What are the top-selling new rifles in the USA? You might be surprised — there are no Remingtons among the Top 5 bolt guns. In the bolt-action category, CZ has the top spot with its .22 LR CZ 457, followed by the Browning X-Bolt, Tikka T-3, and two Ruger Americans (centerfire and rimfire). We were a bit surprised to see that two rimfire rifles make the bolt gun top 5 — we suspect the centerfire ammo shortages may have influenced that. Interestingly two out of the Top 5 semi-auto rifle spots are also .22 LRs, with the venerable Ruger 10/22 being the second best-selling self-loading rifle, while the Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 ranks fourth. To our surprise, the Ruger PC Carbine is the number one semi-auto rifle sold in the USA in September 2021. Unlike 2020, no AR-type centerfire rifles ranked in the semi-auto Top 5.
Shopping for a rifle? Your buying decision may be simplified by seeing what other consumers have chosen, as revealed by nationwide sales trends. You can now check firearms sales figures using “Gun Genius”, a data-crunching service of Gunbroker.com. On GunGenius.com you can select any type of firearm (handgun, rifle, shotgun) and see the top sellers for that category.
Here are the top-selling NEW bolt-action rifles and semi-auto rifles. On the Gun Genius site you’ll find links for gun specifications. There are also separate listings for used rifles.
Here are the FIVE top-selling NEW bolt-action rifles for September 2021:
Here are the FIVE top-selling NEW semi-auto rifles for September 2021:
Get Sales Rankings for Other Categories of Firearms
On GunGenius.com, in addition to the categories above, you can chose lever-action rifles, single-shot rifles, semi-auto pistols, revolvers, semi-auto shotguns, pump shotguns, and more. You can also filter for sales trends (upwards and downwards). Drill down to see detailed product specifications and current prices.
Cartridges of the World (16th Edition), belongs in every serious gun guy’s library. This massive 688-page reference contains illustrations and load data for over 1500 cartridge types. If you shoot a wide variety of cartridges, or are a cartridge collector, this book is a “must-have” resource. The latest edition (release date 7/23/2019) includes 50 new cartridge types and 1500+ photos. This print version can be ordered for $26.93 at Amazon.com (best price new, 3rd party seller), while a Kindle eBook version costs $19.49.
View Free Book Sample Content
FREE STUFF for You: If you want to see what you are getting, there is a very large sample section of the Kindle edition available online with over 100 pages of content and dozens of photos and illustrations. To access all this FREE INFO, CLICK HERE, then click on the cover photo where it says “Look Inside”. You could probably spend two HOURs going through the samples.
Updated 16th Edition with Feature Articles
The 16th Edition of Cartridges of the World includes cartridge specs, plus tech articles on Cartridge identification, SAAMI guidelines, wildcatting, and new cartridge design trends. Cartridges of the World, the most complete cartridge reference guide in print, now includes a lengthy full-color section with feature articles such as 7mm Rem Magnum, .44 Special History, and “P.O. Ackley’s Best Improved Cartridges”.
Cartridges of the World 16th Ed. CHAPTERS:
Chapter 1: Current American Sporting Cartridges
Chapter 2: Obsolete American Rifle Cartridges
Chapter 3: Wildcat Cartridges
Chapter 4: Proprietary Cartridges
Chapter 5: Handgun Cartridges of the World
Chapter 6: Military Rifle Cartridges of the World
Chapter 7: British Sporting Rifle Cartridges
Chapter 8: European Sporting Rifle Cartridges
Chapter 9: American Rimfire Cartridges
Chapter 10: Shotgun Shells
Chapter 11: U.S. Military Ammunition
Chapter 12: Cartridge ID by Measurement
Cartridges of the World by author Frank C. Barnes was first published in 1965. The 16th Edition is edited by W. Todd Woodard, Editor of Gun Tests magazine and author of several firearms reference books. Frank Barnes (1918-1992) began collecting information on handgun cartridges at the early age of 12, thanks to his father, a police officer. Frank Barnes was an innovative cartridge designer, who invented the original 308 x 1.5″ Barnes, predecessor of the 30BR case.
Before Frank began a law enforcement career, he was a college professor. Frank was also a pilot, and a race-car driver. Learn more about Cartridges of the World (15th Ed.) at www.gundigest.com.
Light is Right — Weatherby’s Backcountry 2.0 rifles weigh as little as 4.7 pounds (before optics).
