun could blow up in your hand when the second, full-charge bullet hits the trapped bullet.
The Five Topics Covered Are:
Misfeed (aka Tip-Up)
Double Feed
Stovepipe (Failure to Extract)
Misfire / Hangfire
Squib Load
1. Misfeed or Tip-Up: With any misfeed you should stop firing. With the muzzle pointed safely down-range, remove the magazine, then pull the slide back and remove the round that did not feed. Check the slide for dirt, debris, and check the round that did not feed. After re-inserting the magazine, make sure the mag is seated properly.
2. Double-Feed: This is a fairly common issue with some gun types with worn springs or cheap magazines. Again you want to remove the magazine. CTD states: “Remove the magazine and cycle the action until your double-fed rounds fall out — always keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction[.]”
3. Stove-Pipe: This occurs when the case of a fired round does not eject fully. There can be many causes — damaged extractor, low-pressure powder charge, dirty chamber, or greasy cartridge brass. In addition the issue is common with old, worn-out recoil springs. To avoid Stove-Pipes, replace the recoil spring every 4000 rounds, and make sure your chamber is clean and the extractor is not chipped or damaged.
4. Misfires and Hang-Fires: There are multiple causes for misfires (“click no bang”) and hang-fires (slow ignition). There can be a defective primer, the firing pin could be damaged, the powder many have been bad, or the case not filled properly. With a misfire, keep the gun pointed down-range at least one minute. If the case does not fire, eject it but leave it on the ground. With a hang-fire (delayed ignition after firing pin strike), keep the gun pointed down-range, then drop the magazine and eject the (new) unfired cartridge in the chamber and inspect the gun when completely empty.
5. Squib Load: A squib load is when the gun fires, but the actual case ignition is very light with little noise, smoke, or recoil. This can be because the case had a primer but no powder. Or it can be because the powder did not ignite. Squib loads can be very dangerous in rapid-fire situations. If you EVER get a squib load STOP immediately! Do NOT fire another round! This is because the squib may have left a bullet inside the barrel.
Ever wondered what the air around a moving supersonic bullet really looks like? Check out this video from the Bryan Litz Ballistics Facebook page. This is a Schlieren video* of a 6mm 109gr Berger LRHT bullet at about 2800 fps as fired from Francis Colon’s PRS rifle at the Applied Ballistics Lab.
Bryan Litz notes: “You can clearly see the compression (shock) wave at the front of the bullet. A compression wave is formed when the air has to move faster than the speed of sound to get out of the way, which is certainly the case for this bullet which is moving about 2.5 times the speed of sound (Mach 2.5).
That shock wave is the ‘snap’ you hear when bullets fly past you if/when you’re downrange. Also, compressing the air into a shockwave takes energy, and that energy comes directly out of the forward velocity of your bullet and gets converted into heat and noise as the shock wave forms and dissipates.
The turbulent wake at the base of the bullet shows where/how base drag applies. The third and smallest component of drag for a supersonic bullet is skin friction drag, which is a viscous boundary layer effect, and is the least visible in this image. So as you head to the range or the hunting stand, think about the absolute violence your bullets are committing in the atmosphere, before they even reach the target!”
Today, AR-platform rifles are hugely popular. Dozens of manufacturers sell AR-type rifles, in a wide variety of configurations and calibers. But before there were M16s and AR-15s, ArmaLite produced a 7.62×51 caliber rifle, the AR-10. Yes before there were millions of 5.56 black rifles, there was a .30-caliber big brother with reddish-brown furniture. Invented by Eugene (‘Gene’) Stoner for the Armalite company in the late 1950s, this is the father of all of today’s AR-platform rifles. Way ahead of its time, this remarkable, select-fire battle rifle weighed just 7.25 pounds as first developed.
If you’re curious about the AR-10, in this video, Jerry Miculek puts an original 1957-vintage AR-10 through its paces on the range. This extremely rare, early-production rifle was provided by Mr. Reed Knight and the Institute of Military Technology. (The gun in the video was actually produced in the Netherlands under license, see video at 4:40.) This AR-10 is the direct ancestor of the AR-15, M16, and many of the modern sporting rifles that we use today.