Here is good news for backcountry hunters. Weatherby’s new Backcountry 2.0 carbon-stocked hunting rifles weigh well under 6 pounds before optics. There is even one titanium action model series that weighs just 4.7 pounds. The 2.0 series now offers both standard steel receivers or even lighter titanium receivers. And Backcountry 2.0 Carbon models are equipped with a new carbon fiber stock that is the lightest in the industry — weight a mere 20 ounces for standard actions. For further weight savings, some models feature a tensioned carbon fiber-wrapped barrel. But all that high-tech doesn’t come cheap — MSRP for the titanium action carbon barrel model is $3749.00!
Ultralight Carbon Stock — Weatherby’s new Blacktooth stock features a Carbon Link™ bedding system which engages the recoil lug and distributes recoil throughout the stock without the weight of a traditional aluminum bedding block. This makes the overall stock lighter and stiffer.
Along with the new ultra-light elements, these Weatherbys have premium Mark V features: 54-degree bolt lift for fast cycling, fluted bolts, TriggerTech triggers, and Cerakote finish on metal parts. All the Backcountry 2.0 series rifles have a sub-MOA accuracy guarantee.
Weights for Backcountry 2.0 Models range with chamberings:
Weight Saving Secrets — How Weatherby Achieved Such Light Weights GunsAmerica Digest reports: “A huge amount of the weight savings comes thanks to the updated carbon fiber Blacktooth stock by Peak 44. This stock uses what they call their Rock Solid Carbon Link bedding system which eliminates the need for a metallic bedding block. The Blacktooth stock weighs less than 20 ounces. The Backcountry 2.0 [series adds] both a carbon fiber stock and either fluted #1 MOD-profile or #2 MOD-profile carbon steel barrels or #4 MOD-profile BSF carbon fiber-tensioned barrel to achieve these light weights.” READ GunsAmerica Review.
To mitigate recoil Weatherby developed its new 3DHEX® recoil pad — the gun industry’s first production 3D-printed pad. The 3DHEX’s three-dimensional honeycombed design extends the duration of the recoil pulse — taking away the sharp kick. Weatherby explains: “With the same amount of recoil spread out over a much greater time period, felt recoil is greatly reduced[.]” Backcountry 2.0 rifle recoil is also reduced by factory-fitted Accubrakes, contoured to match barrel profile.
Pair of Premium F-Open Rifles with Kelbly Golden Bear Actions
Report by Shiraz Balolia, CEO Grizzly Industrial
This project was started 2-3 years ago when I decided to build two brand-new rifles based on the Cerus riflestock chassis. I had my own highly-figured woods and sent them to Will at Cerus Rifleworks. Within a few months I received back two very nice-looking stock blanks but unfortunately they were made for a regular recoil pad system. I was going to install the R.A.D. (Recoil Absorption Device) systems and failed to mention that to Will. Further the thumbhole slot for the adjustment knob was through-cut on both sides of the stock and placed in a position where it would interfere with the R.A.D. recoil system installation. Accordingly, some serious modifications were in order.
Modifying the Cerus Stocks and Installing the R.A.D. System
The very first thing I did was plug up the thumbhole slot in each bank and then installed decorative caps in highly-figured contrasting woods. I also wanted the thumb-knob adjustment to be accessible and adjustable using only one finger so I shifted the whole system forward and to the right. I was now able to install the R.A.D. recoil system (see below) without interfering with the cheekpiece adjustment.
Next, I installed the bottom wider track for my rear bag and also carved out the finger grooves in the grip. The blanks were quite long so I cut off approximately two inches from the front end of each stock and also deepened the large tracking cavity under the fore-ends. I went ahead and inlaid my name in Mother-of-Pearl on the Walnut stock.
Gold Kelbly Actions for Two World-Class Tack-Drivers
The two sequentially-numbered Golden Bear F-Class actions (057 and 058) arrived from Kelbly at different times and the stocks were sent to Alex Sitman at Masterclass Stocks for bedding the actions into the stocks. Alex does an outstanding job on pillar bedding and has done most of my rifles for many years.
The stocks were then sent to Sims Guitar Finishing for clear coating with “wet look” finish on the stocks. Chambering of the barrels was done in-house by Dave, our top engineer at Grizzly Industrial. Dave has chambered most of my rifles in recent years. Both he and I have been trained by Gordy Gritters in precision chambering. Finally, the rifles were assembled, scopes installed, and tested out. Both are tack-drivers made for world-class competition.
Shiraz Tests his .300 Shiraz F-Open rifle. As you’d expect shooting heavy 215gr Berger Hybrids, the recoil is significant, but the rifle tracks perfectly with smooth return to battery.
Rifle #1 – Walnut Stocked .300 Shiraz
• Chambered for .300 Shiraz (modified .300 WSM)
• Stock made of highly-figured Walnut with Curly Maple inner laminations
• Kelbly Golden Bear F-Class action
• Bartlein 1:10″-twist barrel, 31″ length
• March 10-60x56mm High Master scope with Barrett rings
• Bald Eagle tuner
• Jewel trigger
Rifle #2 – Curly Maple Stocked .284 Shiraz
• Chambered for .284 Shiraz (modified .284 Winchester)
• Stock made of highly-figured Curly Maple as well as Walnut and Wenge inner laminations
• Accents and inlays as well as the base shoe are made of Curly Koa wood
• Kelbly Golden Bear F-Class action
• BRUX 1:9″-twist barrel, 31″ length
• March 10-60x56mm High Master scope with March rings
• Bald Eagle tuner
• Jewel trigger
Two Improved Cartridges — .300 Shiraz and .284 Shiraz
The two rifles run their own respective “Improved” cartridges. The dark walnut rig runs the .300 Shiraz which is based on the .300 Winchester Short Magnum (WSM). The maple 7mm runs the .284 Shiraz derived from the .284 Winchester. Shiraz developed these two improved cartridge designs to boost the performance of the parent cartridges which are both quite popular among F-Open competitors. The .284 Shiraz has similarities to the popular .284 Shehane wildcat.
.300 Shiraz Load Information: Shiraz loads his .300 Shiraz with Berger 215gr Hybrids, CCI BR2 Primers, and Hodgdon H4350 Powder. This load produces groups under quarter-MOA.
.284 Shiraz Load Information: The .284 Shiraz (shown below) is loaded with Berger 180gr Hybrids, again with CCI BR2 Primers, and H4350 powder. And like Shiraz’s .30-cal rifle, this handsome 7mm rig delivers sub-quarter-MOA grouping capability.
This stock is made from highly-figured Curly Maple with Walnut and Wenge wood inner laminations. Accents and inlays and the base shoe are made of Curly Koa wood.
About Shiraz Balolia
Shiraz Balolia is the founder and CEO of Grizzly Industrial. He is also one of the USA’s leading F-Class shooters. He has been a Team USA member and F-Open Team USA Captain, and in individual competition he won three straight Canadian F-Open Championships (2014, 2015, 2016). That Canadian Three-Peat is definitive proof of Shiraz’s stellar long-range shooting talent.
In the video below, created when Shiraz was F-Open Team USA Captain, Shiraz works with Palma Team Coach Gary Rasmussen. With the target at 800 yards, Shiraz shows how a shooter works with a wind coach. Three cameras are employed to show the target, the shooter, and the spotter’s-eye view.
This video starts with a lesson on target reading, then Shiraz and Gary work together to judge the wind. Watch as Shiraz makes ten straight “10 point” center hits at 800 yeards. A inset frame in the video shows bullet placement after each shot. This video is highly recommended for all long-range competitive shooters and coaches.
Here is Shiraz (top left) with Team Grizzly, the 2018 U.S. F-Open Championship Team. Members are: Shiraz Balolia, Emil Kovan, David Mann, John Myers, Trudie Fay (Coach).
Do you have an Eliseo Tubegun that you use for sling-shooting competitions, but would like to try your hand at F-Class Open matches? Well here is a low-cost, yet very effective add-on that can transform your TubeGun into a serious F-Open rifle. The bolt-on rails also work great for load development if you want to use a front rest with 3″-wide front bag for greater stability and repeatability.
Competition Machine’s Gary Eliseo is a very smart designer as well as a talented shooter. The inventor/builder of the popular Competition Machine Tubegun chassis systems, Gary offers a bolt-on bag-rider accessory. Gary call this his PickleFork fore-end extension. The Pickleforks are rails that fit to the sides of the tubular fore-end/handguard on his chassis systems. This allows you to use a pedestal-style front rest for F-Class competition.