The AR-10 was slim and light, weighing around 7 pounds. Some folks might argue that the original “old-school” AR-10 is actually better than some of today’s heavy, gadget-laden ARs. The AR-10’s charging “lever” was under the carry handle — that made it easier to manipulate with the gun raised in a firing position.
You’ll notice there is no “forward assist”. Inventor Gene Stoner did not believe a separate “bolt-pusher” was necessary. The forward assist was added to solve problems encountered in Viet Nam. Some critics say the forward assist “only takes a small problem and makes it a big problem.” For today’s competition ARs (that are never dragged through the mud) the forward assist probably is superfluous. It is rarely if ever needed.
Note also that the handguards are fairly slim and tapered. Today, six decades after the first AR-10 prototypes, we are now seeing these kind of slim handguards (made from aluminum or lightweight composites) used on “full race” ARs campaigned in 3-gun competition.
History of the AR-10
The AR-10 is a 7.62 mm battle rifle developed by Eugene Stoner in the late 1950s at ArmaLite, then a division of the Fairchild Aircraft Corporation. When first introduced in 1956, the AR-10 used an innovative straight-line barrel/stock design with phenolic composite and forged alloy parts resulting in a small arm significantly easier to control in automatic fire and over one pound lighter than other infantry rifles of the day. Over its production life, the original AR-10 was built in relatively small numbers, with fewer than 9,900 rifles assembled.
In 1957, the basic AR-10 design was substantially modified by ArmaLite to accommodate the .223 Remington cartridge, and given the designation AR-15. ArmaLite licensed the AR-10 and AR-15 designs to Colt Firearms. The AR-15 eventually became the M16 rifle.
AR-10 3D Model Shows Internal Parts
If you want to see more close-up details of the AR-10, computer artist Stefan Engdahl has created a very detailed 3D model of the AR-10 for use in computer simulations. This computer model features 18 separate objects so you can look at details of frame, barrel, trigger, sights and more.
Here are some additional images of early AR-10 models, with various configurations. Multiple handguard and muzzle options were employed during early development.
Color AR-10 photos from Arms Izarra, a Spanish company specializing in de-militarized, collectible firearms. Interestingly, this particular AR-10 was produced in the Netherlands under license.
A while back, the Precision Rifle Blog conducted a fascinating study of Muzzle Brakes. PRB figured out a way to show the actual “blast pattern” of gasses ejecting from the ports of muzzle brakes. The result was a fascinating (and eye-catching) series of images revealing the distinctive gas outflows of 20+ different types of muzzle brakes. If you are considering buying and installing a muzzle brake on your rifle, you should definitely review this important PRB Muzzle Brake Test.
For a prone shooter, particularly on dusty, dirty or sandy ground, muzzle blast is a major bummer. Muzzle blast can be very disturbing — not just for the trigger-puller but for persons on either side of the gun as well. Some muzzle brakes send a huge shockwave back towards the shooter, and others send blast towards the ground, kicking dirt and debris into the prone shooter’s face. If there was a way to illustrate those factors — shockwave and debris — that might help shooters select one brake design over another.
Cal Zant at PrecisionRifleBlog.com applied a unique blend of creativity and resourcefulness to try to answer that question for 20+ muzzle brakes. Using high-speed photography and household products, he captured the blast pattern of 20+ different brake designs for easy side-by-side comparison. Can you figure out how Cal managed to show muzzle brake blasts so clearly? His “hi-viz” solution, revealed in the article, is very clever. See the eye-opening results for 20+ brakes, with illustrative photos, by visiting the Precision Rifle Blog Muzzle Brake Ground Signature Test Page.
5. Towel Dry then Warm with Heat Gun — Roll brass in a towel until no more water shakes out. Lay out on cardboard box top and blow off with Harbor Freight heat gun. $9.99 on coupon. Two minutes of heated air and about half hour of wait and they are good to go. This is with primers removed. — Shaggy357
A gifted “natural” shooter, Kirsten started shooting fairly late — at age 16. Despite her relatively late start, she learned very quickly, and managed to earn a place on the University of Nebraska shooting team. That literally opened up a new world for Kirsten: “During the course of my career, I’ve had a lot of success. I’ve gone to World Cups… in Zagreb, Croatia, in Munich, Germany. I’ve won National Championships, and got on to the U.S. Olympic short list, so it’s been a good career.”