Pickleforks also provide a much more stable platform for load testing, varmint hunting, or any kind of rest-assisted precision shooting. These PickleForks transform a Tubegun into an ultra-stable, straight-tracking rig when used with a competition-style front rest.
Gary explains: “Now you can have the same super low-boreline, long ‘wheelbase’ and vertical sides of our innovative F1 F-Class chassis system for your tube chassis. The new PickleForks attach directly to the sides of the F-Class/Tactical fore-ends, no modifications are required. They are very rigid with no flex or twist and make the rifle track like it’s on rails.” The new Eliseo Competition Machine PickleForks are offered for a very reasonable $70.00 per pair, with Cerakote finish. (You get two metal units, one for each side of the fore-arm). For more information, visit www.GotXRing.com or call (928) 649-0742.
Product Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
In this article we cover a better barrel cooler you can build yourself for under $15. This uses a high-speed inflator fan sold on Amazon, along with a piece of temp-stable tubing. Forum member (and popular YouTube host) F-Class John devised this system. He found it cools his barrels in less than half the time of some other products. And the system can also serve as an Empty Chamber Indicator (ECI).
Barrel coolers perform an important function — reducing barrel operating temperatures. This can definitely help preserve barrel life and help maintain good accuracy in competition. In addition, keeping barrels cool can reduce the chances of excess chamber pressure, an important safety concern.
There are a variety of commercially-available barrel cooling systems. There are external fans, as well as internal, slip-in systems than can do double duty as an Empty Chamber Indicator (ECI). You can get the original yellow $39.99 BarrelCool or the red $59.99 RifleKuhl from Magnetospeeed. Both are good products. But F-Class John came up with a system that works even better — one you can build for a fraction of the cost of those yellow or red fans.
Build Your Own Barrel Cooler for Under $15
This system is easy to put together. Order a $11.99 YIVAR pump from Amazon. This is a small, high-output pump designed to inflate air mattresses. Then get some high-temp-rated tubing from a local supply shop. Then trim the case-head off an old piece of brass. Taper the end of the tube a bit and fit it in the case. NOTE: Use of the fitted case is optional. Having the case provides a nice fit in your chamber. But the system works pretty well just with the tubing and Yivar air pump.
In his .284 Win barrel, the Yivar pump system blows air at 10+ mph out the muzzle. F-Class John says that is “about three times the velocity of other systems”. The Yivar pump “holds about 45 minutes of charge” so he can use it for 15 minutes after each of three strings in a match. And then it can be recharged from a USB-compatible battery pack at the range. John notes the fan continues to blow about the same speed for the full 45-minute charge duration.
Key Benefits of this system
1. Faster Cooling
2. Low Cost (under $15)
3. Longer run time on battery
4. Fan battery is USB rechargeable
5. Finally a use for that worn-out brass
John confirmed the effectiveness of his barrel cooler using a stick-on temperature tape placed on the barrel. This showed that his fan system cooled the barreled in less than HALF the time as the plastic commercial fan systems. In addition, his run time was excellent, and the Yivar’s built-in Lithium-Ion battery is fully rechargeable so he never has to buy expensive batteries.
What are the downsides? Not many. The fan IS somewhat noisy — watch video at 4:04-4:28 time mark to hear the fan. F-Class John notes, however, that the Yivar fan is about 4 decibels (dB) quieter than a Magnetospeed RifleKuhl, so the Yivar’s noise is not that bad.
Here are comments from YouTube viewers who like F-Class John’s invention:
Finally something affordable! It’s compact and can be recharged at the range. I have room for this but not all the other gadgets you show. And a poor pensioner like my self can afford it! Thanks for the tip.
Ingenious and awesome idea! I bought one as soon as I saw this. I’ve been thinking about getting a cooler when I’m testing my loads. Thanks!
Brilliant… Brilliant… Brilliant! I have been deferring buying a barrel cooler for years now on account of wanting to spend my toy fund budget on other things. Considering how cheap it is to build, there is no excuse to not make one now.
Fan with Plain Hose Also Works Well (No Brass Case Cutting/Fitting Required)
F-Class John likes the custom fit he achieves with the hose inserted into a piece of modified brass. However he notes that the system also works well with no brass at all — i.e. just hose and fan. If you have a small diameter chamber, this may actually work better. Simply put the hose on the fan, trim/taper the forward hose end to fit and you are good to go.
F-Class John explains: “The heavy duty tubing and the motor works just fine without a brass case. The hose can sit in the chamber by itself. Obviously not every brass case will easily allow for you to put it on the end of the tube. For many people simply using the tube (without brass) may be the simpler option.”
.22 LR Rimfire Rifles and Air Rifles Shooting Side by Side — Same Match, Same Targets.
Air Rifles and .22 LR Rimfires Compete Together
There’s a new game in town — an innovative 50-yard benchrest discipline where .22 LR shooters and Air Rifle aces compete shoulder to shoulder. This new Rimfire + Airgun sport was created by the National 50 Benchrest League (aka “N50″) which now has 16 registered clubs in ten U.S. States.
The N50 League held its first-ever National Championship at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, NM earlier this month. This new organization has air rifles and rimfire rifles competing together. Notably, at the first-ever N50 Nationals, a purpose-built .22-caliber slug air rifle won against unlimited benchrest .22 LR rifles. We believe that may well be the first-ever airgun victory in a 50-yard benchrest match over serious rimfire competition.
Top Guns at Inaugural N50 Match
Lou Fontana took the overall victory in the match with a 2961 score. Lou shot both air rifles and rimfire rifles in the match, proving he’s a master of both types of guns. Ardey Vad finished second with 2957, while gun-builder Mike Niksch (Thomas Rifles) took third with 2952. Mike’s radical, advanced Thomas air rifle with electronic trigger is featured below. CLICK HERE for full N50 Nationals Results.
Lou, who hails from California, enjoyed the match, noting: “I have a good mentor and a better air rifle than me — my Thomas #33″. Lou added: “Thank you all that attended and special thanks for those that helped in any way to make this inaugural event a good time. We had nice weather, good temperatures, tricky wind, and a little rain. States represented were Washington, Colorado, Nevada, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.” Lou also praised Joseph Friedrich, one of the founding fathers of N50. Joe tirelessly scored the targets, with help from Mike Niksch’s wife Matti.
Commentary by Joe Friedrich, Open Grove Benchrest
The new National 50 Benchrest League (N50) is a unique shooting experience. We shoot air rifles with pellets and slugs alongside .22 LR Rimfire shooters. We currently have sanctioned clubs throughout the USA offering competition and good fellowship.
N50 has three Classes: Pellet, Sportsman, and PRO. The first Pellet Class is strictly for pellet airguns ranging in calibers from .177-.30 using Diabolo-style pellets from various manufacturers.
The second class is the Sportsman Slug/Rimfire. This combined class allows any factory air rifle shooting commercially-made slugs in calibers from .177-.30 to compete against any factory rimfire that utilizes a factory-barreled action with no attachments to barrel. Pellet air rifles may also compete in this class.
The third class is the PRO Class, and no you do not have to have some magic card that says “Professional” to compete. This class allows purpose-built air rifles, and what we call “unlimited” rimfire rifles to compete. Three types of loads are allowed in PRO Class: .177 slug air-driven, .22 slug air-driven, and any .22 LR ammunition.
Another point — in N50, competitors are allowed to move up in class — you aren’t restricted to a “lower” division. For example, Pellet Class shooters can also move up to shoot in Sportsman and Pro. In addition, Factory rimfires are allowed in Pro Class. This way shooters with the less-expensive rifles can shoot more relays and also see how they compete with the unlimited rigs. It’s all about having fun.
We wanted to make N50 as simple as we could combining air rifles with rimfire so folks who have a factory rimfire can participate and have fun. We also did not want a lot of classes, so combining the two gun types would be simpler. To be honest we were worried that the rimfires will outpace the air rifles, but that was not the case at this year’s Nationals.
National 50 Benchrest League Rules and Course of Fire
The official N50 website, National50.org, lists N50 rules, classes, courses of fire, and membership requirements. There are currently 16 affiliated clubs nationwide, with more coming soon.
General Rules — Here are some of the more notable N50 General Rules that apply to N50 matches:
Target Distance: 50 yards
Match Times: 20 minutes per target
Targets: Official targets produced and distributed by N50
Aggregate Score: Cumulative score of 3 targets shot in sequence on same day
Scoring: No competitor shall score their own target
As far as hardware, N50 is pretty open. For all 3 classes, any scope is allowed and any trigger is allowed. For all 3 classes, stocks are unrestricted, stocks may be bedded, and rifle weight is unlimited. However, the Sportsman Class must retain factory barrel and action. N50 competitors in all classes may use 1-piece rests, 2-piece rests, bags, or bipods — whatever they prefer.
Mike Niksch, owner of Thomas Rifles, won the PRO class with a very strong performance. What is remarkable, and perhaps even historic, is that Mike won with an air rifle, defeating all the high-end unlimited-type .22 LR rimfire rifles in the process. This may be the first time an air rifle out-performed high-end rimfire rigs in head-to-head competition, shooting the same targets in the same match. Overall Match Winner and PRO Class runner-up Lou Fontana observed: “The real significance of this weekend is that Mike Niksch and his brand new Thomas Slug air rifle outshot several unlimited .22 LRs in PRO class. This should be a paradigm shift for most. That may have never been done in competition before. I’ll add it was done at the NRA Whittington Center monitored by a NRA Range Officer.”
Look carefully at that photo. You’ll note Mike’s right hand is on a black box, NOT a conventional trigger. The wood-stocked air rifle Mike shot at Raton is equipped with a state-of-the-art electronic trigger of Mike’s own design. To fire a shot, Mike simply pushes a button that sends an electric impulse via a wire. This trips a mechanism inside the rifle’s action which releases the pressurized air. The system works very well and actually makes the Thomas air rifles simpler to build. The big advantage is that no movement is imparted to the rifle.
Thomas Air Rifle with Metal Stock
While Mike Niksch shot a wood-stocked rig at Raton, Mike also crafts a version of his rifle with an alloy stock and conventional trigger. We shot a video of Mike with this gun at the Open Grove Range in California (see above). Mike builds air rifles with the buyers’ choice of stock. He likes both the wood and the metal versions, and both shoot great — check out that 10-shot group Mike drilled at Open Grove.
A brilliant innovator, Mike has created a rifle design that sets new standards for airgun accuracy. At right is a 10-shot group Mike shot at 50 yards at the Open Grove range with the rifle in the video. Few centerfire rifles could match that accuracy. We asked Mike to demonstrate his rifle’s accuracy, and he sure delivered!
Custom .22-Caliber Slugs
Like many top N50 airgun competitors, Mike forms his own slugs, starting with strings of lead. The lead is cut in short sections then formed up in special bullet-making dies.
The finished .22-caliber slugs look very similar to rebated boat-tail centerfire match bullets. And boy do they shoot!
Mike has tried a wide variety of commercially-available slug designs in his sophisticated air rifles. But nothing has shot as well as the slugs he forms himself. One reason could be that Mike uses custom .22 LR barrels originally designed for .22 LR rimfire rigs. It may be that commercially-made slugs have not yet been optimized for these smallbore barrels. Whatever the reason, Mike’s home-made slugs shoot better than anything he can buy. He has shown us some 100-yard groups that would make centerfire shooters envious.
Ace tactical shooter and gunsmith Jim See of Elite Accuracy LLC recently tested a Frankford Arsenal rotary brass tumbler. Like the older Thumbler’s Tumblers, this can tumble your cases in a liquid solution. The wet-tumbling process worked very well Jim reports. Posting on Facebook, Jim noted: “I was super impressed with the Frankford Arsenal rotary tumbler and cleaning packs they sent me. I ran 350 pieces of brass for one hour. They now look great.” Jim appreciated not having to deal with dry tumbling media, such as crushed walnut shells. Dry media produces dust and can leave residues or clog flash-holes.
Interestingly, Jim recommends you try wet-tumbling WITHOUT using stainless media. At least give it a try. Tumbling without media simplifies the process and you don’t have to worry about pins stuck in flash-holes or case-necks*. Jim reports: “Stainless steel pins come with the Frankford kit, but mine hit the trash right out of the box. There is no need to clean the inside of your cases 100% and that’s all the pins add to the equation. The brass bumping brass with hot water and Frankford’s liquid cleaner works great all by itself.” One wag stated: “That’s great to hear. Stainless steel pins are a PITA.”
Other Facebook posters concurred with Jim’s evaluation of the Frankford Arsenal Rotary Tumbler:
“I’ve had one for a couple years, and it works well. I usually run about 250-300 Dasher cases at once in it. But I use the pins because I’m OCD about clean brass.” — David W.
“I’ve had one for a year and a half and it definitely works with or without pins.” — Luke C.
“I got one about six months ago and have yet to use any SS media. I just use some dawn, distilled water, and Lemi Shine®. Turns nasty 5.56 range brass bright and shiny.” — Brian D.
“I don’t use the pins either and use a combination of Dawn soap and Lemi Shine.” — Jon N.G.
This video shows how to assemble and operate the Frankford rotary tumbler. But note, Jim See does NOT feel that it is necessary to use stainless media.
How to Dry Your Brass — Hair Dryer Vs. Machine
The downside of wet tumbling is that you end up with a pile of wet brass at the end of the cleaning cycle. There are many ways to dry brass, from drying in the sun to using a kitchen oven (be careful not to “overcook” your brass). One Facebook poster asked Jim: “What is your drying method for wet brass, and how long does it take?”
Jim See replied: “To start I just drain off the dirty water, and rinse the brass with clean hot water. Then I roll the brass on a towel for 30 seconds and put the brass in a one-gallon bucket. Next I insert a hair dryer in the bucket (with the brass) and let it run for about 5 minutes. With this procedure, the drying process for me is done in less than 10 minutes.”
Jack Lanhart has another method: “I use a food dehydrator. It takes 30 to 45 minutes.”
For those who don’t want to mess with towels and hair dryers, Frankford Arsenal offers a matching Platinum Series Case Dryer that simplifies the process of drying brass. Lyman also makes an excellent Cyclone Case Dryer. These drying machines each cost about $65.00 and both have multiple levels so you can separate different types of cartridge brass. Lyman states that “The forced heated air circulation of the Cyclone will dry your brass inside and out within an hour or two, with no unsightly water spots.” The Lyman dryer can also be used for ultrasonically-cleaned gun parts.
*The Frankford Rotary tumbler does include media separators if you choose to use the provided pins or other media. CLICK HERE for diagram showing how to use media separators.
Are you getting ready for that Fall 2021 hunt? Would you like a FREE Special Hunting Edition of On Target Magazine? Just CLICK HERE to read the latest 85-page magazine in digital PDF format. This issue features New-for-2021 Hunting Gear, plus a round-up of new Suppressor-Ready LR Hunting Rifles:
Mossberg Patriot Long Range Hunter
Springfield 2020 Waypoint
Savage Impulse Predator
Sig Sauer Cross
In addition, two other interesting new hunting rifles are reviewed: Brenton 450 Bushmaster Stalker Carbon Hunter 18, and Rossi R92 Lever Rifle.
Here’s a clever little device from Creedmoor Sports. This $14.95 PUCK lets you run multiple cleaning/uniforming attachments with one easy to use center disk. Store the attachments on the outer diameter and transfer to the threaded center section as desired. This is a clever invention that could work great in your range kit.
Attached Tools Are NOT Included
But before we go any further, TAKE NOTE — the $14.95 only gets you the threaded central Puck disk. ALL the other attachments are sold separately — you have to pay MORE Money — got that? Most people already have inside/outside chamferers and primer pocket uniformers, so the Puck should work well. It fits all 8-32 threaded tools, which includes 95% of most case prep tools.
The Puck — Universal Brass Case Prep Tool Holder
Product Description from Creedmoor Sports
Attach up to four case prep tools threaded 8-32 (95% of case prep tools on the market). The Puck encourages a light touch and is more ergonomic to use than most hand tools on the market today.
Quickly rotate the tool to progressively work through your case prep. Set it up with an outside deburrer, inside deburrer, primer pocket cleaner, and crimp cutter. You can easily rotate through the tools.
A handy tool for the range bag, pair the Creedmoor Puck with any brush or pull cord with an 8-32 thread. Use for detailed brushing or use the Puck as a puller. Thread on picks for scraping off carbon or getting dirt out of tight spaces.
The Creedmoor Puck is made from 416 Stainless Steel. This is both corrosion resistant and magnetic. Use a magnet to stick a Puck the side of your reloading press to easily store your prep tools and keep them at your fingertips for quick touch-ups while loading. The diamond knurling makes this tool easy to grip while in use. The patent-pending Puck tool is designed for heavy use and should last a lifetime.
Key Benefits of this system
Thomas Air Rifle with Metal Stock
Custom .22-Caliber Slugs
